Hope Now Bible Church: Fresno, California

Put On the Whole Armor of God: Ephesians 6: 13-18

Pastor Roger Feenstra

"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints..." Ephesians 6:13-18


In the city of Ephesus, there was a battle going on for the souls of the new Christians there. The city itself was full of gods and goddesses and there was a spirit of religious tolerance among the people for whatever anyone wanted to worship. In fact, people typically worshipped more than one deity (or god). The city of Ephesus also had a reputation for magic, shamanism (following someone like a witch doctor or medicine man), and occult arts (that is devil worship). Magic was a means for the people to harness spiritual power through rituals, incantations, and invocations. And Luke writes in the book of Acts many of the believers in Ephesus gathered their magical books together and burned them (Acts 19:19). Christians in Ephesus had a difficult time turning completely away from their former practices in the process of discipleship, as a battle for their souls was being waged against them through the forces of evil.

Whether or not you know it, or whether or not you like it, there is a battle going on for your mind and ultimately, your soul too.

The Battlefield

From the very beginning of time, mankind has been on a battlefield. Ever since Satan uttered the words to Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis;

If you eat this fruit, "you shall not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:4).

All of the battles that have been faced throughout all of history; all of the temptations and struggles that you face each day as you determine to live your life for Christ, are a result of this first battle. It is a spiritual battle between, "God said", and "Satan said." Hand to hand, face-to-face, and toe-to-toe spiritual conflict and every believer in Jesus Christ is thrust into the battlefield. When you enter into the Christian life, you are not set free from the conflict. In fact, when you make a decision to follow Jesus Christ more closely, the battle intensifies. The battle is intense, fierce, extreme, serious and real and perhaps deadly. At times, it may seem as if the battle is too overpowering and that all may be lost.

Be Strong in The Lord, The Commander of The Lord's Army

But there is hope for us in this struggle between the "rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places." Our hope lies in Ephesians 6:10, to "Be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might."

In the Old Testament book of Joshua 5:13-15, Christ appeared to Joshua (this is called a Christophany-a visible appearance of Christ in the Old Testament) as the "Commander of the Lord's army." To fight this spiritual battle, you have Jesus Christ as your Captain or Commander and He has promised to lead you into battle if you simply depend on him and his power.

But how do you do that? How do you fight the temptations that so easily come upon you day after day? Last week I told you that Scripture says that you are to "Put on the Lord Jesus" (Romans 13:14) and the passage today in Ephesians shows you how to do that: It's called putting on the "whole armor of God" and the purpose of the armor is to be able to "withstand" the evil that is around you. Do you know what "withstand" means?

"John Lambert lived in England in the 1500's. He was a teacher of Greek at Oxford and he was a Christian. In the 1500's, the church was controlled by the King, Henry the 8th. Therefore, whatever the King said was the truth, even if it contradicted the Bible. King Henry the 8th approved all of the sermons that were preached in England in the 1500’s. Since John Lambert was a scholar and had studied the Bible carefully, he knew that some of the teachings of the Church of England were wrong. They were not teaching the truth about Jesus Christ, so John spoke out against the Church of England to protest.

He was put on trial before the archbishop of Canterbury and the King himself. The King asked John Lambert, "Will you give up your foolish talk about Jesus Christ and believe the way the Church believes?" John Lambert replied that he could not do that. So, King Henry had him sentenced to death! He was tied to a stake and a small fire was lit underneath him. As the fire slowly consumed his feet and legs, he was left hanging from the stake with only his bloodied, burned stumps, and while in extreme agony, he was still alert. With nothing but stumps left, his accusers tied rope under his arms and lifted him into the air. As he hung there they again asked him, will you renounce your false teaching! Withstanding the torture and pain, John Lambert cried out his last words, "None but Christ, None but Christ!" At that point they dropped him into the fire where he died shortly after."

Here are the words the dictionary uses to help us understand what it means to withstand:

Resist, weather, survive, endure, cope with, stand, tolerate, bear, stomach, defy, brave, hold out against, tough it out, bear up against, stand up to, face, and confront.

The only way you can withstand the battle over temptation and sin and the troubles that drag you down is to "Put on the whole armor of God." The key to this passage is that you are to put on the "Whole" armor. One piece of the armor won't allow you to win the battle. Just picking up the "Sword" which is the Word of God isn't enough to fight the battle. It might help you get a few swipes at the enemy, but the battle is so fierce it is impossible to fend of all of the enemy’s blows with just the sword - more on that later. So let's look at each piece of God's armor, and as we do, ask God to help you wear that piece of armor each day.

Belt of Truth 

Paul begins to describe the "whole armor" by instructing you (through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) in verse 14 to "Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth..."

When you hear people talk about the "Whole armor of God" you hear a lot about the "Sword" but not a lot about the "Belt of truth." Now we all know what a belt is used for. It's used typically to hold up your pants! In the Biblical world, the belt was used for a similar purpose. An athlete or a worker would tuck his tunic into his belt so that he could run faster and not get tripped by his loose clothing.

You've seen those people today who walk around without a belt -- we say, "Hey, you're sagging!" And many guys have been caught by the police because they were sagging and their pants tripped them up when they were being chased!

Turn to the book of 1st Peter1: 13. In the book of 1st Peter it says this:

"Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1st Peter 1:13)

If you look at the little footnote at the bottom of the page of your Bible it says "Greek girding up the loins of your mind” To gird your loins in the Roman era (which is when Ephesians and 1st Peter were written) meant to draw up your garment into your belt to increase your mobility or agility. By doing so, the athlete or the soldier would be less likely to be tripped up by loose clothing.

So our passage is saying that the "belt of truth" is what prepares your mind for action. And if you are not prepared for action; if you're not prepared for this spiritual battle, the battle will be lost -- that's why the belt of truth is mentioned first in this list of armor in Ephesians. You can't fight the battle without being prepared for it. So you must keep your "belt of truth" in good shape, you can't let it get corrupted by the sin you commit or tolerate in your life. When you do, you will start "sagging" and surely get tripped up and fall. So you need to recognize and examine the things that cause you to stumble and fall in your Christian walk. The Bible doesn't give us one specific list, but as we saw last week we stumble and fall because of the "schemes" of the devil -- Remember that a scheme is a "secret underhanded plan." And Satan is constantly trying to trip you up.

That's why Peter said to "Prepare your mind for action" and Paul says, "fasten on the belt of truth." The battlefield of sin begins with the people and activities around you that will trip you up. Therefore, the belt of truth requires focusing your mind on Jesus Christ -- allowing your thoughts to be saturated by the truth of His word and not the secret underhanded lies of the world, placed there by Satan to trip you up: "You'll feel much better if you get high" the enemy whispers in your ear through the voice of a friend, but God says, "Be sober minded." "You can go to church next week, your family says" "We have family things to do, don't you care about your family?" But God says, "Do not turn your back on going to church." "That girl is much hotter than my wife" as the devil entices you to think and even act out on sexually immoral thoughts, but God says, "Rejoice in the wife of your youth and reject sexual immorality." No, you are to "fasten the belt of truth" to keep you from the things that will trip you in your Christian life.

When I was a child, my dad had a belt of truth. Whenever I would disobey or do something that was wrong, my dad would get out the belt of truth and use it on my backside to correct me! The belt of truth in my house got my mind off what I was doing wrong and helped me think of ways to do things correctly in the future!

You see, The Belt of Truth corrects you and helps you train your mind to be saturated with truth from God, rather than the lies of the world. And believe me the lies of the world are so intense at times that they will aim right for your heart. That is why the next piece of armor is so important.

The Breastplate of Righteousness

"Put on the breastplate of righteousness" (vs. 14)

The Roman breastplate was typically made of bronze, backed with leather. It was designed to protect the vital area. You can imagine that without a breastplate, or in today's world a bullet proof vest, one arrow or bullet to that area would be deadly.

So with the whole armor of God, you are protected by Christ's breastplate of righteousness. If you are wearing that "breastplate," you can rest assured that your heart, your emotions, and your will are securely guarded and adequately protected against attack.

Listen to what one pastor said about the breastplate and the spiritual attacks that come to you:

"Your heart and emotions are perhaps the most frequent ground of attack against Christian faith. Christians often feel they lack assurance (or confidence in their faith). They feel unworthy of God. They feel they are a failure in the Christian life and that God is certain to reject them, that He is no longer interested in them. They are so aware of their failures and shortcomings. Growth has been so slow. The first joy of faith has faded, and they feel God is angry with them or that He is far off somewhere. There is a constant sense of guilt. Their conscience is always stabbing them, making them unhappy. They feel God blames them. This is simply a satanic attack."

He continues...

"How do you answer an attack like this? You are to remember that you have put on the breastplate of righteousness. In other words, you do not stand on your own merits (or, worth). You never did. You never had anything worthwhile in yourself to offer to God. You gave all that up when you came to Christ. You quit trying to be good enough to please God. You came on His merits. You came on the ground of His imputed righteousness—which which He gives to you. You began your Christian life like that, and there is no change now. You are still standing before God on that basis.”[1]

What this is saying is that you don't fight this spiritual battle alone; Christ's righteousness is the source of your protection from Satan.

And when you finally realize that you are covered by Christ's righteousness and not your own, you are able to stand firm in the spiritual battle that is being waged in your life.

So you put on the "belt of truth" to keep from getting tripped up by your sins, you put on the "breastplate of righteousness" in order to allow what Christ did for you on the cross to protect you and not rely on your own works of righteousness, which are worthless.

Shoes For The Gospel of Peace

When you depend on our own works to help you, when you determine to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, you'll never overcome the sin in your life. Why? Because you don't have the right boots on! Look at verse 15:

"And as for shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace."

There are many different types of shoes. I could never get Carol to understand that whenever I took up a new sport, I had to have the proper shoe to go along with it. When I was into running, I needed running shoes, when I play tennis I need tennis shoes, when I ride my bike I need biking shoes, when I just want to kick back at home, I need sandals. Carol's comment is, "Why can't you just use the same pair of shoes for all the sports?" The truth is, each type of shoe has a particular purpose and each pair will give you a slight edge on your competition.

Shoes of peace are what Paul is talking about. The idea here seems to be that you are not to look for a spiritual battle, it's going to be there regardless, but you are to seek peace, not looking for a fight, rather seeking peace.

Ephesians 2:14 says, "Jesus is our peace. Therefore, we can only experience peace through Jesus Christ. See, peace is not passive it is powerful. You may think that to be a man of peace, it means you're weak. That is a lie of Satan and you couldn't be more wrong! Jesus said this about peace in John 16:33:

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

In fact in John 14:27 Jesus said,

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

God's peace is strong, it overcomes the powers of the world, it keeps us from fear - The peace of Jesus is powerful!

Do you want to be able to fight the "schemes of the devil" and be ready to move quickly when the attacks come? Then God says, "Seek peace which only comes through Jesus Christ."

Shield of Faith

But take caution, when you seek peace, the devil is going to continue to attack you. He is going to muster all of his weapons against you and his attacks are going to come fast and furious. So Paul writes that you are to,

"In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one." (vs.16).

In all circumstances...never let your guard down. Never! And yet this is probably what you tend to do the most. Jesus Christ rescued you from the power of sin and death and things started looking pretty good in your life. You were reading your Bible, you were praying, you were interested and passionate about growing in Christ, so you dropped your shield for a while. After all, you say, this shield is heavy, it's not always easy to hold it up -- you just needed a little rest so you dropped your guard for a minute. But you forgot that you were in the battle still - and when you dropped your shield Satan fired at will; Pow,pow,pow,pow,pow,pow... Suddenly, you didn't have time to read your Bible, you stopped praying and your spiritual growth just stopped -- as each "flaming dart" hit you got weaker and weaker in your faith and Jesus took a backseat. He became an afterthought.

But where does faith come from? How can you be assured that you're not going to drop your shield of faith? Fortunately, the Bible is clear on this matter of faith:

Turn with me in your Bible to the book of Romans 10:17. So often the pastors at Hope Now hear this, "I'm just not growing in my faith." And usually, we hear this from those who never attend church; who never sit through a Bible study; who never seek out Godly teachers. Look at what it says in Romans 10:17:

"Faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the word of God."

You will never be able to continue holding up the shield of faith unless you are hearing the Word of God being taught clearly and accurately. "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the word of God." That's why you need to attend church and when you do attend, you must attend a church that teaches the Word of God: Not some place that just tells a bunch of good stories that are funny or interesting; but a church that honors Christ and teaches only Christ. It is clear that you will not grow in your Christian life without taking up the shield of faith which only comes through hearing the world of God.

You see, when we preach each Sunday we are not preaching our own words. Right now, these are not my words that I am preaching. You're thinking, "Well it sure sounds like your voice!" That is because God is using me as his tool, and when John speaks next week, and Vanna and Bryce on other weeks, God will use them as his mouthpiece too. All week, I have spent time in prayer and study of God's Word, asking Him to show me exactly which words to share with you -- and my prayer this week has been that the Holy Spirit would speak through me and that you would be convicted by God's Word and your faith strengthened as it is preached. If you have attended here long enough you know that our preaching is only from the word of God. Paul said this in 1 Corinthians 1:17:

"For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel"

What is the gospel?

"That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures..." (1 Corinthians 15)

The gospel or good news is that Jesus Christ promises you eternal life because of his resurrection.

So the Shield of Faith involves trust and reliance on Jesus Christ through his Word and even more specifically, the preaching of His Word.

The Helmet of Salvation

"And take the helmet of salvation..." (vs. 17)

A wound to the head is a serious matter. Since the head is vital part, you need to protect it well. While your heart needs the protection of the breastplate of righteousness, your head needs protection too.

So many messages, true and false, enter into our heads today.

- The sheer volume of knowledge is doubling every five years now ~ Bill Clinton, 1998

- A weekday edition of the New York Times contains more information than the average person was likely to come across in a lifetime in seventeenth-century England . . . . ~ Richard Wurman

- By the time a child is eighteen years old, he or she will witness on television (with average viewing time) 200,000 acts of violence including 40,000 murders (Huston, et al, 1992)

And by the way:

-Young children who see media violence have a greater chance of exhibiting violent and aggressive behavior later in life, than children who have not seen violent media (Congressional Public Health Summit, 2000).

The great preacher of the 1800's in England, Charles Spurgeon said, "If you have the right doctrine (or teaching) in your head, and then set the soul on fire, you will soon win the world [for Christ].

The head is the place where Satan can persuade you and manipulate your mind. That's why you are to be sober-minded and not drunk. When you are drunk, your mind is open to the schemes of the devil. One time a young man said to one of our pastors, "When I'm high, I am much closer to God and the Bible is easier to understand." Of course, that's also lie of Satan. If he can get you to doubt you have a helmet he'll strike your head to get you to believe a lie.

It is of great importance to have a helmet that will not be knocked off but understand this, if you are already wearing a helmet it cannot get knocked off by Satan. It's a helmet that he cannot get off. The devil himself cannot drag the Christian's helmet off, once it is buckled on.

The world can neither give nor take away the salvation of a Christian. Salvation comes from God, and He will never withdraw it, for His gifts and calling are irrevocable (final, carved in stone) (Romans 11:39). Once his helmet is put on Satan will lie to you to make you doubt that you have the salvation of God and when he does, you need to be ready with the only weapon that comes with the armor.

The Sword of the Spirit, Which is the Word of God

"And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God..." (Vs. 17)

The Word of God!

It is only through His Word that we can actually fight the schemes of the devil and to withstand evil. In this verse, "the word of God" does not necessarily refer to the complete Bible.

The "sword of the Spirit" is the saying of God applied to a specific situation. This is the only great weapon placed in the hands of a believer. Perhaps we have experienced this in some moment of temptation or doubt, when we we're attacked by what Paul calls here "the flaming arrows of the evil one" (v. 16). But the temptation has been answered immediately by a passage of Scripture that flashed into your mind, something you had not been thinking of at all, but which supplied the needed answer. That is why this is called "the sword of the Spirit," because it not only comes from Jesus as the author of the Word, but it is also recalled to mind by the Spirit and made powerful by Him in our lives. The Word of God is His answer to the attack of the devi who comes to discourage you, defeat you, lure you aside, deceive you, or mislead you in some way.

The more you are exposed to Scripture, the more the Spirit can use this mighty sword in your life. If you never read or study your Bible, you are terribly exposed to defeat and despair. You have no defense; you have nothing, no weapon, to put up against these forces that are at work. Therefore, read your Bible regularly. When you neglect the reading of the Scriptures you are in disobedience to the will of the Lord. And what is the responsibility of the Christian when the Spirit places one of these sayings in your mind on some appropriate occasion? The apostle says, "Take it! Heed it! Obey it! Do not reject it. Take it seriously. The Spirit of God has brought it to mind for a purpose; therefore, give heed to it, obey it."

Peter, in his 1st letter, says that people "stumble because they disobey the word." (1 Peter 2:8).

Prayer, The Substance That Holds it All Together

Paul concludes his analogy or metaphor of the whole armor of God with the substance that holds all of the armor together:

"Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints." (Vs. 18)

Do you want to "Be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might"? Then put on the armor of God - and to keep your armor well-oiled and strong Paul says to remember to do three things:

1. Pray at all times. In the book of First Thessalonians Paul says it this way, "Pray without ceasing." Praying keeps your mind focused on God. It takes your thoughts off of what is evil and places your hope and trust in the Savior. The tendency is to pray only when you have a need or a problem, but you are told here to pray at all times, in fact, it doesn't say to pray for your own problems at all.

2. Supplication. Supplication means to plead and Paul says to plead for other Christians. Focus on building others up in Christ and your armor will stay strong.

3. Keep alert. And remember, you are in a spiritual battle. Don't drop your guard, don't give up, keep your armor on and fight the good fight.

Let me assure you today, you are going to be under attack. From the moment your day begins, it is on! Satan will use everything in his arsenal to knock you down. He's going to throw drugs at you, abuse of alcohol, temptations to lie, cheat, and steal, the urge to strike back when someone strikes out at you; in fact, he'll set other Christians in your path who might fail right in front of you and you'll become discouraged. When you leave here today, you'll be tempted to fight with your spouse or girlfriend or boyfriend, you'll face financial problems, illnesses, perhaps death, but remember, remember your calling this week when all of those things try to cover you like a wave...shall we give in to the forces of Satan this week?

No. God tells you this as you finish reading this today:

"In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39).

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith..." (1 Peter 5:8,9) "Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil...take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to STAND FIRM."

"And now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."








[1] Pastor Ray Stedman

Be Strong in the Lord and The Strength of His Might

Ephesians 6:10-13 Pastor Roger Feenstra

Please take your Bible and turn to the book of Ephesians, chapter 6. We are nearing the conclusion of our study through this wonderful letter of Ephesians, written by the Apostle Paul to the church in the city of Ephesus nearly 2,000 years ago. As we have shared with you over the past few months, because this is the holy Word of God, this letter is just as relevant for us today in 2009 as it was when it was first written.

Throughout the book of Ephesians we have touched on a lot of subjects that are of importance to us:

In Chapter 1 we are told to be "holy and blameless" (vs. 4)

In Chapter 2 we are told that our salvation is purely a gift of grace, not works.

In Chapter 3 we are told to be rooted and grounded in love and to know the love of Christ.

In Chapter 4 we are instructed to "Put off our old self" (vs. 22)

In Chapter 5 we are commanded to "Be imitators of God" (vs. 1); to not be sexually immoral (vs. 3); to not get drunk (vs. 18); for wives to submit to their husbands (vs. 22), and for husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church (vs. 25)

In Chapter 6 we're given instruction for children to "obey their parents" (vs. 1); For fathers to "not make their children angry" (vs. 4); for slaves, or in our day, employees, "to obey your earthly masters" (vs. 5)

And now, Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit begins to sum up the entire book in chapter 6:10 with a powerful message to us all:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might."

I love this verse as it is touches on the heart of the Gospel (Or, the Good News) of Jesus Christ.

What is the Good News? What is the Gospel? If you had only one minute to tell someone about Jesus Christ; who he is, what he did for you, you might give a one minute testimony of your life; what Jesus has done for you and how your life is changed. This might be a good approach, but probably one of the best ways to tell someone the pure Gospel or Good News of Jesus Christ is to quote 1 Corinthians 15:3-8. Keep your place in Ephesians, but turn back a few books to 1st Corinthians.

The Good News is this,

"Jesus Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time...then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles and finally to the apostle Paul" (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

So when this verse in Ephesians tells you to be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might it is proclaiming good news to you and me. The Lord, strong and mighty, who had the power to rise from the dead, is the source of your spiritual strength.

How to Be Strong

Have you ever needed spiritual strength? Perhaps you have been through a time in your life when it seemed as if there was no hope? Maybe you've lost a loved one and all of your plans and dreams came crashing in around you? Possibly you've lost a job, or have financial difficulties? Maybe you're trying to live your life for Christ, but your friends and family mock you for your new found faith and they say, "It won't last." Maybe you need spiritual strength today, right now? Is it possible to be "Strong in the Lord and the strength of his might?"

By the way, do you know when the best time is to be strong in the Lord? It is when you are weak -- when you've reached the end, when you can go no farther. When the world is against you. Hear the words of the Lord from 2 Corinthians 12:10:

"For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Paul is not talking here about his own strength. He's not saying, if I just pull myself up by my bootstraps and try harder I'll be strong. No, Paul is talking about being strong in the Lord and the strength of his might whenever you encounter trials.

Tortured For Faith

History is replete (filled) with Christians who have endured trials like you; those who have been persecuted for their faith and yet have remained strong in the Lord and refused to turn away from their Lord.

In the book Tortures and Torments of Christian Martyrs (A martyr is someone who suffers to the point of death), by Antonio Gallonio written in 1903; He lists various methods that Christians were tortured for their faith.

He describes:

Red hot plates: a piece of metal heated to the point of glowing red hot was placed upon the Christian until he or she renounced their faith in Christ.
Burning torches: A branch with its tip dipped in pine tar and lit on fire was pressed against the Christian.
Stakes or crosses: Where the Christian was hung sometimes upside down and fire lit beneath him to produce a long, slow, torturous death.

Other punishments for believing in Christ included:

Buried alive: Often these martyrs for Christ were not buried completely, but only up to their necks where they were left to bake in the sun without food or water.

Sewn inside a bag and thrown into the River.
If ever there was a time when spiritual strength was needed, it was during these times.

What was it that allowed these Christians to remain true to Jesus Christ? How could they endure the slow pain of death? It was because they were "Strong in the Lord and the strength of his might."

Strength in the King of Glory

All of our strength comes from Jesus Christ. We can never be strong in ourselves. We can never be strong in our own might.

This is the crux (the heart, or main point) of the Gospel: That our spiritual strength comes from our Savior Jesus Christ who was so strong and mighty that he rose from the dead. That is the good news!

Psalm 24:8 describes him this way:

"Who is this king of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle."

How strong?

Jesus Christ was laughed at, tortured, beaten with rods, pierced on his head with a crown of thorns, spit upon, crucified on a cross, buried, YET, He rose from the grave, he conquered death -- He is strong and mighty even over death and he offers that same resurrection power to you and me! Because of Christ, we too have power over death and are promised to be resurrected someday. Our strength is made sure in the fact that we will someday escape this body of sorrow and death and will be resurrected to live eternally with Jesus Christ. Our strength comes from the truth that Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has conquered death for us.

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first (1 Thessalonians 4:!6)

The Lord strong and mighty!

Our Lord, strong and mighty!

Why Do You Need Strength

But why do we need to be strong in the Lord and strength of his might? I mean, we are not facing torture or physical persecution in Fresno in 2009.

No, you and I are facing a much greater foe. You need his strength because the devil is trying to destroy you. So Paul relays to us God's plan to help us to be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might.

"Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." (vs. 11).

Here's how the dictionary describes the word "scheme":

"A large-scale systematic plan or arrangement for attaining some particular object or putting a particular idea into effect...A secret of underhanded plan."

Satan has a secret plan to destroy you. You may not be facing red hot plates, burning torches, burning at the stake or being buried alive or thrown into the river for your faith in Christ, but make no mistake, you are being tempted and tested in other ways: drugs, alcohol, sex outside of marriage, stealing, lying, cheating -- all of the things from your former life (See Ephesians 4:22-31) Satan is making a bold attempt to draw you away from Christ, even to the point of physical death if need be.

Therefore, we need to be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might and we need to put on the whole armor of God so that we may be able to stand against the secret underhanded plan of the devil!

You see, you may think that all of the temptations you face are a result of your former life or your upbringing - "That's the way our family rolled, you might say." But the truth is that the battle you face in serving Christ has nothing to do with your physical upbringing, your parents or your past.

And while the events of your past are real and cannot always be forgotten, the temptations you face today, to live your life for Jesus Christ, are purely from a spiritual battle that is raging all around you.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12).

Not a Physical Problem 

Your struggle with sin is not due to your background. You use that as an excuse, because it's all you know. The truth is, you can't change where you came from, or what your past was like. And you can't change the way you are. Why? Because your problem is not a physical problem, it is a spiritual one. You see, when you try to use the world's medicine to make your life better; when you listen to the Dr. Phil's and the Oprah's, and try your best to "heal" your past or to search for your inner happiness you will never be able to find it. Listen to the mission statement of Oprah Winfrey's television show:

"Our mission statement for ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ is to use television to transform people’s lives, to make viewers see themselves differently and to bring happiness and a sense of fulfillment into every home.

”

I don't know about you, but when I'm faced with a choice have my life transformed, and I'm facing great trials and temptations, I'm not going to turn to television for the answer. I'm turning to the Lord, strong and mighty.

Dr. Phil's method to help you overcome your sin and your past is to simply rely upon yourself to do it. And while his methods at face value seem harmless and at times even helpful, it is the same old false story that people have been listening to for thousands of years, "You can solve your life's problems on your own."

But the truth of the matter is when you become a believer in Jesus Christ, you have the power through Christ, not yourself, to overcome the struggle of sin in your life. And when you turn to your past to try to figure it out you are never able to trust our Lord Christ or to depend on his strength. You become what the apostle Peter said in 2 Peter 2:22 (quoting from Proverbs):

[Like a] dog [who] returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

You Can't Do It 

Satan is trying to bring you down and it is only by "being strong in the Lord and the strength of his might" that you will be able to move on in your life and conquer your past, your sin and the temptations that seem to so easily befall you.

Some people say to me, "I'm trying to change to become a better person, but it's just not working." That's good that you want to change, but do you know why it's not working? It's because you are trying to make the change in your life. Rather God says, "Be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might."

Why do you think Jesus died on the cross? So that you could keep trying on your own to do good? Did he die simply so you could think he was a good guy? Did he suffer on the cross so that you could continue to be mired in your past life? No! Jesus Christ died on the cross in order to do all of the work for you! He took all of your sins, past, present and future and put them on himself so that you could place your faith in him and be rescued from a life of sin and death. Remember the sin you committed recently (maybe even last night?), the one that is causing you so much guilt? He took that sin too upon himself and he offers you forgiveness (1 John 1:9).

It is only through Jesus Christ that you can withstand and overcome the temptations that are thrown at you.

Be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might: Because your problems are not physical. They appear physical because that is the lie of Satan. Jesus said this about Satan:

"He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44)

If he can make you think that your problems are about your past then he has succeeded in producing a great lie that you will believe.

Rather, the truth is that your struggle is against Satan and his forces. And to overcome that struggle you need to "Be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might." You will not overcome your temptations and struggles by trying to do good, or trying to figure out your past, or blaming others. When you do that, Satan has you right where he wants you.

You are to "be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might." And to fight this battle that is raging all around you, you need to "put on Christ." And next time we'll look more closely at what that means and how we do that.

Jesus is Your Covering

But the Bible is clear that to fight the spiritual battle; to be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might, you need to put on Christ. Here's what God said about putting on Christ in Romans 13:14:

"But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires."

You see, Jesus is our covering. He covers us with his righteousness, and this is what God was showing us from the very beginning. Turn to Genesis 3:21. After Adam and Eve sinned, they were immediately guilty -- their guilt showed in that they realized that they were naked and their nakedness caused them shame. Therefore, verse 21 says that God "clothed them." This verse is a prophecy of what Jesus Christ would someday do for us. From the very beginning God was showing that he was going to make a covering for our sin. And that covering is Jesus Christ.

From the moment you believe in him, you are covered with the righteousness of Christ. No longer are you walking around naked in your sin, you are covered with his righteousness; and to fight the spiritual battle, you are to put on Christ.

That's why so many Christians today (even many in this room), are weak and defeated. Christian by name only, but not by deed. They walk around week after week, with the same problems. "Woe is me" they cry. I have so many problems, you don't understand my problems." And they go through life never growing in their relationship with Christ, never reading God's Word, praying only when they have a real serious problem. Playing hit and miss when they attend church to worship the Lord. Denying their children the blessing of learning about Jesus Christ by not bringing them to Sunday School and not training them up at home to know the Lord Jesus Christ and to love Him.

This is a spiritual battle -- be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might. Put on Jesus Christ daily - wear him as your whole armor against the onslaught of Satan. Be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might:

"Santoso" is a farmer and a pastor for a small village church in Indonesia. Recently, he was attacked on the way home after sharing Christ with Muslims on a farm in the city of Poso. He and a friend, both on motorbikes, were hit with a machete wielded by a Muslim who jumped from a bush. The Muslim tried to cut off his head but missed, hitting him in the mouth. He ran to his village holding his face. Because of the attack Santoso lost 10 teeth and damaged his tongue and his friend's fingers were cut off. (This was the third attempt on Santoso's life.) Before going into his last surgery, he said, "I read Ephesians 1:19 which promises God's great power to us who believe. God sends me power so I can bear suffering. We rejoice that one Muslim has come to Christ."

Where do men and women like Santoso get their strength to endure torture? It comes from the Lord Jesus Christ -- by being strong in the Lord and the strength of his might. The power to live our lives for Jesus Christ comes through recognizing that we are not in a physical war, but a spiritual one; and to win the war, we must put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Next time, I am going to share with you how to do that. In Ephesians, it's called "putting on the whole armor of God."

Do you need spiritual strength today? Then be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might. And when you do that; when you take the focus off your own strength which is weak and feeble, and when you finally determine to be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might, then we can rest assured that we will win the sprirtual battle and will become as Paul said in Romans 8:37:

...In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
There is good news for us today! Be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might!

Are you trying to fight the battle of life on your own strength? Do you try and take matters into your own hands on a daily basis? You need money so you steal and rob. You struggle with your relationship with your wife or husband or girlfriend or boyfriend so you act superior, like you're better than them and you become the shot caller in your relationship. I'll take control of this myself, you say. But God is calling out to you today -- to be strong in the Lord and strength of his might. He is calling you to turn to him, to put your faith and trust in him. And when you do, he promises to help you and to guide you and to give you the strength you need to overcome the spiritual battle that you are facing.

Some of you might even leave here today and ignore everything that God has been trying to show you today. You'll go home and get drunk or high. You'll revert back to your old self -- But God is still calling you -- Be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might is his call to you. Follow him and be strong in him today.

"Our Lord strong and mighty, please give me the strength right now to put my trust in you, to be strong in you and the strength of your might." Amen.

Get Rid Of Your Old Self, Be An Imitator of God

Pastor Roger Feenstra

Take your Bible and turn please to the book of Ephesians, chapter 5. This afternoon we are continuing our study through the book of Ephesians. Like all of the books in the Bible, Ephesians was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. That means that every word found in it is God breathed. Although God used human authors, in this case the Apostle Paul, God directed them in their writing in order to convey his truth to people throughout the centuries, including us in the year 2009.

Recently, we have been through some trying times in our church. Many families have grieved over the loss of loved ones: Loved ones who are now safely at home with the Lord Jesus. Nevertheless, it is extremely difficult for those left here on earth -- that's why I find so much comfort in God's Word: Because it is the "power of salvation to everyone who believes." It brings comfort to us in our time of need like nothing else can do. God's Word points the way to eternal life through belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.

And as God's word comforts us and points us to Jesus Christ, it also gives us instruction on how to live our lives while we remain on this earth. This instruction that we receive is not a list of do's and don'ts in the sense that we receive a slap on the wrist when we do something wrong. Rather God's Word instructs us on how to live our lives in a way that will glorify God and live a more peaceful life here.

And this is what our passage today is about. Follow along with me as I read verses 1 and 2 of chapter 5.

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

Paul begins this section of his letter with the word, "Therefore." Now, I want to give you an important tip on how to read God's Word. That is, whenever you read the word "therefore" you need to go back and discover what it is “there for." In other words, what is the context[1] that Paul is referring to as he begins this chapter?

To find out we need to go back to chapter 4, verse 22. Let's review what we read a couple of weeks ago.

In chapter 4 verse 22 we read that as Christians we are "put off your old self." In other words, God is instructing us on how to live as Christians and it's as if He is asking you;

Do you want to live a fulfilling Christian life?
Do you want to walk with God and glorify Him?

Then, put off your old self: Stop acting the way you did before you became a believer in Jesus Christ.

And he lists a number of signs of our old life:

1. Lying (Verse 25): The first sign of the old life is that we were once liars. We simply didn't tell the truth. The truth was not important to us. What was important was getting ahead in our own lives -- not caring about others, and saying anything we could in order to get over on someone else. And Paul tells us here, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that we are to "put away falsehood." What is meant here is the idea of "immoral deception." To be immoral[2] means to be "not moral" or "wicked". So Paul is talking about "wicked lying" here in this passage. Immoral deception is used in a way to manipulate someone else: To try and gain power over them.

It's always a good thing to not be immorally deceptive in our lives, however, when Paul tells us to "Put away falsehood" in this passage, he is specifically talking about how we act when we come to church and are around other believers. Why would it matter if a believer comes to church and is deceptive to the other believers there? I mean if you come to church and say to everyone, "Yes I'm really walking with the Lord, I'm serving Him and living for Him," But in reality you're living your life just the opposite, why would it matter? Well, as always, the Bible helps us understand why it matters.

Notice what the passage says at the end of chapter 4, verse 25

"For we are members one of another."

What's he talking about here? What does he mean "members one of another."? To find out we need to turn back a couple of books to the book of 1st Corinthians 12. In 1st Corinthians 12 Paul tells us what it means to be "members one of another", and he calls it, being part of the "body of Christ" or the church. So when we read that we are all "members one of another", he means we are part of the church and the Bible calls the church, "the body of Christ." Look at what it says beginning with verse 14:

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Therefore, back in Ephesians 4:25, Paul is letting us know that we need to stop lying, because when we do lie we hurt everyone around us. Coming to church is a place where we are to build each other up in order that we all might go from here proclaiming to others outside of the church what Jesus Christ has done for our lives. We learned in our Thursday night Bible Study that as believers in Jesus Christ, we are "Priests". That's right, God actually says that all believers in Jesus are not just "members" of the body of Christ, but we are a "Royal Priesthood." Why would God call you a Priest? First of all he is not talking about a priest like we think of a priest today. He is not referring to a catholic priest, he is referring to an Old Testament priest. Well, one of the duties of a Priest in the Old Testament was to proclaim the righteousness of God. And so, today we as believers are Priests who are to do the same.

The Apostle Peter said it this way;

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." 1 Peter 2:9

Therefore, when we lie to each other in church, it is impossible for us to proclaim the excellencies of what Jesus did for us when we are outside of the church.

Lying, falsehood – this is a sign of "Old self" and Paul says stop doing it!

The second sign of our old life before becoming a believer in Jesus is found in verse 26:

2. Anger that leads to sin (Verse 26): It's best to not get angry, but we all know that anger sometimes churns away inside of us. But Paul gives a solution to not allowing anger to become sin. He says,

"do not let the sun go down on your anger."

Why? Well, there are various reasons for not going to bed angry.

But it's best to deal with your anger during the day - it's during the day there are many opportunities to get rid of your anger. It's during the day that you can talk to those who have angered you and forgive them. It's during the day that you can make peace. But at night, when left alone, your anger, like a fire, will smolder all night long until you wake up in the morning and the sparks kindle and ignite into a full flame again.

Paul says that when you allow your anger to go into the night, it is then that you give the devil an opportunity to work in your life.

We've most likely all experienced going to bed angry. You lie there staring at the ceiling thinking about all the bad things that happened and your anger intensifies. You keep thinking about what you will do or say tomorrow and finally drift off into a fitful sleep only to wake up angry and upset.

And especially if you are at war with someone else who is a believer in Christ. Maybe it's even your spouse or a family member. It is then that the devil delights in knowing that he is controlling you and that you are not being led by the Holy Spirit.

When we let our anger go unresolved, God tells us that we are inviting disaster into our lives. And Satan will use it to beat us down and destroy us.

So the key is to resolve your anger before you go to bed. One of the best ways to do it is to simply pray to God, "God please take this situation and handle it for me. I'm very angry, but I am going to give it to you to handle." And God promises that He will. When you get to the point where you realize that God can handle your problems and you can't, it is then that God really begins to work in your life. Give your anger over to Jesus and rest assured that He will take care of it for you.

Unresolved, sinful anger is the second sign of the "Old self."

The third sign of the old self before we became a believer in Christ is found in verse 28:

3. Stop stealing (Verse 28): How do people steal? In many ways. Some people steal things outright (like the person who broke into my car and Bryce's car and stole our possessions). Some people steal time, by not making the most of every opportunity to live their lives for Christ -- they waste precious time in meaningless endeavors in their lives. Some steal from their employers by not working hard and stealing time, but getting paid for it. Some people steal from the government by trying to get all the financial assistance they can possibly get when, in fact, they can work with their own hands. And some people steal from the church by not providing financial assistance to others who are in need.

And that is the point of this verse. God is telling us to not be idle, to work, earn money, so that we can share with those who are in need.

The Bible tells us we are to stay clear of idle people -- people who steal. Listen to these words:

6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. 9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12.

What a blessing it is to earn a paycheck and to be able to help those in need. This is why we give to the church, in order to help those who are in need. The church is to help those who are in need. And this is the point that Paul is making here in Ephesians, work, earn money so that you may be able to "share with anyone in need." Deliberately not working is stealing -- that's what we did in our old self, not our new life in Christ.

I have had people say to me, why should I work when I can get unemployment and make more money than if I was working? Well, my answer has several reasons:

1. If you can work and you're collecting unemployment and NOT aggressively looking for a job, then God calls you an idle person and you are stealing from the government.

2. It is a lie to think that you make more money on unemployment. The check you receive might look good when you get it, but it leads to nowhere. There is no chance of bettering yourself; there is no chance of earning more money, there is no chance of moving up in your job so that you can earn benefits that will help you and your family.

3. The longer you collect unemployment, the less desirable you become to future employers. Why? Because they will look at your work history and wonder, "What has this guy been doing for the past six months?"

4. The longer you sit idle and steal time and money, the easier it becomes.

No, there are more ways to steal than just doing it outright. And that was our "Old self".

The fourth sign of our old life is found in verse 29:

5. Stop saying bad things about each other (Verse 29): We'll talk more about this next week, but the point is this, say nice things to each other. Learn to compliment others. In our old self we spoke evil of others - trying to make ourselves look good. God tells us stop doing that; you have a new life now. Use your words carefully to build each other up.

In chapter 4, verse 30 we read that when we are believers in Jesus Christ and we live our life like we did before we became believers, in other words, when we lie, get angry and sin, allow the devil to control us, steal, and speak evil of others, we do something very terrible:

We grieve the Holy Spirit. Do you know that you can only grieve someone who loves you? If you say something wrong to someone you don't know, or you lie to someone who is a stranger, it is wrong, but the person is not grieved by it. On the other hand, if you lie to me, or steal from me or talk evil of me and you are my friend, then I am greatly grieved by your actions. Why, because I love you.

And that is the point Paul is making here. God loves you so much that he sent His son Jesus to die for your sins. When you became a believer, Jesus thought so much of you that he sent His Spirit to live within you -- to guide you, to help you, to comfort you. He loves you and when you give in to the "old self" He is grieved. To grieve is to "cause great distress." It means heaviness or a great burden. And when we live our lives in the "old self" we literally cause God to grieve.

So Paul sums up our old life in chapter 4:31 by saying, Listen, get rid of all that “Old” baggage:

• Bitterness
• wrath
• anger
• clamor and slander
• malice

Work at being kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving, just as God in Christ forgave you.

And now in Chapter 5 verse 1 Paul writes "Therefore" because of that, because you are no longer living in your old self, "be imitators of God."

What does it mean to be imitators of God?

As you may remember, the New Testament was originally written in the Greek language. When Paul wrote this letter to the people who were in the church in Ephesus, he wrote it in Greek. And the Greek word he used for the word imitator was, Mim-ay-tace, it almost sounds like the word "mimic", and that is close to what the word means. One Bible commentator[3] says that it means to "Imitate God as children do their beloved parents, and remember that you stand in the relation of beloved children to Him."

We all know that one of the major ways children learn is by imitating their parents or whoever is influencing their lives. Children, from a very early age will copy their parents in whatever they see them do. That is why it is such a privilege to have children. You are the one impacting their lives. And that is why broken families can be so devastating – many of you live in agony because your son or daughter is being influenced by someone who may not share the same moral values that you share. And as a church family, we need to pray for those families that have been torn apart by selfishness, greed and power moves. In many ways, how you act now will determine what your son or daughter will be like when they grow up.

I've told this story before, but I'm sure that one of the reasons my daughters pray today is because when they were younger, they saw their mom praying everyday in the morning before they went to school. Every morning they knew where they would find their mom, in the living room, praying. And Carol still does that today -- she prays not only for her own family, but for you as well.

And our girls learned to pray by watching the example of their mom. When they faced trials and troubles at school, they handled it better because they knew that they were being prayed for.

Children will copy whatever they see their parents do, whatever they hear, both good words and bad. And, they even copy the very tempers of their parents.

And this is why God tells us in His word to "Imitate” Him. Notice that verse two gives us the one of the greatest points of imitation that we can strive for: Love.

Paul says we are to "Walk in love." And here, in verse 2, he is talking about sacrificial love. A love that is so strong that even when you don't feel like loving someone, you do it. He compares it to the love Christ had for us by dying on the cross --going to his death so that you and I might have eternal life.

Jesus Christ was both God and man. As a man it was painful to go to his death. He was tortured and beaten, whipped and scourged, spit upon and laughed at. And as God, he could have at any moment, wiped his tormentors off the face of the earth. But in love, he willingly gave his life up so that, as a sacrifice, you and I might have eternal life if we believe in him.

And that is why it is so important to give up our "Old self." "Put off the Old self", give it up, walk away from it, drop out of it -- and become an imitator of God, exhibiting true love to those around you in the church and outside of the church among your own family and friends.

Next week we are going to look at the things that hinder us from imitating God -- the roadblocks that stand in our way.

But this week I want to encourage you to focus on putting off your old self. Burn those bridges behind you and never try to cross them again. Ask God to help you this week as you strive, in love, to be an imitator of Him. He promises to help you if you walk with Him and set your heart toward Him.

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[1] Context means, the group of words or paragraphs that surround the word in which you are studying.
[2] To be moral means to do what is right. A moral person knows right from wrong and does what is right.
[3] Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible. Adam Clarke, LL.D., F.S.A., (1715-1832)

Is There Really a God? Part 3: But How Can We Know?

In the book of Hebrews we read, "By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible."  The first step we must take in determining if there really is a God is to understand by faith.

Here's a definition of faith:  "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."  (Hebrews 11:1).  You see, it is not "blind faith," it is faith based on a conviction.  Conviction is a strong belief in something based on irrefutable facts.  What are some irrefutable facts we can look at to prove the existence of God?  Let me show you just two (and there are many more):

1.  Creation -- Intelligence of Design 

Consider this line of thought:

a.  Every design had a designer.

b.  The universe has a highly complex design.

c.  Therefore, the universe had a Designer.

Let's look at an example of what I mean.  Norman Geisler, in his book, I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist, writes, "Imagine you're walking along in the woods and you find a diamond studded Rolex watch on the ground.  What do you conclude is the cause of the watch?  The wind and rain? Erosion? Some combination of natural forces?  Of course not!  There's absolutely no question in your mind that some intelligent being made that watch, and that some unfortunate individual must have accidentally dropped it there."

Like that watch, scientists today are now finding that the earth and the universe in which we live are like that diamond studded Rolex watch, except the universe is even more precisely designed than the watch.

Let me give you some examples of our precise universe:

1.  If the earth were just 5% closer to the sun, the temperature would rise to 900F.

2.  If the earth were 20% farther from the sun, the temperature would be so cold that all liquid water would freeze and life would be impossible.

3.  If the earth were just a little smaller, it would cause the magnetic rays from the sun to blast solar winds that would strip away our atmosphere and cause the earth to look like a barren planet, much like Mars.

4.  If the sun were the size of 90% of the other suns in the universe, earth would be pulled closer to it and it would be locked in place, not able to turn on its axis.  One side of the earth would constantly face the scorching rays of the sun while the dark side became shrouded in ice.

On scientist, who is a Christian, has listed 122 examples, like the four above, that show the precise design of planet earth.  There is no other known planet in our universe that is so intricately designed in order for intelligent life to be sustained.  Like the Rolex watch, the facts prove that it would be impossible for this to happen just by chance.  Design equals Designer.

2.  Moral Law

Isn't it interesting that for the most part, there is moral order in the world?  I mean, most cultures understand that murder is wrong.  Most people in all cultures know that adultery is wrong.  Everyone agrees that children should be protected.  So, the line of thought goes like this:

a.  All people are conscious of an objective moral law.

b.  Moral laws imply a moral Lawgiver.

c.  Therefore, there must be a Supreme moral Lawgiver.

Even if one does not believe in the God of the Bible, he must admit that some higher power had his hand in the creation and moral fiber of the world.

Environment of the Soul Day

There is a growing trend among many Christians that is somewhat disturbing. It revolves around "earth day."  The roots of earth day go back to the 1960's when a U.S. Senator wanted to draw political attention to the environment. To some degree this was a good move.  Who wants to live in a bad environment? A clean healthy environment is what we all desire, and politically it might make sense ensure proper resources are channeled to projects that will allow our children to grow up in a world that is safe.  After all, safety is one of primary roles of the government. Somewhere along the way Christian groups and some churches began to pick up the mantle of the environment as a religious issue, rather than a political one.  

It is true that the earth is the Lord's.  Likewise, because the earth was created by God, we as believers should be wise stewards of that creation.  But the purpose behind our stewardship is not to make our environment better or to encourage politicians to work harder (which in themselves are not bad).  Rather, our purpose is to give glory to God.  Christians involved in earth day events should always use the opportunity to share what Jesus Christ has done in their lives and how He has made them more caring and loving, not only of the environment, but the people who live in the environment.  

Our concern as Christians should always be for the souls of people first.  Let's call it "The environment of the soul."  How can we share the love of Jesus Christ with those around us so that they might clean up their lives and give glory to God.

Let's be certain that we are not worshipping and serving the creation, rather let's worship and serve the Creator. The outcome will always be a better environment, both physically and spiritually.

Is There Really a God? Part 2: Who Created God?

If we believe that there is only One True God as the Bible teaches, and that He is the God of the Bible, it would be logical to ask the question, "Who created God?"  If, "In the beginning God created...", then wouldn't it make sense that God had to come from somewhere?

Moses helps us understand this mystery in Psalm 90:2 where he wrote, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God."

Additionally, Psalm 106:48 says, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting."

Therefore, these passages, along with many others throughout Scripture teach that God has always existed. He is outside of time. He is eternal, with no beginning or end. As some have said, He is the "Uncaused Cause."

Next time: How can we really know there is a God?

Is There Really a God? Part 1: Which God?

Just about anyone you talk to can recite the first four words in the book of Genesis:  "In the beginning God..."  These four words have caused more controversy than perhaps any other phrase throughout the Bible.  Over the next few weeks I will add to this study as we develop this concept of "Is there really a God?"

Which God?

One question that comes to mind is "Which God?"  The Christian God?  The god of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Shinto, Tao, Voodoo?  The list could go on and on.  Some would say that all religions lead to the same God.  But according to Dr. Steve Kern in his book "No Other Gods" there are two major problems with the idea that all religions lead to the same God.

1.  The principle of Truth:  Truth tells us that concepts that contradict each other cannot all be true.  For example, it can't be true that I am eating and orange right now when I am really eating an apple.  Likewise, it can't be true that I am running when I am riding my bicycle.  There can only be one truth.  The Bible claims to be the Truth of God.  Jesus himself said in John 17:17 when speaking about the Father, "Your Word is Truth."

2.  The principle of Intolerance:  In Exodus 20:3 God declares, "You shall have no other gods before me."  So, when a person says that all religions lead to God he would have to throw out Christianity because Christianity claims there is only One God.

Next time we'll look at the idea of "Who Created God?"

The Resurrection is Important

The apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:17 that without the resurrection our "faith is futile and [we] are still in [our] sins."  I found a wonderful list that hammers home the importance of the resurrection.  Enjoy:

Without the resurrection, the cross of Jesus really wouldn’t matter much.

Without the resurrection, we’d never have known about Jesus’ prayer on the Mount of Olives, where he submitted to the will of his Heavenly Father.

Without the resurrection, Judas’ betrayal of Jesus would have been long forgotten.

Without the resurrection, the Sanhedrin who condemned Jesus would have been seen as largely correct in their estimation of him as a blasphemer who needed to be silenced.

Without the resurrection, Peter’s denial of Jesus might seem like a judicious way to preserve his own life.

Without the resurrection, we’d probably never have heard the name of Pontius Pilate, unless we happened to take a class in Jewish history.

Without the resurrection, the fact that Jesus was scourged and crowned with thorns would seem to be a sad but fitting end to one who pretended to usher in the kingdom of God.

Without the resurrection, Jesus would have been one more nameless individual who took up his cross on the way to dying a cruel death.

Without the resurrection, Simon of Cyrene would have disappeared into the dust of history.

Without the resurrection, the women who mourned for Jesus would have continued to mourn for a long, long time . . . not for only two days.

Without the resurrection, most of us would know very little about crucifixion, unless we had seen the movie Spartacus.

Without the resurrection, the promise of Jesus to the thief, that he would join Jesus in Paradise, would seem like a bad, sad joke.

Without the resurrection, the presence of Jesus’ mother at the cross would be painful in the extreme, without a hint of meaning or hope.

Without the resurrection, the cross would be largely forgotten, and it would not appear on millions of buildings or around millions of necks.

Without the resurrection, the tomb would have been the final resting place of Jesus, untill his body was exhumed so his bones could be placed in a ossuary.

Without the resurrection, there would be no Stations of the Cross.

Without the resurrection, there would be no Christian church.

Without the resurrection, there would be no assurance of salvation.

Without the resurrection, there would be no reason to hope.

Without the resurrection, there would be only death.

Because of the resurrection, we reverence the cross.

Because of the resurrection, the symbol of the cross is one of the best known in the world.

Because of the resurrection, what was once the sign of horrific death is now a sign of life and hope.

Because of the resurrection, the death of Jesus is remembered, cherished, even celebrated.

Because of the resurrection, the Stations of the Cross lead, not to death, but to live.

Because of the resurrection, we are reborn into a living hope.

Because of the resurrection, we know that we too will live anew.

Because of the resurrection, everything is different.

Because of the resurrection, new life has begun.

Christ is risen!

He is risen, indeed!

[List by Mark D. Roberts.  www.markroberts.com]

Three Kings: Guys Like Us

By Pastor Roger Feenstra

The Bible is an interesting book.  You may think that all of the people the Bible talks about are holy people.  But in reality, they are people just like you and me.  Take for example the guys below:  Probably the only difference is that they were Kings, but in all other aspects of their lives, they struggled with the same things you and I might struggle with.

King David

The first guy is King David.  You remember David don’t you?  He was the guy who, when he was a young boy, went up against the giant named Goliath.  David was a tough guy. 

David said this about himself in the Old Testament book of 1^st Samuel:

But David said to Saul, "Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went   after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And  if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him  and killed him.(1 Samuel 17:34-35)

 When David grew from boyhood, he was appointed King of  Israel.  He was a mighty King and nearly every battle he fought,  he won.

But there came a time in David’s life as King that he decided to stay back from the battle, he let his commanders go and fight instead – and that was the beginning of David’s downfall.  Let’s pick up the story in the book of 2 Samuel 11:

In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful… (2 Samuel 11:1-2)

Look at verse 4

So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, "I am pregnant."(2 Samuel 11:4-5)

There were two problems that David was now dealing with.  One, he had sex with a woman he was not married to and second, this woman, Bathsheba, was already married and her husband was away fighting the battle.  Now David was in a jam.  So he called her husband back from the battlefield and tried to coerce him to go and have sex with his wife, then he would think that the child was his.  But the plan didn’t work, because her husband, Uriah, was such a loyal soldier, he couldn’t think of having sex while his fellow soldiers were out on the battlefield sacrificing their lives.

So, David, rather than do the honorable thing and admit what he had done, sent Uriah to the front line of the battle where he knew Uriah would be killed.

And because of David’s treachery God allowed the child that was born to him by Bathsheba to die.  And for David, it was a very difficult time.

King Solomon

David had another son named Solomon, and after David’s death, Solomon became King of Israel.  God was blessing Solomon.  The Bible tells us in 1 Kings that:

Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father (1 Kings 3:3. 

The Bible tells us the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said,

“Whatever you ask for I shall give you.”  (1 Kings 3:5)

And Solomon, rather than asking for things said to God,

“I ask for wisdom and understanding.”  (1 Kings 3:9)

And this pleased God and God granted to Solomon wisdom and understanding.  In fact the Bible tells us that Solomon was the wisest man who lived and the wisest man who would ever live!

Solomon loved wealth.  Look at 1 Kings 10: 14

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, besides that which came from the explorers and from the business of the merchants, and from all the kings of the west and from the governors of the land. King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold; 600 shekels of gold went into each shield. And he made 300 shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with the finest gold. The throne had six steps, and at the back of the throne was a calf's head, and on each side of the seat were armrests and two lions standing beside the armrests, while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. The like of it was never made in any kingdom. All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver; silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon. For the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. 

The passage goes on to say that he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, 

But there was something Solomon liked more than gold and chariots.  Women – the text says “foreign women.”  It seems he couldn't keep his eyes, or his hands off of them.

Look at 1 Kings 11: 3,

He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart.

Verse 6 goes on to say,

So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and did not wholly follow the LORD, as David his father had done. (1 Kings 11:6)

And because of that disobedience, it was the beginning of the end for Solomon.

King Rehoboam

When Solomon died, his son, Rehoboam came into power.  The Bible tells us that Rehoboam was a harsh leader.  He treated the people of Israel as slaves.

In the book of 2 Chronicles 11 we read that Rehoboam loved power.  And rather than putting his trust in God, he took everything into his own hands:

Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and he built cities for defense in Judah.(2 Chronicles 11:5)

And Chapter 12 tells the sad conclusion of Rehoboam:

When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him.(2 Chronicles 12:1)

What Causes People to Turn From God?

Why did these men, who seemingly had all they wanted and were blessed by God, turn their backs on God? 

More importantly, maybe you’ve turned away from God and have decided to do things your own way.  Why?

Well the answer is found in the New Testament, in the book of 1 John 2:15, 16:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions--is not from the Father but is from the world. (1 John 2:15-16)

You see, these men began to love the world more than they loved God. 

• David pursued the “Desires of the flesh” when he took Bathsheba and had sex with her
• Solomon pursued the “Desires of the eyes” when he was consumed with wealth and gold and foreign women.

And

• Rehoboam pursued “Pride in possessions” which essentially means he “loved the power that he had.”

 Sex, Money, Power.

 In themselves and when done rightly, these are not bad things.  But  when your life is consumed by either of these things, God becomes  just an afterthought.

 The Bible uses a word for anything you put before God – its called sin.

Now we all sin, but John tells us in this same book in chapter 3

No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. (1 John 3:6)

In other words, John is telling you and me to not make it a practice of sinning.

David, Solomon, Rehoboam started off on the right track, but they began making it a practice of sinning. 

In the book of James we find the progression of sin:  How it takes hold in our lives:

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:14-15)

What’s this “death” that James is talking about? 

Well, its eternal death – You know, you’re not going to live forever.  What is going to happen to you when you die?

The Bible says there are only two alternatives.  Heaven (life).  Hell (death).

Romans 6:23 puts it this way:

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

You see the payment, or wages of unforgiven sin is eternal death.  But fortunately, there is a way of escape from this death.  That is by receiving the free gift of eternal life that is offered by Jesus.

Then, the Bible says that when we sin all we need to do is confess it.  You see, once you believe in Jesus:  That he is the Giver of Salvation – when you believe in him, you are automatically guaranteed eternal life.

• There is nothing else you need to do except believe
• There are no magic words you have to say
• There are no works you have to perform
• You don’t even have to be holy to believe in Jesus

The Bible says, “Even while you were still a sinner, Jesus Christ died for you.”

So, you can make a decision.  You can choose to go your own way like David, Solomon and Rehoboam did.  Or, you can choose to stand up and follow Jesus: To proclaim his message of Salvation to your children, your wife, your girlfriend, your mom, and your friends.

And of course that would be our prayer for you today:  That if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior, that you tell him you believe in him and make a decision to follow him.  The instant you believe in Jesus, your sins, past, present and future are forgiven!  It doesn’t matter what you have done.  God has forgiven your sins. 

Maybe you know Jesus already.  Perhaps you followed him once, maybe in jail or prison, or maybe as a young person.  But now, you’ve put him behind you.  You don’t think of him much.  You certainly aren’t living your life for him.

Do you know you can confess that sin right now?  Tell him you’re sorry and you want to follow him.

Simply say in your heart, "Lord Jesus I believe in you.  I want your free gift of eternal life.  I want to follow you."  And if you prayed that and meant it, then the Bible says that Jesus now lives within you.  You have the power of the Holy Spirit in you life.  And, you are assured of eternal life.

Maybe you already know Christ, but you haven’t been following him.  Ask him to forgive you right now.  He promises he will.  The Bible says, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.  Sure there are pressures that you’ll face each day, but wouldn’t you rather face them with the power of God on your side?  Why not determine to follow God beginning right now.

David Tells His Life Story