Tuesday, Apr 29, 2008

TWG - April 29, 2008

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TWG - April 29, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Genesis 41; Ezekiel 46; Matthew 6:16-34

Today is April 29, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. This is your invitation to take one step forward every day in your relationship with Christ. We invite you to do something unbelievably radical. We invite you to deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow Jesus

What a nice sunny day it was yesterday. I even spent a little time outside! I mowed the back yard and we trained our dog, Tillie how far she could go without getting shocked. She’s getting it. I finally finished taxes yesterday and delivered the information to our accountant. Now we’ll see what the damage is. I also ran to see our engineer, Ed Farr and it sounds like we put the finishing touches on the church boundary line adjustment. Then I ran to church and took a measurement. While I was there I gave Esther and Isaiah a ride around the parking lot. They said their mama was still sick. It sounds like the flu. I put a picture of the youth group playing a game Sunday Night on the blog at www.timewithgod.mypodcast.com. Check it out.

This week’s theme verse is Ephesians 6:14-18 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Put on the breastplate of righteousness. One version of the breastplate was made in the form of a clamshell. The hardened front and back were placed over the head and then laced together at the sides with leather straps. The breastplate protected the Roman warrior from shots to his vital organs. His heart, kidney, liver, lungs and every other organ was covered by the breastplate. This gave the soldier a huge advantage against lesser equipped armies. His “bullet proof vest” could take blow after blow and he could keep on going, whereas, one swift thrust from his sword, and the enemy would fall. We are told to put on righteousness as a breastplate. The idea of putting on righteousness is that the breastplate represents God’s perfect holiness and purity. It is everything that Christ is: sinless. The standard is far above any human capability, so we must put it on by faith and say, “Lord I want to be just like you… in faith!” We have a choice set before us. Live unprotected lives or live right. We check the standard and then yield ourselves to God to live like Him. It is the Christian’s protection and yet it is a constant struggle. The breastplate can seem heavy, hot and sometimes downright uncomfortable. But the alternative is that if we live unrighteous lives we will be unprotected and we will be wounded easily. That’s where faith comes in. Let me paraphrase a promise Jesus made “come to me all you who are weary and heavily burdened and I will give you rest. Put my breastplate on and learn of me. For my breastplate is light, and my burden is easy!” On our own, righteousness is a very heavy breastplate, but His righteousness is made of incredibly light, yet incredibly impervious material! Put it on!

Dear Lord: You are the captain of my soul. Please protect me with your righteousness. I choose, by faith to put it on and live a righteous kind of life. I want to be protected. I want to be pure. I want your light burden on my shoulders, for my burdens are heavy! I get on my knees and yield myself to you to live and think in godliness. In Jesus name! Amen.

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