Will the Real Christianity please stand up!?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10lue7bhcK0





Stay blessed all!

.."All things are possible with God." - Mark 10:27

Fully armoured for battle

There was a great uproar, in the valley of the Great Depression. One young soldier, covered in metal from the crown of his head to the sole of his feet, stood ready for battle. Today was one of many wars.

The moment of silence that elapsed between the two armies seemed eternal. The war horses, some grey and others black, mimicked the gloom of this unfortunate day.

Lloyd Baxter's heart was racing. The adrenaline flowing rapidly through every blood vessel in his body. He was ready.

That morning was like every other. He expected to go to battle and return home with the spoil; an honour to serve his country. The commander of the opposing army yelled: 'Attack!'
Lloyd and his infantry of soldiers charged into battle.

The clanking of swords to the puffs of men's breath could be heard across the vast land of the valley. Lloyd turned around and with such great force overthrew an oncoming soldier from his horse. He did not anticipate the attacker from his rear. In that split second, He felt a tear in his heart muscle. An arrow had narrowly missed the metal breastplate and landed in the slit in the middle instead.

This was the day...It was not expected...Lloyd Baxter did not anticipate it...he was not prepared for what caused His death that day.


..............................................
My pastor keeps saying that if the devil were to come to us in person and show himself as the devil, we would all not follwo him. We would not be tricked at all.
But the devil is a cunning serpent and we need the FULL armour of God to be able to identify his tricks!

Working downwards from head to toe:

• For Defence

Helmet of Salvation- In a war, you need to protect your head. Your brain stays inside the head and this controls a lot of the things that happen in the body. carry your salvation on your head. remember that you are saved and are a child of God so if the enemy reminds you of your past, show him your helmet! use the authority that Christ has given you through salvation.

Breatsplate of righteousness - this potects your chest. When your chest has a lot of mucus which is sticky, it can easily become infected.this leads to lots of chest problems. With the breatplate of righteousness, you are having a clean start. You are to be holy as Christ is Holy. Going with a clear conscience means that the devil cannot accuse you of anything.

Shield of faith - faith is the assurance of things hoped for; the substance of things not yet seen. When you have faith in God, you will win every battle. trust Him, depend on him for victory and watch Him devour the enemy for your sake. The shield si there to protect yor heart from every arrow of fear the devil may throw your way!

Belt of truth - Belts are worn around the waist to support an item of clothing. When you go in truth, God supports you and the truth will set you free from every trap the enemy has set.

Gospel of peace - your feet have to be quick to spread the gospel around. It is a commandment given in th great commission and doing your assignment will expempt you from being held accountable.See to it that your brother, sister, neighbour or colleague has heard the gospel and/or is saved!

• for offence (to be on the attacking side)

Sword of the spirirt (Word of God) - It's one thing to read the bible and another to memorise what is written within it. The cover of the Bible is not important, it's the words that are written inside that matters! learn a memory verse everyday if possible, those are the bullets you would use to shoot the devil when he shows up.

Peparation is the key! be ready always and stand firm.

May God empower us all to do just that.Amen!



"Put on the full armour of God so that you can fight against the devil's evil tricks" - Ephesians 6:11



The Lord is good all the time!

Thinking G-hopper style

The grasshopper is a small insect which feeds mostly on leaves. It is so small that in comparison to the rest of the world it is insignificant.
The story written in Numbers 13 tells of the 12 men, each from one of the tribes of Israel, that were sent to check out the land of Canaan. Apart from Caleb and Joshua, all the others talked about how huge a task it was to overcome the giants in that city and take over the land. Caleb and Joshua on the other hand thought that they could overcome it.
This story gave birth to the term: 'grasshopper mentality' which means seeing yourself as though you were very insignificant, having a negative self-image and a low self-esteem.

Self image is the mental picture you create about yourself.
Thinking too small or having a grasshopper mentality is a sin. It is saying to God that His power is too small, that he is not able to do all things. We have the mind of the Christ and we were made in His image and likeness therefore we should see ourselves as Christ sees us. He has placed us a little above the Angels and has made us joint heirs to the throne...does that sound like someone who is insignificant?

The world should not see you by your history but by your destiny. The way you think affects who you become. Stinking thinking focuses on the things that can't be done rather than those that can be done~ it focuses on the negative reports rather than on your capabilities~ it causes you to exaggerate the situation and magnify the problem rather than see the bigness of your God.


The grasshopper mentality gives rise to

• short-sighted vision - this occurs when you tend to settle for ordinary when you can be extra-ordinary! You have to see obstacles as opportunities and walls as open doors. Never think that you have to become the mistake you made in the past. God can separate what you did from who you are...and he has forgiven you for what you did, so let it go and move on.
• doubt - this is split into worry, fear and apathy. Worrying about the things you cannot change does not help change it. Fear is an avenue for the devil to torment you when there really is no need for it and apathy is the sin of not expecting anything. Faith is the father of expectation and without faith it is impossible to please God! Don't expect to be at the same place in your relationship with God few years from now, expect more!!

Numbers 13: 31 - But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are."


If you can conceive that thought or idea then you can certainly achieve it. You are the image of God so see yourself through God's eyes. Think like the Prince or princess that God designed you to be and not like a Grasshopper!


The Lord is good all the time!

Shalom

It is a word that Jewish people use to greet one each other. Shalom means peace, well-being and wholeness. This is used more commonly to mean peace....

What is peace? is it the gesture made with the fingers or the anti-nuclear symbol?

Is the peace that a white dove now signifies?

Peace is: freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, etc.; tranquillity; serenity. ~ silence; stillness. ~ cessation of or freedom from any strife or dissension.

This peace is the peace you get when the Lord is your shepherd

.....when you lie down in green pastures

.....when you walk by still waters

.....when His goodness restores your soul

.....when the love of the lord overshadows every seed of doubt

....when the enemy reminds you of your past and you remind him of his future

......knowing that when you take a step towards God, he takes one million steps towards you

.....knowing that even when you are going to a place you have never been before, he is with you

.....knowing that if He has promised it, He will never fail to accomplish it.

....knowing that after your tough labour, He can and will give you rest.

Your Heavenly father is called Jehovah-Shalom, that is 'The Lors is my peace'. The assurance is that God lives up to His name.

Jesus is the prince of peace, If you know Him then you peace!

"John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. "

The Lord is good all the time!

A lineage of grace

It is a wonder how God chooses his people- the people he desires to use and work with to achieve His plans. So far from the study of the Bible all the people used by God have one thing in common: They all Lack PERFECTION!
At the start of their journey with God they are mere commoners but throughout their journey, they strive to reach perfection. The reason God is able to use us despite our backgrounds, our past and our sins is because of this thing called GRACE.


2 Corinthians 12:9 - "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."


Take a look at the lives of these people and the lessons learnt from them:

Tamar (Genesis 38) -You may have been cheated but that is not the end.
Also if you believe in a loving God, He will turn your mourning into joy!

Rahab (Joshua 2 & 6) - Your past may have been messed up but God can give you a better future If you believe in Him.

Ruth (Ruth)- Be humble..Humility will open doors for you before Kings!
When you give up on your will and stop worrying about tomorrow, God will honour you.
Choose to help those who do not have over those that have.

Bathsheba ( 2 Samuel 11 & 12)- There should be absolutely no reason to commit adultery.
Every sin can be forgiven but cannot escape punishment.

Mary (Matthew 1)- God will honour you if you choose to bear the shame for HIM!

Then there's people like Paul.When He was still called Saul, he persecuted the Christians and there was a lot of blood on his hands.From the moment of his divine appointment with God, He never for once turned back..He allowed himself to be used of God always and He accepted God's forgiveness!.

Grace is abundantly available for you, you just have to take it and accept it.
Use it but don't misuse it!


The Lord is good all the time!