Sharpen That Sword!!

THE ARMOR OF GOD (PART 14), by Pastor Atukwatse Onesmus

“You cannot stand before your enemies until you have removed the things under the ban from your midst.” Joshua 7:13

What good is a soldier without a weapon?

A soldier’s purpose is to engage the enemy and defeat him in battle, not just survive. So many Christians seem to be just hanging on against the enemy, with their noses barely above water. Have we forgotten the terrible power of “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”?

Jesus, as a little boy and young man was thoroughly grounded in the Old Testament Scriptures. Even at age 12 he amazed the religious leaders with His profound insights into the word of God.  Jesus’ childhood training in the Scriptures, coupled with the mighty power of the Holy Spirit in His life, would serve invaluable later on.

Shortly after Jesus’ baptism by John, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to do battle with the devil. After fasting for 40 days and nights He became hungry and it was at the time that the tempter tried to hit Jesus with his best shots.

Three times the gospels record the devil’s temptations. Three times Jesus countered with the spoken word of God. “It is written…” “It is written…” “It is written…” The devil fled until a more opportune time. He had no choice.  He was soundly defeated and knew there was no way he could defeat the Lord Jesus one on one.

Three times Jesus quoted from the book of Deuteronomy in resisting the devil.  His answers were immediate.  He employed no stall tactics in order to buy time.  He did not request permission to go back into town and find some scrolls to look up a Bible verse or two. He did not “umm and ahh”, saying something like, “I know that there’s a Scripture that talks about that, but I just can’t seem to put my finger on it…”

Unfortunately, in my observation, far too many believers in Christ are biblical illiterates or at best swinging a rather dull sword. Is it any wonder that the devil runs rampant over our lives?

My encouragement to you, brother or sister in the Lord, is to get serious about knowing the word of God so that you can take up the sword of the Spirit! What power is there! Look at Hebrews 4:12:

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

In places like Psalm 1 and Psalm 119 we are exhorted over and over again to hunger for, meditate on and grow in wisdom from the word of God.  2 Timothy 2:15 says:

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.”

Touching stories are nice. Clever arguments have their place. Jokes can be effective tools. But there is only one sword. And when it comes to spiritual warfare, all the human reasoning, eloquence and arguing will prove vain. But if you submit to God and resist the devil with the word of God, he will flee from you.

Do you remember the first piece of armor? The belt of truth – knowing the truth.  God’s word is truth. And you can know this for sure – without the belt, the sword will fall down. You have to know the truth in order to be able to speak the truth.

Don’t be deceived into thinking that God will somehow miraculously zap your mind with Scripture you do not know when you are fighting against the devil. But He will bring to your mind Scripture that you have learned in your hour of need.

Do you want to defeat the enemy in spiritual battle?  The learn the word of God and use it as the sword it is!  John’s first letter says just that:

“I have written to you young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” (1 John 2:14b)

Read Full Post »

That Head-Gear Looks Good on You!

THE ARMOR OF GOD (PART 13), by Pastor Atukwatse Onesmus

“You cannot stand before your enemies until you have removed the things under the ban from your midst.” Joshua 7:13

“Have I committed the unpardonable sin?”

That was the question foremost on the mind of the frightened man as he walked into my office. And today, that may be the question foremost on your mind, or on the mind of someone you know and love.

Last week we discussed what it meant to put on “the helmet of salvation.”

For those who are battling with the fear that they have somehow blasphemed the Holy Spirit, there is no way they can keep that critical piece of armor in place until they have resolved this issue. Perhaps this short devotional will help you reach that resolution.

Let’s begin by looking at Mark 3:22-30, a key passage on this topic:

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.”

And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.  And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished!

But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house. Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” – because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Most certainly Jesus was speaking to people whose hearts were hardened to the nth degree. There standing in front of them was the Messiah, Jesus, the Son of God and God the Son, and they attributed his ministry of delivering people from demonic bondage to the devil himself!

These were the same scribes who so hated Jesus that they orchestrated His betrayal, arrest, mock trial, scourging, beating and hateful crucifixion. They detested Jesus and cursed him, spat upon him and sneered at him on the cross. They had never been open to the work of the Spirit of God and never would be.

Now, as you look at your life – is that really you?

I doubt it very much. Somehow I can’t imagine those who hate Jesus taking the time to visit a Freedom in Christ web site, let alone even give a hoot about whether they committed the unpardonable sin or not!

THE DEVIL IS AN ACCUSER.

He is like a prosecuting attorney, viciously and brutally seeking to discredit and discourage a witness on the stand.

Perhaps at one time in your life you were skeptical about whether such and such a miracle or manifestation of the Spirit was really from God. But it turned out it was from God. And so, the devil, cruel opportunist that he is, roared in and pointed his gnarled finger at your heart saying, “Aha! You see! You’ve done it now! There’s no hope for you. You’ve blasphemed the Holy Spirit!”

Been there, felt that? Are there, feeling that? I have, and it can be sheer torment, thinking that you have lost all hope.

Dear brother or sister in Christ, “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). That accusing, condemning voice is not the Lord.  It is one of the devil’s emissaries masquerading as the voice of God.

Here’s what you do:

• For every wrong attitude, word or deed that you have committed, go to God in confession, claiming 1 John 1:9 that you are forgiven.
• Then renounce each lying accusation, declaring that you are a child of God and not guilty of the unpardonable sin.
• Then command the enemy to leave your presence in no uncertain terms.

If he tries to gain entry again by popping a thought in your mind, speak a Scripture out loud that refutes his lie and start worshipping the Lord or praying for others. After a while, the enemy will get the idea that you’re on to his game and he’s been check-mated.

Above all, don’t be discouraged with the battle, especially if you have allowed the accusing, obsessive thoughts to find a home in your mind for a while. As long as you persevere and don’t give up and don’t give in, you will prevail!

So, my friend, put on the helmet of salvation! It looks great on you!!

Read Full Post »

Can You Be Sure You Will Go to Heaven?

THE ARMOR OF GOD (PART 12), by Pastor Atukwatse Onesmus

“You cannot stand before your enemies until you have removed the things under the ban from your midst.” Joshua 7:13

Do you know for sure today that you are a forgiven, child of God?  Can you say with 100% certainty that if you were to die today, you would go to be with Jesus in heaven?

If you can’t, then the fifth piece of the armor of God is for you!

The apostle Paul urged us to “take the helmet of salvation” in Ephesians 6:17.  What did he mean by that?

In 1 Thessalonians 5:8,9 he wrote:

“But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The “hope of salvation” doesn’t translate into this: “Well, I sure hope I’m saved, but I guess I won’t know until I get there.”

That is so anti-biblical, it’s not funny. God doesn’t want us to piddle around here on earth, hoping that when we die we’ll make it. The biblical concept of hope is not wishful thinking!

It is assurance of something that we cannot see, but which we know will happen!

That word “know” is key when it comes to our salvation!

Read carefully the inspired word of the apostle John:

“And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:11-13)

Did you catch it?

God has given us eternal life.  Past tense!  A done deal! Something already accomplished.  He has given eternal life to us because He has given us Jesus, His Son.

The question is not, “Has God given?”

The question is, “Have you received what God has given?”

Have you received Jesus Christ? Do you “have” Him?

If you do, you have eternal life already.  If you don’t have Jesus, then you don’t have eternal life… yet.  But as long as you have physical life, you still have the opportunity for eternal life!

The Bible exhorts us that if you hear God’s voice today, don’t harden your heart!  If God is calling you to be saved today, don’t put it off!

There are no guarantees that He will call tomorrow and even if He does, your heart tomorrow will be harder than it is today – if you reject His invitation!

Indeed, as Paul wrote elsewhere:

“Behold, now is ‘the acceptable time,’ behold now is ‘the day of salvation.'” (2 Corinthians 6:2)

Why not open your heart to the Lord Jesus today and receive the free gift of eternal life? If that is the desire of your heart, we encourage you to pray with us:

Dear Lord Jesus, I need You. I have sinned against You and deserve spiritual death.

Instead, Lord, today I choose eternal life. I turn away from my life of sinful self-centeredness and dependence on myself, and I choose to receive You as my Savior to forgive me and my Lord to direct my life.

I thank You, Lord Jesus, for paying for all my sins through Your death and shed blood on the cross. I believe that You rose from the dead and conquered death.

Now I enter into a new relationship with You and receive the free gift of eternal life in Jesus. Thank You, Lord, for saving me today. Amen.

My friend, if you sincerely prayed that prayer today (or if you have done it in the past), the Holy Spirit will bear witness with your spirit that you are God’s child.

And if you are truly a child of God, then put on the helmet of the hope of salvation and praise God today! You have eternal life!

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

Now that’s good news!

Read Full Post »

When Fiery Arrows Come!

THE ARMOR OF GOD (PART 11), by Pastor Atukwatse Onesmus

“You cannot stand before your enemies until you have removed the things under the ban from your midst.” Joshua 7:13

Do you ever feel like you are target practice for the devil? Be encouraged today, my friend, because God has given you an invincible defense!

The apostle Paul describes the fourth piece of armor this way:

“…in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one.”  (Ephesians 6:16)

All of us go through trials. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some are mild, others are intense. Some are short-lived, others are chronic. But all of them add stress to our lives.

All of them have the capacity to make us better or bitter. We can either grow through them or growl at them. The choice is ours.

Scripture is clear how we are to handle trials and tribulations. Here is a sampling of what the word of God has to say on the matter:

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:33)

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?  (1 John 5:4,5)

God is sovereign. He will not allow anything in your life or mine beyond what we can handle in Him (see 1 Corinthians 10:13).  What He allows in our lives is meant to strengthen our faith and make us more like Jesus (Romans 8:28,29).

The devil, however, lurks in the shadows of every trial and hisses his lies, “You can’t trust God!” … “If God really loved you, He wouldn’t make you go through this”… “This suffering will never end. It’s hopeless”… “You’re feeling miserable, why don’t you numb the pain with alcohol, drugs, porn (or whatever)…” And so on.

How can you stand firm in the midst of the flaming fury of the devil’s incoming missiles?

Lift up the shield of faith!

Through your pain or tears or frustration, give thanks to God (see 1 Thessalonians 5:18), for thanksgiving demonstrates faith.

Say to God,

“Lord, I’m hurting here, but I thank You that You are in control,
that You love me and that You will never leave me nor forsake me.
Though I cannot see or feel You right now, I cling to You,
and I know Your right hand will uphold me (Psalm 63:8).
I trust that this trial will, in the end, make me more like Jesus.
And for that, I say, thank You.

Brother or sister in Christ, know today that no matter what evil may befall you, the shield of faith will snuff out every vicious, cruel attack of the enemy, and will enable you to stand firm through the painful trial.

The Bible promises that!

Count on it today!

Read Full Post »

The Difference Easter Makes

EASTER MESSAGE, 2010 (Matthew 28:1-10)
by Pr Atukwatse Onesmus

Around the world today sanctuaries are packed with people celebrating Easter. Unfortunately, many of those worshipers will not return next Sunday. Why?

A recent study gave these reasons:

• 74% – There is no value in attending
• 81% – Churches have too many problems
• 48% – I don’t have the time
• 42% – I’m simply not interested
• 34% – The church is irrelevant to the way I live

[Barna Research Group]

Do you hear what these figures are saying? For the most part people thing the church (and it’s message is irrelevant).

I find that staggering. I can’t think of anything more relevant than the issue of life after death and how to prepare for it. This morning I want to show you SOME of the relevance of Easter. Go with me to Matthew 28 and let’s see how the fact of Easter can change us today.

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.
His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
(Matthew 28:1-10, NKJ)

Don’t Be Afraid!

Twice in this simple account (and it is also found in the other gospels), we see the command, “Do not be afraid!”  In verse 5, it is the Angel telling the women not to be afraid. In verse 10, Jesus tells these women the same thing: “Do not be afraid.”

The message of Easter is one that says to all of us, “You no longer need to be afraid.”     READ ON/ DOWLOAD……

Go and Tell . . .

The second command given by both the Angel and the Lord was to “go and tell the disciples”.
Before Jesus ascended into heaven He told His disciples: “Go, and make disciples of all nations.”

Christianity is a “go and tell” faith.   READ ON/ DOWNLOAD……

Read Full Post »