Dressed for Battle

four-year-old grandboy

"Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm." (Ephesians 6:13)

Hamp Green on this 19th morning of 21 days of prayer and fasting taught from Ephesians chapter 6.

Full message available at: 
www.churchofthehighlands.com

From prison, the Apostle Paul began his letter to Christians in Ephesus by teaching believers that in Christ Jesus they are blessed, chosen, loved, predestined, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, heirs, and sealed by the Holy Spirit. Paul ended the letter with God's instructions for victory in battle in the evil day:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil...Take up the full armor of God  so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm."

And what is the full armor of God? Truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the word of God, and prayer. The days are evil, beloved. Are you dressed for victory in the battle?

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Go Fish

my grandboys

"...you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it." (James 4:2)

"Now what do I do, Lord?"

"Jill, you can't catch fish unless you go fishing. Go fish!"

So, I sent The Adventures of the Lookout Mountain Gang: The Secret Chest press release to a whole bunch of newspapers, Christian magazines, and Christian radio stations. And guess what? I got a bite.

Beloved, don't just sit there. Ask God and go fish!

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Who He Is

"God answers prayers not because of what we do but because of who He is!" ~Pastor Chris Hodges~

I will exalt You, my God and King,

And praise Your name forever and ever.

I will praise You every day;

Yes, I will praise You forever.

Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise!

No one can measure His greatness.

Let each generation tell its children of Your mighty acts;

Let them proclaim Your power.

I will meditate on Your majestic, glorious splendor

And Your wonderful miracles.

Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue;

I will proclaim Your greatness.

Everyone will share the story of Your wonderful goodness;

They will sing with joy about Your righteousness

The LORD is merciful and compassionate,

Slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

The LORD is good to everyone.

He showers compassion on all His creation.

All Your works will thank You, LORD,

And Your faithful followers will praise You...

I will praise the LORD,

And may everyone on earth bless His holy name

Forever and ever!
(Psalm 145)

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Noticed

monarch butterfly
Bloomington, Indiana

"...But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father [God] knowing it...So don't be afraid; you are more valuable than a whole flock of sparrows." (Matthew 10:29,31)

"Make sure your friends give you great reviews for The Adventures of the Lookout Mountain Gang," my publisher coached. "If you have 100 reviews for a single book on Amazon, it will be noticed." (Anybody wanna help a girl out? Ha!)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus reassured His disciples: 

"Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves...Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul...Not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid, you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows." (Matthew 10:16-31)

Beloved, there is absolutely nothing you must do to be noticed by God. For "the LORD Himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shield!" (Psalm 121:5 NLT) So, do not be afraid.

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Sing, O Mountains!

L-R Rebecca Glassco Figert, April McKenzie Zizich, Ben Glassco, Rhett McKenzie, Dan Glassco
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah Valley, 2001

"Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people, and will have mercy on His afflicted." (Isaiah 49:13)

To avoid the calamities of a senior trip, the day after Ben's high school graduate in 2001, we elected a family vacation with our beloved friends, the McKenzies, to the Shenandoah Valley nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of  Virginia. 

There's just something about glorious mountains that evoke praise to God, our Creator.

According to Dr. Henrietta Mears: "The last part of Isaiah is called 'The Book of Consolation' because Isaiah tells in glowing terms, not only of the restoration of Judah but also of the coming of Jehovah's Servant to be Messiah King." 

God says: Servant, "you will do more than restore the people of the Israel to Me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and You will bring My salvation to the ends of the earth!" (Isaiah 49:6)

So, burst into song, O mountains! Sing for joy, O people of God! For sooner or later, King Jesus is coming!

Troublesome times are here,

         filling men's hearts with fear

Freedom we all hold dear now is at stake

Humbling your heart to God, 

         saves from the chastening rod

Seek the way pilgrims trod, Christians awake!

Jesus is coming soon, morning or night or noon

Many will meet their doom, trumpets will sound

All of the dead shall rise, righteous meet in the skies

Going where no one dies, heavenward bound

Trouble will soon be o'er, happy forevermore

When we meet on that shore, free from all care

Rising up in the sky, telling this world goodbye

Homeward we then shall fly, glory to share! 1

1 JESUS IS COMING SOON. R. E. Winsett, 1942.

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Grace

L-R my sister-in-law Debra, my aunt Mary Grace, and me
girls beach trip, 2017

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (Colossians 4:6)

My long-time favorite and only living aunt this side of heaven is Mary Grace.

Grace (unmerited favor or giving that which is good and undeserved) is woven into the fabric of the New Testament...

"For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (John 1:17)

"[God] saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus..." (2 Timothy 1:9)

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8)

"In [Jesus] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace." (Ephesians 1:7)

Beloved, God extended undeserved grace to you. Today, are you extending unmerited grace to others?

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Reliable

oldest grandboy

"Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable?" (Proverbs 20:6)

Congrats to our oldest grandboy who just made the high school JV soccer team. (Can't believe we have a high schooler this year!) As midfielder, he's the first line of defense and the one his team relies on to turn things around from defense to offense.

Oswald Chambers once said, "God expects His children to be so confident in Him that in any crisis they are the ones who are reliable."

Beloved, "do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord" (Hebrews 10:35). In these critical days, let others find you reliable!

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Collapsed

grandboy



"...Your words have put stumbling people on their feet, put fresh hope in people about to collapse..." (Job 4:4)

Sunday afternoon, the four-year-old grandboy ran back and forth, back and forth trying to muster the courage to jump off the diving board (not the same grandboy in yesterday's post—the other four-year-old). Finally, he collapsed. It was hilarious! (To his credit, after some coaxing, he did finally take the plunge.)

In the Old Testament book of Job, Eliphaz attempts to encourage downtrodden Job by reminding him that his words had lifted others from their pit of despair. 

Beloved, be a friend and lift a heart ready to collapse! "Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that's your job [today], to bless!" (1 Peter 3:9 The Message)

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I Believe in You

 grandboy and my Ben

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13)

Yesterday, the four-year-old grandboy was scared to jump in the water and swim to the ladder until Memaw whispered in his ear, "I believe in you; you can do it!"

Courage conquered timidity and SPLASH! off he went like a fish in the sea. 

Today, beloved, I believe in you. You can do all things through Jesus Christ who gives you strength! 

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Power in the Blood

My Phillip and me
(pups: Missy and Butch)
1979

"And they have defeated [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die." (Revelation 12:11)

Forty years ago, Dorothy Miller at First Baptist Church in Bogalusa, Louisiana taught me, "Jill, in times of danger, plead the blood of Jesus."

Today, day #6 of 21 days of prayer and fasting, Pastor Jentezen Franklin taught, "In times of danger, plead the blood of Jesus."

The powerful blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin: 

"But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)

The powerful blood of Jesus purchases freedom and forgives sins:
"God is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins." (Ephesians 1:7)

The powerful blood of Jesus justifies and saves from God's wrath:
"Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through [Jesus]!" (Romans 5:9)

The powerful blood of Jesus gives audience with Almighty God:
 "And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus." (Hebrews 10:19)

The powerful blood of Jesus gives victory over Satan: 

"And they have defeated [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die." (Revelation 12:11)

Beloved, in times of danger, plead the blood of Jesus!!!

Would you be free from the power of sin?

There's power in the blood, power in the blood.

Would you o'er evil a victory win?

There's wonderful power in the blood. 1

1 THERE IS POWER IN THE BLOOD. Lewis E. Jones, 1899.

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A Consuming Fire

Coosa River farm sunset

"Therefore strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees..." (Hebrews 12:12)

A sore knee led me to Hebrews 12:12, which led me to the whole chapter, which led me to preparing a Bible study for fall semester on the entire book of Hebrews. 

Our God, a consuming fire, surely works in mysterious ways! Pay attention, beloved!

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Courage

oldest grandboy
Coosa River leap

"I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD!" (Psalm 27:13-14)

In June, when their fourteen-year-old cousin took a flying leap off the tall riverbank, the little grandboys thought he was the coolest, bravest thing ever.

To many folks, life feels like a free-fall these day, but God is faithful—rock solid. So, stand strong, beloved. Let your heart take courage. Come what may, take courage in Jesus. No matter what, lock arms with the LORD!

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Sheltered

"For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent and set me high upon a rock." (Psalm 27:5)

On the Coosa River bank yesterday, I set Mary and Joseph under a toadstool, snapped this picture, and sent it to the grandkids. 

"Look!" I texted, "God grew Mary and Joseph a shelter last night."

In days of trouble when the wicked advanced against David, the king sheltered in the LORD and sang:

"The LORD is my light and salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?...My head will be lifted up above my enemies who surround me...I will sing and make music to the LORD...I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living." (Psalm 27)

Beloved, the LORD is your shelter. Stay under His wing and sing praises to His holy name: Jesus!

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The Perfect Ending

Summer night at the farm

"My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God." (Acts 20:24)

The perfect ending to Saturday's fun day at the farm was a moonlight "beaver" cruise on the fishing pond.

The perfect ending of summer is joining thousands and thousands of other Christians in 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting to the Lord. 

The perfect ending for life is finishing the work God assigns us: telling the Good News of forgiveness and everlasting life by faith in Jesus Christ.

Prayer services available August 2-22 at: www.churchofthehighlands.com

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