The Lord Is Mighty In Battle

 

Psalm 24:8
Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD Mighty in Battle.

Exodus 15:3

The LORD is a Warrior, The LORD is His Name.

Exodus 15:6

Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power; Your right hand, O LORD, has shattered the enemy.

Psalm 76:3

There He shattered the flaming arrows, the shield and sword and weapons of war. Selah

Exodus 14:14

The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Revelation 19:11

Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war.

Exodus 14:13

And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of The LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever."

2 Chronicles 20:15

And he said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what The LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle does not belong to you, but to God.'"

Zechariah 9:14

Then The LORD will appear over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord GOD will sound the ram's horn and advance in the whirlwinds of the south.

Zechariah 12:9

So on that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Zechariah 14:3

Then The LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. 

Isaiah 66:15

For behold, The LORD will come with fire--His chariots are like a whirlwind--to execute His anger with fury and His rebuke with flames of fire.

THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD - Maranatha! Music

VICTORY CHANT - Songs 4 Worship - Bob Fitts 

EVERY PRAISE - Hezekiah Walker

        Fear The LORD: be in awe of, wonder at, revere and honor Him. Set Him on high above all else and above all others. There is none other to fear when we fear The LORD as we ought to. 

WHOM SHALL I FEAR? = Chris Tomlin

Jerusalem Belongs to GOD

2 Chronicles 6:6 "But I have chosen Jerusalem that My Name might be there; and have chosen David to be over My people Israel."

Jerusalem belongs to GOD. Israel belongs to GOD. To declare war on either is to declare war on GOD.

The Word of GOD tells us to 'Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" in Psalm 122:6 and "Pray for the salvation of Israel" in Romans 10:1.

Let us pray earnestly and fervently.

Watch and Pray

Watch, therefore, for you know not what hour your Lord comes...

Blessed is that servant, who when his Lord comes,

is busy doing The Lord's work which he has been given to do.

Matthew 24:42, 46

God is that voice that says, "Don't", when you are tempted to do something you know you should not do. Submit to God. Listen to Him when He is speaking to you. Resist the devil. Run. Turn and go the way or do that thing which God has called you to do. And the devil will flee. The demons who work for Satan will turn and run in the opposite direction you choose, when you choose to serve God and not yourself. For evil cannot be in the presence of holiness: God Is Holy.

Watch the world around you, but do not be afraid, for God has said to His people, His children also, "Fear not, for I am with you always." "Be anxious for nothing." Many folks suffer from anxiety attacks. Unfortunately, I am one of them. The only remedy I use is recalling Scriptures which remind me to be at peace, be calm, be restful. "My peace I leave with you." Peace that passes understanding is being at peace or living in peace, when the world around you is crumbling. 

Blessed means happy, content. If we are content in all situations or circumstances, we have nothing to fear, and there is no need to worry or be anxious. "Little is much when God is in it." The amount of faith we have within us is usually smaller than a mustard seed, for were our faith as large as a mustard seed, the mountains we fear would crumble and shift into the sea. But where our faith is, our praises are; where our praises are, God Is. Remember? "God inhabits the praises of His people." 

What has God called us to do that we should be busy doing it upon His return? "Go you therefore and preach the gospel to all nations." "Love your neighbor as yourself." "Put on The Lord Jesus Christ." "Seek you first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you." "Love one another as I have loved you." "Be holy, for I am holy."  Where ever the command begins with a verb, that is what we should be doing, when Christ returns for His Bride, the Church, which is the body of believers in Jesus Christ. 

No one knows the hour of Christ's return: NO ONE. Whoever gives a day or date or year of The Lord's return is a LIAR; listen not to that person. Whoever ignores The Word of God is a FOOL. "The fool says in his heart there is no God." Whichever of you declares there is no God is also a FOOL. I say now, do you want God to lay the charge of LIAR and FOOL at your feet, when you are judged? Be warned; God is not mocked. All unrepentant hearts will be judged and found lacking; your reward is damnation and hell and the lake of fire. 

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. Today is the day of your salvation. Tomorrow is not promised. Believe on The Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Repent and be baptized. This is the day which The Lord has made: I will rejoice and be glad in it. It is impossible to be glad in any day that you are not saved, not born again, not living a righteous and holy life. Surely you are miserable and unhappy. Throw off your unbelief, repent of your sins, your wicked acts against God, and receive forgiveness from The God Who is longsuffering: patient, ever merciful, ever waiting to receive you into His family and His arms. 

Watch the news. Read the Bible. Pray for everyone to receive salvation through Jesus Christ. As the wise man once said to the fool, "If I am wrong, I have lost nothing. But if I am right, you have lost everything."

I believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God. I believe that He died on the cross for me, paying the death penalty for my sins. I believe that His blood washes away my sins. I believe that God raised His Son Jesus Christ from the dead and that He walked out of the grave. I believe that the baptism of The Holy Spirit is needed to share the gospel with boldness and without fear; with love and without hate. I believe that one day soon Jesus Christ is returning to take me and all the rest of they who believe in Him home with Him.

Don't be caught dead without Jesus. 

Fully Clothed

     Well, I went to church last night. And the whole sermon was meant for me. Yesterday's blog, I was so exhausted, it was a cry for help on my part and also an encouragement because it reminded you that I am just a person, too. Everyone gets tired at some point; it's natural. But to be exhausted to the point where thought and motion are next to impossible, that's different. 
     Ephesians 6:10-20 describes the armor a Christian is to wear each time we go begin our day, every day. Because every day that we remain in God's will we are a double threat to Satan. Knowing this we need to exercise great wisdom and strength in overcoming his tactics against us; one of which is 'weariness'. What I have been feeling for the last few days is exactly that: weariness. Until now.
I got the message I needed to hear and I got the rest I so badly craved; 1 1/2 hours of the Word of God preached (and taking notes) and 10-12 hours of rest.

     This a small example of the armor a Roman soldier would wear. The armor Paul instructs us to put on is compared to this. Half of his ministry he was in prison, guarded by Roman soldiers. (Think how many of them came to know Christ through Paul's witness and faithful testimony!) Knowing what the Roman soldier needed to protect himself, Paul was able to line up each piece of our spiritual armor on that same scale. As each of them needed to dress himself daily, so do we also need to wear the full armor of God. 
     BREASTPLATE: Protection. Worn on the back and the front, it is held together on the sides and the shoulders; on the sides with straps; on the shoulders with metal shoulder pads. Protects the back (kidney, spleen, spine), the front (heart, lungs, ribs) and the sides (liver, pancreas, abdomen). This part of the armor is so heavy that they needed to help each other put it on. Underneath the breastplate, a soldier wears a protective garment, called a tunic, which reached to the middle of his thigh.
     GIRDLE: Protection. It would have been more than just a belt. The higher the rank, the more costly the item. Decorated leather strips hung down from the middle of the belt to protect the soldier's manhood. Other strips would hang down all the way around the belt, like a leather skirt, protecting the hips and thighs. The higher the rank, the prettier or more decorated the girdle. These belts jangled when the soldiers marched to warn their enemy that they were approaching, giving the enemy an opportunity to flee the vicinity.  
     HELMET: Protection. Centurions and other officers wore crests on top of their helmets so the other soldiers would know who to follow in battle. The helmet protects the head, the neck and the sides of the face. 
     SHOES: Protection and Weapon. Their shoes were made of leather. The topside of the sole had leather straps attached to it which were laced across the foot and up the leg, tying in the back of the calf. While some soldiers wore greaves which reached over the knee and up the thigh, most wore a shorter greave which covered the calf up to the knee. This would protect them from falling down and being killed if the enemy stabbed their legs. For marching purposes the underside of the sole had metal studs, to make them last longer. In times of battle, some could switch shoes to ones that had a metal spike attached. This gave them the ability to grip the ground and fight better. The spike could also be used as a weapon. Either by lifting that leg and striking out, or if the soldier had fallen he could still lash out at his enemy and do some damage. 
     SWORD: Protection and Weapon. A short sword (18"-24"), it was used in hand to hand combat in the crush of battle. Worn close to the hip it was always at hand. Kept sharpened it could wreak havoc on the enemy. 
     SHIELD: Protection and Weapon. The Roman soldier's shield was the nearly the full length of his body. It was rectangular and rounded, able to protect the soldier not only from a frontal attack, but from the side also. Some shields had decorations on the front, showing where each unit was from. Sometimes they would raise the shield above their heads, together, giving them protection from an aerial assault in the mountain areas of battle. 

     And just how does knowing all this about a Roman soldier's armor help us today? Each piece of armor is also needed in our daily walk, our daily battle with God's enemy, the devil. And all of us need to be wearing it.
     Ephesians 6:10-17 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

     Now we are ready. Ready to face the day. Ready to face the enemy. Ready to win. 

Can your god do that?

My God loves me so much He died for me. Can your god do that?

But He didn't stay dead. My God walked out of the grave holding the keys to death and hell. Can your god do that?

My God sent the Holy Spirit to draw people to Him. Can your god do that?

My God comforts me when I am afraid. Can your god do that?

My God gives me rest when I am weary. Can your god do that?

My God is Jehovah, God Almighty.

My God is Jehovah-Jireh, Provider. I lack for nothing. Can your god do that?

My God is Jehovah-Ramah, Healer. By His wounds am I healed. Can your god do that?

My God is Jehovah-Nissi, Banner/Standard. He is my Protection and Protector. Can your god do that?

My God is Jehovah-Shalom, Peace. He is the Peace that passes understanding. Can your god do that?

My God is Jehovah, Strength. He is my Strength and my Song. Can your god do that?

My God is.

Your god is not.

Seven Words of Praise

You may be thinking that I have been diverted down a rabbit track, because the Color of Worship study appears to have been discontinued. Not so. We are still worshiping; we are becoming vessels of worship. How can one truly worship God when we don't know how God wants to be worshiped?

Walk into church, sit down, listen to the choir and musicians, hear the preacher say a few words, go home. What part of that describes worshiping God? And what if you do become more active in the worship part of the service? Why or for whom are you participating? Because your worship leader says this is the way we do it? Or has your heart truly been prepared to be in God's presence, to sing God's praises, to glorify God and lift up His Name amongst the congregation of His people? You sure?

The word BLESS mentioned many, many times in the Old Testament Scriptures means to (1) Greatly Adore (2) Kneel Down (3) Abundantly altogether praise and congratulate (4) Salute (5) be Still (6) Thank.This word BLESS is translated from the Hebrew word BARAK, meaning to kneel down, surrender, submit. So, I ask again, are you ready to worship God in God's house?

Psalms 63:5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips. The word PRAISE here is translated from the Hebrew word HALAL, meaning (1) Clear (2) Shine (3) Boast (4) Rave (5) Celebrate (6) Clamorously foolish.

Psalms 21:13 Be Thou exalted, Lord, in Thine own strength: so will we sing and praise Thy power. The word PRAISE here is ZAMAR, which means (1) Striking with the fingers (2) Touch the strings or parts of a musical instrument (play an instrument of music) (3) Make music accompanied by the voice (4) Celebrate in song and music (5) Sing forth.

Genesis 29:35 And she (Leah) conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the Lord: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing. PRAISE = YADAH, meaning (1) Open handed [which indicates power, direction, means] (2) To throw {with that hand} (3) To revere or worship with extended hands (4) To cast out, confess, give thanks. Judah by definition means celebrated. People of praise.

Psalms 63:3 Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee. PRAISE means SHABACH, shout with a voice of triumph! (1) Address in a loud tone (2) Commend (3) Glory in.

Deuteronomy 6:21 He is thy praise, and He is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen. PRAISE=TeHILLAH: (1) Laud (2) Hymn. See? Not only does He give me songs in the night, HE IS MY SONG. Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love. He will joy over thee with singing. God sings over you and I. Do we sing over Him? Jeremiah 17:14 Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved: for thou art my praise (my TeHillah, my song)

Jeremiah 33:11 The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of hosts: for the Lord is good; for His mercy endures for ever: and {the voice} of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the Lord. We bring a sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. Yes or No? What are we sacrificing to be in God's presence? What are we not doing at the time we come together with God's people in God's house? PRAISE = TOWDAH (1) Choir of worshipers (2) Sacrifice of praise (3) An extension of the hand [as in promise or vow]

Be prepared. When you declare allegiance to one Master, the other one will fight tooth and nail to get you to turn back and retreat. Nothing compares to the mercies of God and nothing ever will. Choosing to serve, and worship, God will antagonize the devil and he will use every trick and wile he has to break your connection to Jesus Christ.

Are you ready to worship the Lord your God?