QUESTION:
What's a Christian to do having to face so much
darkness in the world?...
ANSWER:
Be strong in the Lord (get your head right, make
up your mind, commit).
Put on the WHOLE armor of God (equip the
internal man, and don't fear what can be done to the outside man).
After you have done all you can,
Trust in that Armor and the God who covers you
when you wear it.
Let your gut be ruled by TRUTH, a clean conscience.
Let your love for what is RIGHTEOUS (the will of
God) be your breastplate.
Let every step you take be ordained by God, and
for the purpose of PEACE between God and Man (the
mission of Christ).
SHIELD yourself from the Lust and Passions the
enemy fires at you,
hold firmly to who Christ is and all that he said
to resist and to flee from. Be self-controlled and deny the desires and
cravings of the flesh.
Wear the Helmet of SALVATION, knowing that the
Blood and Work of Christ is what protects you from a blow to the head, the
death blow. No other god ensures LIFE except Jesus Christ, all other gods are
eternal death.
Carry the SWORD of the Spirit, which shall proceed
from your mouth just as it is prophesied in Revelation as coming from the mouth
of Christ when he returns to the earth.. the WORD OF GOD, carrying all
authority in heaven and in earth and under the earth.
PRAYING at all times in the Spirit, communing and
communicating and conversating (yes, conversating) with God, being led by his
Spirit in all things. Checking yourself, checking with him, checking everything
he brings your attention to that needs checking)... be discerning, which only
comes thru prayer and the fear (respect) of the Lord.
PAY ATTENTION.. all the time.. no matter how long
it takes for the Lord to return, no matter how many generation, no matter how
tiring the war or exhausting the wait. Be watching, Be equipped, Be ready.
INTERCEDE in prayer and fasting (supplication) for
ALL THE SAINTS (then and now and to come)... that the GOOD NEWS, the GREAT
COMMISSION, would be boldly preached in all the earth, even by those persecuted
or threatened with physical or daily death. Never forget that you have a
family, that this is a team effort, that Christ loves and came for ALL who call
upon his name.
-----------------------
Walk in
Love
5 Therefore
be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk
in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us,
a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3 But sexual
immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among
you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there
be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of
place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you
may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or
who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of
Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you
with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes
upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do
not become partners with them; 8 for at
one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as
children of light 9 (for the fruit of
light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try
to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no
part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose
them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the
things that they do in secret. 13 But
when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for
anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O
sleeper,
and arise
from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
15 Look
carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making
the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore
do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do
not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with
the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your
heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God
the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting
to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives and
Husbands
22 Wives, submit
to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the
husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church,
his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as
the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to
their husbands.
25 Husbands,
love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for
her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her
by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that
he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or
wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.[a] 28 In the
same wayhusbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his
wife loves himself. 29 For no
one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ
does the church, 30 because we are members
of his body.31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and
mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”32 This
mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the
church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife
as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Children
and Parents
6 Children,
obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor
your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it
may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers,
do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline
and instruction of the Lord.
Bondservants
and Masters
5 Bondservants,[b] obey
your earthly masters[c] with
fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by
the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ,
doing the will of God from the heart,7 rendering
service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing
that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the
Lord, whether he is a bondservant[d] or
is free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your
threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master[e] and
yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.
The Whole
Armor of God
10 Finally, be
strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put
on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the
schemes of the devil. 12 For we
do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against
the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present
darkness, against the spiritual forces of evilin the heavenly
places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God,
that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to
stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the
belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as
shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.16 In all
circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish
all the flaming darts of the evil one;17 and take the
helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
God, 18 praying at all times in the
Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with
all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also
for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to
proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which
I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I
ought to speak.
Final
Greetings
21 So that
you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved
brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. 22 I have
sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that
he may encourage your hearts.
23 Peace be
to the brothers,[f] and love
with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be
with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.
