Sunday School: Armor of God; The Sheild of Faith

Ephesians 6:16 tells us to take up the shield of faith.
What exactly is faith? Hebrews 11:1 It's NOT the same as just believing, even the demons do that and shudder James 2 :19
Where does it come from? Romans 10:17, so listen, by reading your Bible regularly, attending a church service, listening to Christian music, participating in a Bible study, doing personal devotions, reading a blog like this- do these things and God will feed your faith in Him.

Now, what good is faith. Well let's start by considering what St. Paul and his readers in ancient Ephesus considered shields. Not a dinky little round thing like Captain America's jiffy Frisbee- Roman shields were more like lugging around a door. Most of them were like 4 foot tall by 2 foot wide, made out of wood and covered by leather- that could be soaked in water to help extinguish the flaming arrows of the enemy. Roman soldiers could just kneel down behind it and be pretty well protected. If they lined up together, it made a pretty decent wall. (see the picture above)

• The Bible tells us that we are saved by Grace through Faith Ephesians 2:8-9
• Because we have faith, we are no longer at war with God- I for one would rather be His ally than His enemy- Romans 5:1-2 (by the way, it's faith in Him that can get us through the hard times Romans 5: 3-5)
• Faith makes us solid like a ROCK, like a MOUNTAIN! With faith, we cannot be moved! Psalm 125:1
• The shield of faith works together with the breastplate of righteousness. The righteous shall live by faith Habakkuk 2:4 & Romans 1:17

Faith is even more potent in numbers though. The ancient Roman legions had a maneuver that they called "the tortoise." The front 6 soldiers made a row with their shields, and the next three rows of 7 soldiers each could all put their shields up forming a giant tortoise shell of 27 shields which was great protection against almost anything the enemy could throw at them. Cool huh?
The point is, we need to come together with other Christians to share our faith with, share our troubles with, pray for each other and with each other, and support each other in our faith and in life's struggles. See Romans 12:6-8 and 1 Thessalonians 3:10 There's power in numbers, so if you aren't in some kind of fellowship yet, ask God to lead you to a church, a Bible study or prayer group or worship community of some kind. Even if it's just a few Christian friends, a mentor or a prayer partner, God will provide you with just what He knows you need. Maybe it's just a friend or two who all challenge each other to read the Bible on their own and talk about what you've learned while you go for a walk or play video games or something as simple as that.
Remember the tortoise and the hair. There's safety in numbers.

If you're looking for something, here's your open invitation- I teach the high school Bible Study at my Church in Charter Oak, St. John's. It's at 8:50 in the kitchen in the basement, if you ever want to come sit in, you're always welcome. 104 Birch Avenue. Charter Oak, IA 51439.

Keep the faith, baybuh!
Me ka pule,
Ted

Sunday School: Armor of God; Shoes of readiness to share the Gospel of Peace

Ephesians 6:15

Ever have the wrong shoes, especially for... hiking, bowling, running track, playing football or golf? Tap dancing? Ballet? Walking on the beach? Believe me, the shoes make the job much easier. Just ask any of the WWII soldiers who fought in the Battle of the Buldge, or in the Korean war, or the Civil War or with General Washington at Valley Forge.

Tip #1 if you live in earthquake country? Keep a pair of shoe by the bed. When we woke up to the Northridge Earthquake in January 1994, we were in total darkness once the tremors ceased. As we tried to find our way out of our destroyed apartment we could hear glass crunching under our feet. We totally expected to be bleeding profusely. What saved us from walking directly on all the broken windoes, picture frames and glasses and dishes were the layers of books that had fallen off of the shelves. But ever since that morning- shoes by our bedsides. Believe it.

If you are going to "stand firm" against the devil's schemes, God wants you to make sure that you have His shoes on.

Here are a few passeges to look up if you want to know how to strap on the shoes of peace:

Are you like me? Embarassed by your homely feet? Got yucky toenails? Major tan lines? Hairy nuckles? Well, don't be embarassed anymore, because you've got GOOD NEWS!

"How beautiful are the feet that bring good news" Isaiah 52:7

Feel nervous or anxious about sharing the Good News? That's okay, God will not only give you peace, "He'll BE your peace!" Micah 5:4-5

Just like John the Baptist's dad prayed for him before he was born, God wants to lead you in the paths of peace. Luke 1:68-79

Once, you were God's enemie, but Jesus put an end to that state of war, now there is peace between God and us. Romans 5:1

So, you can be calm, you can be at peace, and that makes you ready. What do I mean, "ready?"
You've got to be ready to explain to people why you have so much hope and peace. Be ready to tell them the Good News that brings such peace. 1 Peter 3:15

You say you wish you had more peace in your life?
Well, here's how. IF you bring EVERYTHING "by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving... to God" in prayer, then- guess what? THEN "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus!" Philippians 4:6-7

Be prepared, Walk on and Peace OUT!

Me ka pule,
Ted

Sunday School: Armor of God; Breastplate of Righteousness

This week we look at the breastplate of righteousness in Ephesians 6:14.

When you think about it, the breastplate may be one of the most important pieces of a knight's armor. Certainly, if you are a police officer or a soldier fighting in Iraq, you don't go without your handy kevlar vest. Why? It protects you heart and vital organs- duh! You can survive a shot to your arm or leg, but if you're hit in the heart, "th th that's all, folks!"

Your heart is not only the very real center of your body, it also represents the very heart and core of your being- your hopes, beliefs, what you love most. But the key in the case of Spiritual warfare, is not relying on you're own righteousness, but instead, putting on Christ's righteousness instead. We looked up a lot of verses this morning to drive that home.

First, we saw how in Isaiah 59, especially verse 17, how God puts on His own righteousness when He gets ready to do battle. It made me think a little about Superman putting on his cape in a phone booth.

Then we read in Zechariah 3 about how Jesus )AKA "THE Angel of the Lord") took away the high priest Joshua's filthy clothes and replaced them with His clean ones. This was symbolic of how God removes our sin and dresses us with His righteousness. It's important to remember that "the Righteous shall live by faith" as it says in Habakkuk 2:4.

Philippians 3:8-9 and 1 Thesselonians 5:8 remind us that it is Jesus' righteousness, that we accuire simply by having faith in Him that protects us.

Finally, Proverbs 11:5 and Ephesians 4:22-24 tell us about some of the benefits to wearing God's righteousness, which include being able to resist the pull of temptation, as well as long life and honor. Best of all, when we wear it, we become new creatures.

Next week: look out Nike, we're strapping on footwear that will make us always ready. We're talkin' the Gospel of peace.

Me ka pule,
Ted

Truth and Love

"The world is too dangerous for anything but truth
and too small for anything but love."

~Rev. William Sloane Coffin, Jr.

Sunday School: Belt of truth

So, while we were studying the Full Armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-19 the first piece of armor that we come upon is the belt of truth (verse 14). What is the belt of truth? Well, I kind of think that it has to do with integrity and transparency, it's really at the core of having character (no mistake that it covers your core, abs/waist/guts). You've hear the old adage, I think it was Mark Twain who said that if you're always honest you won't have as much to remember. There's a political maxim that says that the cover-up is always worse than the crime. That means that we all sin and make mistakes, and if you fess-up and take responsibility for your actions in the first place, you usually don't lose much credibility, people will still trust you, at least they'll regain trust in you sooner. Whereas if you keep in lying and trying to cover up what you did, you will trip yourself up, your enemy won't have to get you, you'll get yourself.

In a graphic novel I recently read, "Batman;Year One" by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, Gotham Police Lieutenant James Gordon (eventually to become Co missioner Gordon) is under a lot of pressure trying to keep his new job, clean up corruption in his department and make time for his pregnant wife. He lets himself become close to a female detective to whom he's very attractive. They don't have sex, but they do let themselves get more involved than they should. They decide to cut it off and she gets a transfer to another city, but not before they're caught on film by Gordon's political enemies, who take advantage of his indiscretion to try to blackmail him into backing off of his investigations. I think Miller makes Gordon into a greater hero than Bruce Wayne and Batman. Gordon bites the bullet, he faces the music and confesses his adultery to his wife, who stand by him. Because he kept the belt of truth buckled, he and his wife weren't blind-sided when the accusations came by phone calls and press leaks. He was able to stand firm and (with a little help from the dark knight) he brought down the corrupt political machine and much of the organized crime establishment in Gotham City.

Now, I know that example is from a comic book, but the principle sticks. Without truth and integrity- including confession and admission of guilt and need for a savior, our enemies (the world, the flesh, and the devil) can take advantage of our weaknesses.

Here's a true story I shared with my Sunday School class last week- when I taught in L.A. our football team made the playoffs. Our game was up in a small oil town in the mountains of central California. Some of our kids were trash talking our opponents for being hicks. One of our players had to serve as water boy because his grades made him ineligible to play. He was so into the urban hip-hop thing, that he had a pair of pants that had to be ten sizes too big. Baggy was really in back then. Anyway, the poor guy forgot his belt. When he had to carry two carts of water jugs out onto the field, you can guess what happened. He didn't have three hands, so his pants fell and he tripped in the middle of the field, in front of the whole crowd.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness – 1 John 1:9.

Of course, the other truth is Jesus, He calls Himself the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). Think of it like wearing BOTH a belt AND suspenders. Whether you're a soldier, a fireman, a mountain climber, a policeman, or a football player, you need to keep your pants on to be able to do your job, right? To stand firm against the assaults of Satan and evil spirits, the temptation of your own sinful nature, or the whims and rocks and rapids of this cruel world, wouldn't it be great to have some extra protection? Think if it like an athletic supporter or a big Depends diaper or however it helps, but just know that God's Truth helps you stand. If you KNOW the truth, you can be unflappable. As a parent I may not enjoy having my child throw a tantrum, but if I KNOW more than they do, if I KNOW that in the long run, the boundaries I set for them are best, they can't wear me down. As a teacher, if I understand that kids will always complain and that they need to do a particular assignment, I don't take it personally when they whine. If I'm James Gordon and I KNOW that my wife loves me and will hopefully forgive me and I KNOW that the drug dealing and bribe taking hurts more people than a kiss, then I can stand to have someone try to smear me. Just like if I KNOW that I'm not a poop-poo head, then sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me. You have to KNOW that Jesus died for you, that Jesus rose again and lives for you. If you KNOW that God loves you no matter who you are or what you've done or been through... guess what? You can stand up under an awful lot.

Oh yeah, if you're honest- especially with yourself, let alone with God and other people- guess what else? You won't risk being a hypocrite either.
Next Sunday (March18), the Breastplate of Righteousness...

Sunday School; Spiritual Warfare

So why do we even need this "Armor of God" that St. Paul talks about in Ephesians 6:10-19? What exactly is it that we have to "take our stand" against? Well, theologians have generally talked about three enemies of the soul- the World, the flesh, and the Devil.

What does that mean? Let's take them in reverse order: first the Devil. The Bible says that God created angels, His three archangels were Michael, in charge of guardians, Gabriel, in charge of messengers, and Lucifer, in charge of worshipers. Initially angels must have been granted free will, like humans. Lucifer became jealous both of God and of humans (the "crown" of God's creation). He and his angels waged war in Heaven and God kicked him out. He took his angels with him and this "fallen angel" became Satan and the demons. "Satan" or the devil are words that mean "the accuser." In the guise of the serpent, Satan tempted Adam and Eve to sin inn the garden of Eden, ever since he has constantly been trying to drive a wedge between God and man.

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Some people thing that those "rulers, authorities, and powers" are various ranks or classifications of demons. I think of them a little like the "orks" in the Lord of the Rings movies, soldiers set up with responsibilities. Sound's scary, but it is important to remember that Satan is not God's equal. He is finite, he's not all-powerful, all-knowing, or all-present everywhere like God. Luther compared him to a dog on a chain, so long as you don't get closer than the length of that chain, you're safe.

Which brings us to the next enemy, our own flesh. A 1950's/60's comic strip character, Pogo the possum once said, "we have met the enemy, and he is us." Sometimes we are our own worst enemies. Because of our sinful nature (original sin), we are all selfish, short sighted, and immature- at least spiritually speaking. We don't love God with all our hearts and mind and strength, and we don't love our neighbors as ourselves. We're plagued with doubt, anger, jealousy, lust, gluttony, etc. etc. Most of the time Satan and demons don't have to do anything to us, but they may take advantage of our weaknesses. I like to think of them like mice, rats or roaches. If I have good hygiene habits and clean up, I probably won't have a problem with these scavengers, but if I let the trash pile up, guess who's coming to dinner? Likewise, it's not always so much like some demon tempts you into a given sin, so much as it is that you're inviting demons to trap you into a cycle once you open the door by indulging in something you know is wrong.

Finally there is the world. There are some Christians who are so hyper-legalistic, and a little bit paranoid, that they think that the whole world is always out to get us and steal us way from God. Well, here's the thing, the world isn't a conscious, sensate, maniacal, malevolent force, like Satan. The world is, not one thing, it's everything. The cosmos, the order of things, the holistic system of systems, and what is that system made up of? People. And what do we know about people? They all have a sinful nature, selfish and short sighted- everyone out for themselves. So yes, there is money, power, sex, drugs, material possessions, different religions, different philosophies, victories and defeats, all kinds of things that could separate us from God and from each other if we let them. But like TV or money, or the internet, there is a lot of bad out there, but there is a lot of good too. It's not "bad" exactly, in and of itself. A shark isn't evil when it eats you, it's just doing what sharks do- eat. But in this "dog-eat-dog" world, if I am the little fish, the big fish is my enemy.

So yeah, we could sure benefit from wearing God's armor. Keep visiting this blog, over the next 7 weeks I'll be talking about each piece of armor in Eph. 6

Sunday School

My first day back at High School Bible Study. We're going to be covering the Armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-19

Romans 13:12-14, Galatians 3:26-29 both talk about putting on the "armor of light" and "dressing yourself in Christ." So a couple of things we talked about were how all week long at school, the way people dress matches their social class or club or clique- nerds, preps, goths, punks, emos, jocks etc. Whereas on spirit day of homecoming, everybody wears school colors- you aren't geeks, dweebs, or motor-heads, you're all bulldogs (or bobcats in Charter Oak-Ute's case, or whatever your school is). When you're dressed in Christ, there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female as Galatians 3:26-29 says, we're all the same, all equal what's more, God doesn't see all our faults or sins, He sees His Son. So, wearing the armor of God means that He sees us as his children.

Is armor important? Listen, as an Iraq vet how important their Kevlar vest is to them. One of the biggest problems that we've faced over their are that the HumVees troops drive were improperly armored or even not lined with armor at all- so when it drives over an IED, they're screwed.

One of the greatest things about God's armor is that it's easy to bare. In the movie A Knight's Tale, Heath Ledger's character damages his armor in a joust. His blacksmith comes up with a new process for refining iron into steel (in real life this was part of the industrial revolution, centuries later. Heath and his seconds are skeptical because the new armor is so thin, light, and allows the knight so much flexibility, but needless to say, super-fired steel is far stronger than anything else in medieval times. Like that, wearing God's armor is not only better for us than trying to get by with our own defenses, but it winds up being much easier too.