As our Intervarsity plans have come together, I was hit with a harsh blow. A class that is absolutely critical to graduation this year got bumped up right when we are having our Intervarsity Bible studies. I have been the one spearheading the topic as the student president. We set up the Bible study times to target two groups of people from a three hour time frame. I am still able to lead one group, but the other so far appears to be the bigger group based on initial feedback from our information tables. I spoke with my instructor about the situation and he said there was little he could do and emphasized that I be in class as much as possible. After Day 1, I know why.
But God was not surprised by this and let it happen for a reason. I have reason to suspect that one possible reason is to get others in the chapter to step up in leadership. The chapter for the last few years has been held together by two students, including myself. The other graduates in December and with her student teaching, can't be involved much at all. I graduate in May so I will be needing to pass the torch on as well. One student has stepped up and is willing to lead the time the I can't make it and I am praying that God will raise one or two others to help her. I am still going to try to do all the behind-the-scenes work so all she needs to focus on is facilitating and 'running the machine'. But I see this as a potentially great opportunity for others to be ready to take over the chapter when I leave.
So I am trusting in the Lord for this time and situation. It was stressful but God has given me peace about it. I know he knows what he is doing and I am seeking to see this through his eyes. As the topic of the Bible study this semester, it is HIS STORY and he has the right to write it as he wishes.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Ministry on a College Campus
Tomorrow, I start my graduating senior year at the University of Texas at El Paso seeking my BA in Computer Science. It will be my sixth year at UTEP, mostly due to changing a major from Civil Engineering to Computer Science halfway through. But the change was worth it. The two degrees plans combined have set me up for where God wants to me to: teaching. After graduation, I will be taking a Alternative Teaching Certification Program that will get my certified to teach physics and math for the secondary level. Science and math teachers are in high demand in El Paso and I will be eligible to go for the goverment program to get about half my students loans forgiven.
But there is also more to the college life than just classes. In the previous five years, I have been involved with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and this year, God has called me to step up my involvment to a much deeper level than before. For two years, I was just an attender of the meetings, before being asked to join the leadership team. 20 years of growing up on the mission field is always a bonus when serving on any mission-minded organization. But now I am taking on the full leadership position as president of the UTEP IV Chapter.
We feel God has some big plans for our Chapter as the last few years have seen a very low turn-out and I believe that is about to be on a turn-around. It began last spring when I spearheaded a very effective outreach event when we brought Steve Lillis, a professional pool player that uses trick shots to bring the Gospel. My draw to him was that he does the exact same thing with pool as I am preparing to do with fencing. While that event did not bring a lot of people to our meetings right away afterwards, it did wake us up as a chapter and we believe we are prepared to take this year by storm.
God has called me to lead a new Bible study approach through John Eldridge's Epic presentation. The idea is that all the history of mankind, creation, ancient history, the coming of Christ, the Ressurection, Pentacost, and all the way to the End Times, is really one big, giant, epic story that God is telling. We have a hero, in God. We have a 'damsel in distress' in man. We have a villian in Satan. We have a battle against the forces of darkness. And we have the coming of the Knight in Shining Armor when Jesus returns. In fact, a John Eldridge puts it, practically every story that we love and follow over and over again in books and movies have elements that come from this grand story. And when we really want to get to know someone, we listen to thier story: where they came from, what they've been through, how they made decisions, and how they got to where they are now. So this semester, we are going to study God's story and learn about him through what he has done and how he has made his decisions. It's going to be a good semester.
But there is also more to the college life than just classes. In the previous five years, I have been involved with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and this year, God has called me to step up my involvment to a much deeper level than before. For two years, I was just an attender of the meetings, before being asked to join the leadership team. 20 years of growing up on the mission field is always a bonus when serving on any mission-minded organization. But now I am taking on the full leadership position as president of the UTEP IV Chapter.
We feel God has some big plans for our Chapter as the last few years have seen a very low turn-out and I believe that is about to be on a turn-around. It began last spring when I spearheaded a very effective outreach event when we brought Steve Lillis, a professional pool player that uses trick shots to bring the Gospel. My draw to him was that he does the exact same thing with pool as I am preparing to do with fencing. While that event did not bring a lot of people to our meetings right away afterwards, it did wake us up as a chapter and we believe we are prepared to take this year by storm.
God has called me to lead a new Bible study approach through John Eldridge's Epic presentation. The idea is that all the history of mankind, creation, ancient history, the coming of Christ, the Ressurection, Pentacost, and all the way to the End Times, is really one big, giant, epic story that God is telling. We have a hero, in God. We have a 'damsel in distress' in man. We have a villian in Satan. We have a battle against the forces of darkness. And we have the coming of the Knight in Shining Armor when Jesus returns. In fact, a John Eldridge puts it, practically every story that we love and follow over and over again in books and movies have elements that come from this grand story. And when we really want to get to know someone, we listen to thier story: where they came from, what they've been through, how they made decisions, and how they got to where they are now. So this semester, we are going to study God's story and learn about him through what he has done and how he has made his decisions. It's going to be a good semester.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Fencing and Writing
God has a wonderful tendency to give people gifts that often have little to do with each other. Many people are highly talented in sports, but cannot do academic work for the life of them. Other people are the other way, mentally strong but no physical abilities. Some are great at math but horrible at English. Others are great at history but terrible with languages. But some people have mixed gifts. God has given me a gift with sports (predominately through fencing), science and math, and writing. These are not gifts commonly seen with each other, yet God gave them to me for a reason.
I am really good with numbers and God has shown me how to teach recently. So I am seeking to get certified in Physics and Math. But I've also been fencing for 12 years and am going to seek coaching as a option. Math and sports usually aren't seen in the same person too often. Math and an ability to write, even less.
In the last 3 1/2 years, God opened the door for me to get into fiction novel writing as a hobby. And he has enabled me to use my understanding and experience in fencing to write battle scenes that truly depict a properly done fight. I've read a number of authors that do a sword fight and they clearly don't know a beat from a parry (same action, one is offense, the other is defense). I've read some others that have done some research and while I can tell they've learned stuff, I can also tell they've never held a weapon in thier life. So I've sought to give readers sword action from someone who truly knows the use of blades and the mindset of being in battle.
I've written a fiction novel with a heavy Christian Spiritual Warfare theme. And after several years of editing and patiently waiting, the time may be here for publication. I have been contacted by Lighthous Christian Publishing expressing interest in my novel. So I am currently reviewing my novel one last time before submitting it. If they like what they see, I can expect talks for a contract following shortly. And when that happens, it won't be long be you may see Battle Cry: Adventures in the Kingdom of Heaven on the shelves of bookstores.
I am really good with numbers and God has shown me how to teach recently. So I am seeking to get certified in Physics and Math. But I've also been fencing for 12 years and am going to seek coaching as a option. Math and sports usually aren't seen in the same person too often. Math and an ability to write, even less.
In the last 3 1/2 years, God opened the door for me to get into fiction novel writing as a hobby. And he has enabled me to use my understanding and experience in fencing to write battle scenes that truly depict a properly done fight. I've read a number of authors that do a sword fight and they clearly don't know a beat from a parry (same action, one is offense, the other is defense). I've read some others that have done some research and while I can tell they've learned stuff, I can also tell they've never held a weapon in thier life. So I've sought to give readers sword action from someone who truly knows the use of blades and the mindset of being in battle.
I've written a fiction novel with a heavy Christian Spiritual Warfare theme. And after several years of editing and patiently waiting, the time may be here for publication. I have been contacted by Lighthous Christian Publishing expressing interest in my novel. So I am currently reviewing my novel one last time before submitting it. If they like what they see, I can expect talks for a contract following shortly. And when that happens, it won't be long be you may see Battle Cry: Adventures in the Kingdom of Heaven on the shelves of bookstores.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
The Helmet of Salvation
# 6 of 6
The Helmet had two very important roles in a solider in battle. One was to protect the head. The other was to bear the colors of the lord or army for whom he fought. For the Greek or Roman it was easy to tell who was in which army by the colors of the uniform as well as the helmet. But in the feudal days of the Middle Ages, many knights wore the same type of armor, so to tell who was who, they would put the colors of thier lord on thier helmet. The military salute we have today also originates from the medieval helmet. They had visors to protect the face, and in the jousting competitions, it was known to throw in a ringer who was very good to fight in place of the lord. So to prove that a person was really who they were, before the match, they would raise the visor as a recognition to the opponent saying 'This is who I am'.
In sport fencing, the number one rule from individual practice to club to competition is that you must never cross blades without a mask on. The fencing mask should have kept the name 'helmet' but the French got there first and called them masks, likely because they made it hard to identify the opponent. In competition, fencers must have thier equipment inspected by an armorer for saftey reasons. The mask has a steel mesh that allows the fencer to see but protects the face from practically any blow. The mesh must be able to withstand a 40 kg punch test, which is stronger than most fencers are capable of delivering. The only incidents in which a mask failed to hold after being tested and approved involved broken blades which were sharp. After the mask passes the test, it is stamped so the referee knows it is eligible for use.
When it comes to spiritual warfare, like in fencing, we are not allowed to engage in combat unless we are first bearing the Helmet of Salvation. We are not allowed to pick up the Sword of the Spirit unless we are under the Blood Covenant of the cross and have been approved by God to wield it. The Helmet of Salvation bears the colors of the King of Kings, but unlike fencing masks which need to be tested for each competition, the Helmet of Salvation is a once-done deal. The decision to follow Christ is a life-time commitment and once you become a Christian, you will stay a Christian. Salvation is a gift that cannot be earned. And if we cannot earn it, we cannot do anything to lose it. And if we could lose it by our acts, there is no hope for any.
The Helmet of Salvation completes the Armor of God, but so many times, many Christians want to go about thier lives wearing only the Helmet of Salvation. These so called 'nominal' Christians want Jesus to save them from thier sins, but they still want to live thier own lives thier way. The problem is that we are at war and if we go naked aside from the helmet, we are easy prey. Paul tells us to put on the FULL Armor of God so when the day of evil comes we will be able to stand our ground. We don't know when evil is going to make thier move so we must make it a daily exercise to put on the Armor. You cannot wait until it arrives to put it on. The enemy moves too quickly and is described as a roaring lion seeking any whom he can devour. The lion does not hunt the healthy and strong. It hunts the weak, the young, the slow, and the unprotected. It only attacks the strong when threatened. So when we don't put on the Full Armor of God, we are only inviting the enemy to come in and mess up our lives. So put on every piece of the Armor of God every day, be alert and on guard, and press forward for the goal laid out before us.
The Helmet had two very important roles in a solider in battle. One was to protect the head. The other was to bear the colors of the lord or army for whom he fought. For the Greek or Roman it was easy to tell who was in which army by the colors of the uniform as well as the helmet. But in the feudal days of the Middle Ages, many knights wore the same type of armor, so to tell who was who, they would put the colors of thier lord on thier helmet. The military salute we have today also originates from the medieval helmet. They had visors to protect the face, and in the jousting competitions, it was known to throw in a ringer who was very good to fight in place of the lord. So to prove that a person was really who they were, before the match, they would raise the visor as a recognition to the opponent saying 'This is who I am'.
In sport fencing, the number one rule from individual practice to club to competition is that you must never cross blades without a mask on. The fencing mask should have kept the name 'helmet' but the French got there first and called them masks, likely because they made it hard to identify the opponent. In competition, fencers must have thier equipment inspected by an armorer for saftey reasons. The mask has a steel mesh that allows the fencer to see but protects the face from practically any blow. The mesh must be able to withstand a 40 kg punch test, which is stronger than most fencers are capable of delivering. The only incidents in which a mask failed to hold after being tested and approved involved broken blades which were sharp. After the mask passes the test, it is stamped so the referee knows it is eligible for use.
When it comes to spiritual warfare, like in fencing, we are not allowed to engage in combat unless we are first bearing the Helmet of Salvation. We are not allowed to pick up the Sword of the Spirit unless we are under the Blood Covenant of the cross and have been approved by God to wield it. The Helmet of Salvation bears the colors of the King of Kings, but unlike fencing masks which need to be tested for each competition, the Helmet of Salvation is a once-done deal. The decision to follow Christ is a life-time commitment and once you become a Christian, you will stay a Christian. Salvation is a gift that cannot be earned. And if we cannot earn it, we cannot do anything to lose it. And if we could lose it by our acts, there is no hope for any.
The Helmet of Salvation completes the Armor of God, but so many times, many Christians want to go about thier lives wearing only the Helmet of Salvation. These so called 'nominal' Christians want Jesus to save them from thier sins, but they still want to live thier own lives thier way. The problem is that we are at war and if we go naked aside from the helmet, we are easy prey. Paul tells us to put on the FULL Armor of God so when the day of evil comes we will be able to stand our ground. We don't know when evil is going to make thier move so we must make it a daily exercise to put on the Armor. You cannot wait until it arrives to put it on. The enemy moves too quickly and is described as a roaring lion seeking any whom he can devour. The lion does not hunt the healthy and strong. It hunts the weak, the young, the slow, and the unprotected. It only attacks the strong when threatened. So when we don't put on the Full Armor of God, we are only inviting the enemy to come in and mess up our lives. So put on every piece of the Armor of God every day, be alert and on guard, and press forward for the goal laid out before us.
Friday, August 13, 2010
The Sword of The Spirit
# 5 of 6
The sword was one of the first weapons man created and is a legendary icon in the history of the world. The sword is not just an instrument of war. It is a symbol of loyalty, knighthood, position, and nobility. Blacksmiths would spend years perfecting thier craft to make blades that would last generations. A sword would be carried down the family line to the eldest son. Many peasants didn't have swords, as they would be too expensive and swords were often only carried by those who had a standing in the kingdom. A sword is also a symbol of defense. To carry a sword, meant the wielder was armed and able to defend himself. Swords have been used in numerous ceremonies from awarding knighthood to cutting the cake at a wedding. In the Crusades, swords were given a cross hilt to represent the cross of Jesus. This reminded the knights that they fought for more than the cause of their king, but also for the King of Kings.
Today, swords have lost thier luster in the battlefield due to the rise of firearms. But they still remain icons in nearly every culture. It is hard to find a boy that does not want to play with swords at some point. Swords are kept in memory through movies, through sports like fencing and some martial arts, and through reinactment groups such as the SCA. The weapon has come from more than just a killing weapon into an art form. But no matter where you turn, every culture has numerous connections both modern and historical to the use of the sword.
In Ephesians, Paul described the Sword of the Spirit as the Word of God. Throughout prophetic scriptures, like Revelation, an image of a sword coming out of a mouth is frequently seen. Even Proverbs describe words acting like swords. Revelation 12:11 describes the Word of our Testimony as a weapon with which the saints will defeat the dragon. The sword in our spiritual war is the Word. Hebrews 4:12 describes the Word of God to be living and acting, sharper than any two-edged sword. Ephesians refers to the breathed, spoken Word of God, Rhema. Hebrews talks about the complete Word of God, Logos. So boths aspects to the 'Word' of God are described as swords. What is truly amazing about the Sword of the Spirit, is that it is living and active. God tells us we don't need to worry about what to say when we are brought before the kings and rulers, because the Spirit will give us the words to say. In this context, we learn that the Sword we wield will fight the battle for us, and all we have to do is hold on to it. The swords used in battle are not alive and if you let go of them, they drop to the ground. But the Sword of the Spirit is alive and it will fight for us. It is the offensive weapon we have against the forces of darkness and it is a weapon that the enemy fears with the utmost respect.
Next post will be the last of this series: the Helmet of Salvation
The sword was one of the first weapons man created and is a legendary icon in the history of the world. The sword is not just an instrument of war. It is a symbol of loyalty, knighthood, position, and nobility. Blacksmiths would spend years perfecting thier craft to make blades that would last generations. A sword would be carried down the family line to the eldest son. Many peasants didn't have swords, as they would be too expensive and swords were often only carried by those who had a standing in the kingdom. A sword is also a symbol of defense. To carry a sword, meant the wielder was armed and able to defend himself. Swords have been used in numerous ceremonies from awarding knighthood to cutting the cake at a wedding. In the Crusades, swords were given a cross hilt to represent the cross of Jesus. This reminded the knights that they fought for more than the cause of their king, but also for the King of Kings.
Today, swords have lost thier luster in the battlefield due to the rise of firearms. But they still remain icons in nearly every culture. It is hard to find a boy that does not want to play with swords at some point. Swords are kept in memory through movies, through sports like fencing and some martial arts, and through reinactment groups such as the SCA. The weapon has come from more than just a killing weapon into an art form. But no matter where you turn, every culture has numerous connections both modern and historical to the use of the sword.
In Ephesians, Paul described the Sword of the Spirit as the Word of God. Throughout prophetic scriptures, like Revelation, an image of a sword coming out of a mouth is frequently seen. Even Proverbs describe words acting like swords. Revelation 12:11 describes the Word of our Testimony as a weapon with which the saints will defeat the dragon. The sword in our spiritual war is the Word. Hebrews 4:12 describes the Word of God to be living and acting, sharper than any two-edged sword. Ephesians refers to the breathed, spoken Word of God, Rhema. Hebrews talks about the complete Word of God, Logos. So boths aspects to the 'Word' of God are described as swords. What is truly amazing about the Sword of the Spirit, is that it is living and active. God tells us we don't need to worry about what to say when we are brought before the kings and rulers, because the Spirit will give us the words to say. In this context, we learn that the Sword we wield will fight the battle for us, and all we have to do is hold on to it. The swords used in battle are not alive and if you let go of them, they drop to the ground. But the Sword of the Spirit is alive and it will fight for us. It is the offensive weapon we have against the forces of darkness and it is a weapon that the enemy fears with the utmost respect.
Next post will be the last of this series: the Helmet of Salvation
Thursday, August 12, 2010
The Shield of Faith
# 4 of 6
A soldier's shield was one of the most important pieces of his equipment. The Greek Spartan values his shield even more than his spear or sword. A shield was often made of wood to make it light weight and coated with bronze or iron to deflect most attacks. Shields varies in size depending on the role. Later, as armies discovered the shields were made of wood, they would unleash piercing arrows lit on fire. This would penetrate the soft coating of bronze, and the fire would burn through the wood frame of the shield. And with the shield gone, by the time armies clashed, the soldier was open to take a blow. So to counter that, Romans in particular would wrap thier shields in leather instead of bronze and soak the leather in water. This would extinguish the fiery arrows upon contact.
A shield was often carried on the back and brought out when in the combative stance. Simply carrying a shield meant nothing. It needed to be out and ready for use, or it didn't do its job. In order for a soldier to be protected, he needed to put his whole body withing the confides of the shield. Often, armies would launch volleys of arrows, sometimes so many it appeared it would blot out the sun. If any part of the body stuck out from the shield, it was hit.
As Christians, our faith is our shield. What is Faith? Hebrews defines it as the hope for the things unseen, an assurance that what is not happening now is going to happen and the mindset that is it already done. Faith is not just belief. Faith requires an object. You can believe anything you want. Flying is a great example. I can believe that an airplane will fly. I can stand on the run way, believe it will fly, but I don't really know that it will until I see it happen. But I exercise faith when I step into the airplane and take off.
Jesus said if we had faith the size of a mustard seed... People always talk about having more faith. Jesus wasn't saying we needed more faith. He was saying we had no faith whatsoever. He was drilling the point that it is not the amount of faith, but the object of what we are putting our faith in. If our faith is in Jesus, no matter how much it is, we will be able to say to this mountain move, and it will move.
Faith also has no doubts. You must be 100% behind the object of your faith or it is not protecting you. Doubt is when you don't trust your shield to protect you, so you look for other shelter. When we doubt God's Word, we are actually seeking the protection of something other than God from the evil in this world. Trust God and know that he will protect you from the fiery darts the enemy throws at us. The shield doesn't work until the arrow or the sword actually hits it. And we always jump right before. Stay behind the Shield of Faith and it will stand against any blow it receives.
Next post is the Sword of the Spirit
A soldier's shield was one of the most important pieces of his equipment. The Greek Spartan values his shield even more than his spear or sword. A shield was often made of wood to make it light weight and coated with bronze or iron to deflect most attacks. Shields varies in size depending on the role. Later, as armies discovered the shields were made of wood, they would unleash piercing arrows lit on fire. This would penetrate the soft coating of bronze, and the fire would burn through the wood frame of the shield. And with the shield gone, by the time armies clashed, the soldier was open to take a blow. So to counter that, Romans in particular would wrap thier shields in leather instead of bronze and soak the leather in water. This would extinguish the fiery arrows upon contact.
A shield was often carried on the back and brought out when in the combative stance. Simply carrying a shield meant nothing. It needed to be out and ready for use, or it didn't do its job. In order for a soldier to be protected, he needed to put his whole body withing the confides of the shield. Often, armies would launch volleys of arrows, sometimes so many it appeared it would blot out the sun. If any part of the body stuck out from the shield, it was hit.
As Christians, our faith is our shield. What is Faith? Hebrews defines it as the hope for the things unseen, an assurance that what is not happening now is going to happen and the mindset that is it already done. Faith is not just belief. Faith requires an object. You can believe anything you want. Flying is a great example. I can believe that an airplane will fly. I can stand on the run way, believe it will fly, but I don't really know that it will until I see it happen. But I exercise faith when I step into the airplane and take off.
Jesus said if we had faith the size of a mustard seed... People always talk about having more faith. Jesus wasn't saying we needed more faith. He was saying we had no faith whatsoever. He was drilling the point that it is not the amount of faith, but the object of what we are putting our faith in. If our faith is in Jesus, no matter how much it is, we will be able to say to this mountain move, and it will move.
Faith also has no doubts. You must be 100% behind the object of your faith or it is not protecting you. Doubt is when you don't trust your shield to protect you, so you look for other shelter. When we doubt God's Word, we are actually seeking the protection of something other than God from the evil in this world. Trust God and know that he will protect you from the fiery darts the enemy throws at us. The shield doesn't work until the arrow or the sword actually hits it. And we always jump right before. Stay behind the Shield of Faith and it will stand against any blow it receives.
Next post is the Sword of the Spirit
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
The Feet of the Gospel of Peace
# 3 out of 6
Just as important as the weapon in the hand of a soldier is their feet. Many people think sword battle is all about arm strength, but more so than anywhere else, is the strength of the legs. In sport fencing, it is the feet that set up the distance to time attacks and defenses. The feet need to bring you forward and backwards, sometimes changing directions in the blink of an eye. They must be fast and fencers must practice their footwork more than any other area. Why? They have to be able to do thier footwork subconsciously, without thinking about it and concentrate on their opponent. If a fencers thinks about thier footwork, the sport is too fast for them to react and they are hit. Fencers also must wear proper shoes and knickers. This protects their legs and feet, while also given them the flexiblity in the legs to move at high speeds. The shoes are also of upmost importance as the feet need to be light and agile. If a fencer wears heavy boots, or if women wear high heels, they can't move with any kind of speed, and they will never be able to get thier distance right, let alone successfully execute a lunge.
As Believers in Christ, the Gospel of Peace is our footwork. We have to know the Gospel so well that we are ready to give an answer by instinct without having to think about it. If we have to think about what we are going to say, or try to dig back into the depths of our memory, we will lose our witnessing power. Isaiah tells us "beautiful are the feet that brings Good News". The Good News is the Gospel of Peace. Peace is not a lack of war, like darkness is a lack of light. War is the lack of peace. Peace is also an understanding that even if you don't know what will happen, this is the thing that needs to be done. Be a peace-maker by standing confident in what you believe and following the Word of God, but don't be a peace-lover by compromising your faith and settling for something short-lived and won't last.
Next post will be the Shield of Faith.
Just as important as the weapon in the hand of a soldier is their feet. Many people think sword battle is all about arm strength, but more so than anywhere else, is the strength of the legs. In sport fencing, it is the feet that set up the distance to time attacks and defenses. The feet need to bring you forward and backwards, sometimes changing directions in the blink of an eye. They must be fast and fencers must practice their footwork more than any other area. Why? They have to be able to do thier footwork subconsciously, without thinking about it and concentrate on their opponent. If a fencers thinks about thier footwork, the sport is too fast for them to react and they are hit. Fencers also must wear proper shoes and knickers. This protects their legs and feet, while also given them the flexiblity in the legs to move at high speeds. The shoes are also of upmost importance as the feet need to be light and agile. If a fencer wears heavy boots, or if women wear high heels, they can't move with any kind of speed, and they will never be able to get thier distance right, let alone successfully execute a lunge.
As Believers in Christ, the Gospel of Peace is our footwork. We have to know the Gospel so well that we are ready to give an answer by instinct without having to think about it. If we have to think about what we are going to say, or try to dig back into the depths of our memory, we will lose our witnessing power. Isaiah tells us "beautiful are the feet that brings Good News". The Good News is the Gospel of Peace. Peace is not a lack of war, like darkness is a lack of light. War is the lack of peace. Peace is also an understanding that even if you don't know what will happen, this is the thing that needs to be done. Be a peace-maker by standing confident in what you believe and following the Word of God, but don't be a peace-lover by compromising your faith and settling for something short-lived and won't last.
Next post will be the Shield of Faith.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
The Breastplate of Righteousness
# 2 out of 6 in the Armor of God Series
The second piece of the Armor of God is the Breastplate of Righteousness. The role of the breastplate is as straight forward as can be. It is a metalic plate, made of bronze in the Greek era, iron or bronze in the Roman era that protected the vital organs in the front of the torso. It is important to note that these breastplates did not cover the back because the Greek and Roman soliders were never expected to turn their back to an enemy. Thier formations in the army prevented them from being surrounded easily so they always faced thier opponents. Having the back open allowed air to come through so they could breath in thier hot armor.
As Christians, we wear Righteousness as our breastplate. The Bible does not equate righteousness with perfection, but as either a lifestyle or an identity. As a lifestyle, Abraham is an example we can use. He lived by faith and was considered righteous. Job was also considered righteous. They trusted in the Lord, and even when they sinned, they still sought after God. However, an area of sin in our lives is like a chink in the breastplate. Modern day fencers teach very accurate point control with our weapons, especially in epee, the derivative of the dueling sword. We are taught to hit at very specific points on the body and not just anywhere we can. The enemy, Satan, is very good at specifying where he wants to hit. So any weakness we have in our defenses due to a sin that we have not dealt with is like wearing a target saying "hit me".
Righteousness is also revealed in the context of identity. When Jesus died and rose again, he did that so we might become the righteousness of God. Under the blood covenant of the cross, Jesus took the punishment that was due to every one of us. And when we stand blameless before the Throne of Heaven, we are viewed as Righteous. God must see a pure, white heart in us into order to be able to dwell in our midst. But sin made our heart red as scarlet. But Jesus' blood covers our sin. And if you look at a red object through a red lens, you see white. This is how God sees us. He looks at us through the lens of Christ's blood and seeing white, he calls us righteous.
Next will be the Feet of the Gospel of Peace.
The second piece of the Armor of God is the Breastplate of Righteousness. The role of the breastplate is as straight forward as can be. It is a metalic plate, made of bronze in the Greek era, iron or bronze in the Roman era that protected the vital organs in the front of the torso. It is important to note that these breastplates did not cover the back because the Greek and Roman soliders were never expected to turn their back to an enemy. Thier formations in the army prevented them from being surrounded easily so they always faced thier opponents. Having the back open allowed air to come through so they could breath in thier hot armor.
As Christians, we wear Righteousness as our breastplate. The Bible does not equate righteousness with perfection, but as either a lifestyle or an identity. As a lifestyle, Abraham is an example we can use. He lived by faith and was considered righteous. Job was also considered righteous. They trusted in the Lord, and even when they sinned, they still sought after God. However, an area of sin in our lives is like a chink in the breastplate. Modern day fencers teach very accurate point control with our weapons, especially in epee, the derivative of the dueling sword. We are taught to hit at very specific points on the body and not just anywhere we can. The enemy, Satan, is very good at specifying where he wants to hit. So any weakness we have in our defenses due to a sin that we have not dealt with is like wearing a target saying "hit me".
Righteousness is also revealed in the context of identity. When Jesus died and rose again, he did that so we might become the righteousness of God. Under the blood covenant of the cross, Jesus took the punishment that was due to every one of us. And when we stand blameless before the Throne of Heaven, we are viewed as Righteous. God must see a pure, white heart in us into order to be able to dwell in our midst. But sin made our heart red as scarlet. But Jesus' blood covers our sin. And if you look at a red object through a red lens, you see white. This is how God sees us. He looks at us through the lens of Christ's blood and seeing white, he calls us righteous.
Next will be the Feet of the Gospel of Peace.
Monday, August 9, 2010
The Belt of Truth
For the next few posts, I will be going over each piece of the Armor of God, what the fuction of each piece is for a soldier in combat, and how it applies to our life. Today, the Belt of Truth.
The belt has several functions. One is to keep the Roman soldier's tunic from flapping around in battle. Without the belt it could swing out and catch on another weapon or be grabbed by an enemy. The tunic could also fly up, blinding the soldier. The belt also bore the soldier's arms. The sword's sheath slid onto the belt and it also allowed for the stashing of numerous secondary weapons and tools. In Biblical times, when a blood covenant was made, the two parties would exchange belts as a symbol of resources and tools being made available to each other. It also meant that each party would make a stand and fight for the other when in trouble.
In our Christian walk, Truth is our belt. It is more than just speaking the truth. It is Integrity. It is living in honesty and truthfulness. It is truth that sets the boundaries which gives us the freedom to move about. The truth also holds our spiritual weapons and allows us to wield our spiritual tools. Integrity and honesty in terms of covenants are the bindings that hold it all together. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we come into a blood covenant with him. And we exchange our resources, which are very limited if any, with his, which are infinite. His belt is Truth and in order to carry his resources, we have to carry his belt. Because only his belt is designed to carry his tools. As a dress belt is not designed to carry a myriad of carpenter's tools or an electrician's tools, so our belts are not capable of carrying God's tools. So we must wear the Belt of Truth in order to carry and wield the gifts, abilities, and tools that God gives us.
So that is an overview of the Belt of Truth. Tomorrow (hopefully) I will cover the Breastplate of Righteousness. From there I will go into the Feet of the Gospel of Peace, the Shield of Faith, the Sword of the Spirit, and the Helmet of Salvation.
The belt has several functions. One is to keep the Roman soldier's tunic from flapping around in battle. Without the belt it could swing out and catch on another weapon or be grabbed by an enemy. The tunic could also fly up, blinding the soldier. The belt also bore the soldier's arms. The sword's sheath slid onto the belt and it also allowed for the stashing of numerous secondary weapons and tools. In Biblical times, when a blood covenant was made, the two parties would exchange belts as a symbol of resources and tools being made available to each other. It also meant that each party would make a stand and fight for the other when in trouble.
In our Christian walk, Truth is our belt. It is more than just speaking the truth. It is Integrity. It is living in honesty and truthfulness. It is truth that sets the boundaries which gives us the freedom to move about. The truth also holds our spiritual weapons and allows us to wield our spiritual tools. Integrity and honesty in terms of covenants are the bindings that hold it all together. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we come into a blood covenant with him. And we exchange our resources, which are very limited if any, with his, which are infinite. His belt is Truth and in order to carry his resources, we have to carry his belt. Because only his belt is designed to carry his tools. As a dress belt is not designed to carry a myriad of carpenter's tools or an electrician's tools, so our belts are not capable of carrying God's tools. So we must wear the Belt of Truth in order to carry and wield the gifts, abilities, and tools that God gives us.
So that is an overview of the Belt of Truth. Tomorrow (hopefully) I will cover the Breastplate of Righteousness. From there I will go into the Feet of the Gospel of Peace, the Shield of Faith, the Sword of the Spirit, and the Helmet of Salvation.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Pictures of Fencing Presentation
I've gotten some pictures of the presentation I did this past Thursday. This one is of me demonstrating the Encortada (see post below) and explainging how forgiveness enables you to evade the intended hit and lets the offender deal with God and his word (the Sword of the Spirit).
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Fencing Ministry at a Girl's Refuge Center
This past Thursday, I was given a wonderful opportunity to bring fencing to war-torn Juarez, Mexico. I was involved in leading a mission team from Arkansas and Thursday, we went to one of their favorite places, a girl's refuge center, where girls as young as 9 are pulled off the streets, bad home situations, and worse. They live in a lock-down facility that protects them from the dangers of the streets and even themselves, but they are taught the love of Jesus and this team has been visiting them several times a year for six years. God laid on my heart to speak to the girls, using fencing to illustrate my points.
I used three fencing actions to illustrate life lessons with a spiritual warfare theme. The first is a very powerful move and demonstrates how our enemy, Satan, tries to get our attention focused on one area in our lives, when his real target is somewhere else. The second is a real quick attack that is designed to look like an arrow, and it resembles the fiery darts that the enemy throws at us. The third was my main one, which is a counter-attack that also evades the attack. I used this to illustrate forgiveness and that when we forgive, the intended blow misses entirely and the enemy falls on the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, without any chance to recover. In this I used a sparing partner with no experience, and emphasized that he could not have done the actions he did unless I showed him how. The same is true with forgiveness. We know how to forgive because God forgave us first.
This presentation had a huge impact on the team and the girls. I had at least 5 people come up to me saying they learned something deep and profound from it that they never knew in years of thier faith. Not a single person had anything to say about it they didn't like and God showed up in style through me. I sought to get it video recorded, but the guy operating my camera didn't realize it wasn't recording, but his son got at least part of it before he ran out of memory. He is going to see who else had cameras rolling and get me as much of a complete recording as he can. When that comes in, I will post it here. God is so good and he's got much more than this planned for me.
I used three fencing actions to illustrate life lessons with a spiritual warfare theme. The first is a very powerful move and demonstrates how our enemy, Satan, tries to get our attention focused on one area in our lives, when his real target is somewhere else. The second is a real quick attack that is designed to look like an arrow, and it resembles the fiery darts that the enemy throws at us. The third was my main one, which is a counter-attack that also evades the attack. I used this to illustrate forgiveness and that when we forgive, the intended blow misses entirely and the enemy falls on the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, without any chance to recover. In this I used a sparing partner with no experience, and emphasized that he could not have done the actions he did unless I showed him how. The same is true with forgiveness. We know how to forgive because God forgave us first.
This presentation had a huge impact on the team and the girls. I had at least 5 people come up to me saying they learned something deep and profound from it that they never knew in years of thier faith. Not a single person had anything to say about it they didn't like and God showed up in style through me. I sought to get it video recorded, but the guy operating my camera didn't realize it wasn't recording, but his son got at least part of it before he ran out of memory. He is going to see who else had cameras rolling and get me as much of a complete recording as he can. When that comes in, I will post it here. God is so good and he's got much more than this planned for me.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Using Sport Fencing for Ministry
If God is able to use a donkey to speak to Balaam, or if he is able to use a scared, timid, stuttering, angry, complaining Moses to lead a million people out of the most poweful nation in the world at that time, he can use any one of us, no matter our circumstances, abilities, or skills.
I am one that most people would have considered to be un-useable. When I was six, I could not run and could barely walk. I have Asperger's Syndrome, a mild form of autism. I stutter. The list goes on. But through all this, God has given me a gift: the ability to do sport fencing.
In fencing for 12 years, in the last six, God has shown my how to use the sport as a tool to reach out to other people. I have been doing demonstrations and presentations in Juarez, Mexico through International Family Missions which has become a huge hit. I put on a very powerful spiritual warfare skit that has had a massive impact on hundreds of lives. And now, I am in the stages to take it even further.
I may have an opportunity to practice this calling this week as I will be serving along side a mission team from Arkansas in Mexico and should that happen, I will be posting what I did, how it turned out, photos and video. And may God bless this work that only HE could have initated.
I am one that most people would have considered to be un-useable. When I was six, I could not run and could barely walk. I have Asperger's Syndrome, a mild form of autism. I stutter. The list goes on. But through all this, God has given me a gift: the ability to do sport fencing.
In fencing for 12 years, in the last six, God has shown my how to use the sport as a tool to reach out to other people. I have been doing demonstrations and presentations in Juarez, Mexico through International Family Missions which has become a huge hit. I put on a very powerful spiritual warfare skit that has had a massive impact on hundreds of lives. And now, I am in the stages to take it even further.
I may have an opportunity to practice this calling this week as I will be serving along side a mission team from Arkansas in Mexico and should that happen, I will be posting what I did, how it turned out, photos and video. And may God bless this work that only HE could have initated.
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