Armor of God Pt. 2 of 2

Armor of God Pt. 2 of 2

Samantha W.

Last month we talked about the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness and the shoes fitted with the gospel of peace. Now let’s look at the other three pieces of God’s Armor Paul talks about in Ephesians.

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (Ephesians 6:16 NIV)

Satan is a very real and powerful antagonist. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) Our only means of defense lies with our trust in God. Without faith Jesus already conquered evil and has given us the power to do the same, we would be susceptible to Satan’s schemes.

 Take the helmet of salvation. . .

Sometimes evil thoughts can spring to life within us. Lies, rebellion, low self-esteem; etc. all begin as little seeds of thought. But if we remember that we have been saved from sin, we know we have control over it. We need to take captive every thought that doesn't align with God's Word and discipline our minds to think only thoughts that are pure and holy.

 And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17 NIV)

Jesus showed us the way to use the Bible while he was in the desert for forty days. He combated the devil’s ploys by quoting Scriptures. God’s Word has the power to refute every tongue that goes against him. It's why reading and studying the Bible is important, for it is our one and only weapon as soldiers in God's army.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the ruler, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12 NIV

Thinking About my Name

Thinking About my Name

By Rachel S.

Truth be told, sometimes I do not like my name.

“Rachel” is a name that people can just spit out when they are mad (and they often do.) It’s easy to say, and is very common.

The name “Rachel” literally means “ewe” (as in the sheep, But when you say it out loud… It doesn’t have the same ring.)

But name “Rachel” also means Shepherdess…

When I think of the word “Shepherd” I think of the Good Shepherd. The one who is the good shepherd to all us sheep.

I’ve always thought that shepherds are pretty cool people. Shepherds are strong and responsible, they are wise and they have to get there sheep to look up to them. Shepherds have to be willing to give up their life to defend their sheep and shepherds have to be level headed.

My name means Shepherdess. But I don’t think I am very much like one.

I’m not very strong. I’m not very wise. I do not have a very level head. (Ok… I can. But it basically takes the world falling apart.)

It’s a good thing that I serve under the Good Shepherd.

He takes me on long walk through green pastures, where he tells me of all the little things that a shepherd should know. With his rod and his staff, he comforts me. He guides me in paths of righteousness, for his name sake.

He knows what is best for me.

In Ezekiel 34:11-16 God talks about his sheep. He says he will take care of his sheep. That he will, “save them from all the places where they are scattered.” And that he will “search for the lost, bring back those that strayed away, put bandages on those that were hurt and make the weak strong.” (Ezekiel 34:16)

The Good Shepherd watches his sheep, and he loves them. He will bring back those that are lost and hurt, and make them well again.

One verse that really spoke to me when I was trying to write this post is found in John 21:15-25. You can read the whole thing because I am just going to be posting a couple verses here.

Jesus had just risen from the dead. And he was eating with his disciples. He turns to Simon and here is what he said:

                                “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”

                                He answered, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.”

                                Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

This happens three times. “Simon, do you love me??”

“Yes!”

“Then feed my lambs.”

And the thought that I kept having while reading these verses is this:

Jesus calls those who love him to feed his sheep.

I am not strong enough to feed sheep by myself. I can’t lift the big bag of food. I don’t think the sheep would listen to my voice.

But the Good Shepherd is still next to me. As he is leading me to the quiet waters, he is helping me lead the sheep

 He is leading me on the right paths, for his name sake, and helping me lead sheep there.

Even though I may go through all sorts of troubles, I have no need to be afraid, because he is with me.

He has set a table before my enemies for me to eat at, and he has filled my cup to over flowing.

With him by my side, I trust that I can have the strength to feed his sheep, and live up to my name.

The Shepherdess

Love is Just a Feeling, or is it Much More

Love is Just a Feeling, or is it Much More?

by Julianna O.

            Love, what is it? Some people might think its an action, others might think its an emotion and some might think its just a feeling. To tell you the truth, all those people who are saying that about love is technically right. Most people have no idea what love is. In 1 Corinthians 13, it talks about what love is not and what it is. I will start off by taking you into the mysteries of love by starting in 1 Corinthians 13:1.

            “If I speak the languages of men and of angels, but do not love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all the faith, so that I can move the mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). The first few verses of 1 Corinthians 13 talks about what you have gained if you do not love. In verse 1, we see that if someone were to talk in the languages of men and angels but doesn't love will sound like a gong or a clanging cymbal, basically what that means is that when you speak but don't have love you are loud. Verse 2 says that if you understand all the mysteries, same as knowledge, because of prophecy and have all the faith but don't love, you are nothing. If you know a lot about God but don't love you are nothing. Verse 3 says that if you donate everything you own to feed the poor and give your body to be burned but don't have love, you gain nothing. If you do good deeds but don't love you gain nothing. It is as simple as that. Now you are probably wondering, what is love? How can I love? Well, I have an answer for you.

            If you read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, you will know what love is. “Love is patient; love is kind. Love does not envy; is not boastful; is not conceited; does not act improperly; is not selfish; is not provoked; does not keep a record of wrongs; finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes in all things, hopes in all things, endures all things.” Love is patient, kind, rejoices in the truth, and bears, believes, hopes and endures in all things. That is the basic meaning of the love that God has given us (also known as agape in Greek). Also agape means loving someone even if they don't deserve it. Isn't that what God did for us by sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins because he loves us even when we didn't deserve it? I know the answer to that, and the answer is yes. God did send his Son to die and save us because God loves us.

            In order to love like Christ does, you must understand His love for you! In 1 John 4:7-8 it says “Dear friends, let us love one another because love is from God and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God because God is love.” These verses are saying that God is love! If you don't have love you do not know God but if you do have love, you have been born of God and know God. So, let us love each other, and God, for He is love.

            I hope I have inspired you to love each other as God has loved you because I know I have been inspired to write this article. I was inspired by my youth group pastor, who was talking about agape (love). At first, when I heard him talk about love, I was like, “I am not going to like this topic” but I eventually got hooked into the topic, which inspired me to write this article. Anyways, just remember God's love for you is greater than any love you have ever  experience.

Presenting the Gospel- no Matter What

Presenting the Gospel- No Matter What 

By: Maryann Y.

​Hello. I am going to discuss something that has particularly bother​ed me this past week- Presenting the Gospel.

First, what is the Gospel? The Good News. The story of Jesus' Love for us. The amazing story of the Cross. 1 Corinthians 15:2 says, "By this Gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the Word I preached to you, Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 

The first thing I thought when I read this was, "Ouch." Paul is good about using strong words. Basically, the verse means that if you believe in a God, but not in the Gospel, you are not a Christian and are eternally condemned. Like I said, Yikes. but if you DO believe in the Gospel, guess what? 

"I write these things to you in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life."  1 John 5:13.  And earlier, in 1 John 5:11,

"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son."   Now you can jump up and down and say, "Yay!"   Jesus is Eternal Life, and God gave us Jesus.

Now we get to the real meat.  Once you have Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, You Have To Share Him.  No if's and's or but's. 

Well, maybe some and's, but we're getting of topic. All Christians are missionaries, and all Christians must share Him.          No Question. 

Now, I know you're going to say this, because I already have;

You/Me: But I'm to young! ( that and the one below are mine ) 

                              or

You/Me: I don't know how and I never was good at public speaking!

                              or  

You/Me: But all my friends are Christians, I don't know any unbelievers!

The last one may or may not be true, but it usually isn't. What about that neighbor that always walks her dog past your house? Or that elderly man who never leaves his porch swing? Or the employee at Target you see every week? Or that girl you sit next to in class every week? (unless your home-schooled like me) 

Now if you ARE like me, and you live in Togo, West Africa, your butcher could be a failing Catholic, the pool manager at 'Pacine Atlantide'(French) could have dabbled in Catholicism and Protestantism, E.TC. Most of the Togolais I know are "Religious" in some way or another. But we're talking about you, not me. 

OK, if you chose Excuse A. I'll take you to 1 Tim. 4:12-" Do not let others look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in faith, in love, and in purity."

If you chose Excuse B.  I'll speak from personal experience. Use your Bible. Let the Holy Spirit do the talking. And you can use what I've got in my purse: an Evangile Cube. You can get them at www.evangecube.com .

(I answered Excuse C above.)  Now for some verses when you share Him:

Rom. 3:23 ("For all have sinned....")

Rom. 6:23 ("For the wages of sin is death...")

2 Cor. 5:21 ("God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, ...)

1Jn. 1:9 ("If we confess our sin, he is....")

Mth. 9:13b ("...not to call righteous, but sinners..."

Is. 1:18 ("...though your sin is like scarlet, they shall be white....")

Jn 1:29 (".... takes away the sin of the world....")

 And when you share the Gospel, remember! It doesn't matter that the girl at church saved more people than you! This is about Jesus. Think of all of the people who were not Israelite that just lived and died while Joshua Moses received the 10 commandments. These poor people had no Savior to look forward to, and now they will spend an eternity in hell. As Christians, we've got to be blinding lights for Jesus. So,  "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you, And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Mathew 28:19-20

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Psalm 19:14     

"May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in our   sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.         

                 Maryann Y.