Armour of God - Shoes of the Good News of Peace

Armour of God Part one, Part 2a, Part 2b, Part 2c, Part three


“And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;” (Ephesians 6:15)

There are so many ways in which to look at these words and I’ll take a look at as many as I can think of. If you can think of others, I’d love to hear them.

First, a bit about the footwear worn by Roman soldiers. They wore a heavy, leather sandal that was studded with hobnails on the soles for protection and for better traction on rocky ground. Don’t get ahead of me now.

Each day we get up out of bed and walk out into a spiritual battleground. And that battleground – the trials we will face each day – will probably be rocky to one degree or another. What kind of protection, if any, do we walk out with each day? Many a soldier has been stymied by inappropriate or poor footwear and increased casualties in war have been a result.

So how are we, soldiers in God’s army, to prepare ourselves to get through the battles that a day will bring as unscathed by the enemy as possible? This is where that “many ways in which to look at these words” come in.

1. We prepare ourselves by making sure that we are standing each day on the sure foundation of Christ.

We will walk through many types of terrain in this life – rocky, slippery, steep (up hill or down hill), dry, floods, fraught with traps, being surrounded by animals or finding ourselves all alone. None of us knows what a day will bring. But Jesus is our Rock. If we make the choice to intentionally stand upon Him as our foundation, He will carry us through in whatever trials we find ourselves.

And standing on the Lord means knowing Him through His promises, His warnings, His commands and the depth of His love for us through His Word. And God’s Word does not fill our minds and hearts by osmosis. We need to crack open our Bibles and read them. God’s Word and prayer are how we can “put on” the spiritual footwear we need to get through each day.

Remember, though, this is not meant to be a ritualistic, I-have-to-read-the-Bible today kind of thing. We are cultivating a relationship with our Lord. If you don’t love to read God’s Word, ask God to give you a love for it. It’s not just a book, it is God’s letter of love to you and God will use it to speak to your heart about the trial (or in many of our cases, trials) you are facing right now.

2. Daily maintaining a relationship with the Lord through prayer, and studying His Word, and asking for forgiveness of our sins so that we don’t allow those sins to become a wedge between the Lord and us will give us peace.

By continuing to abide in Christ we will know that we’re right with the Lord and that He’s with us in all that He gives us to do and in every trial we face His peace will reign in our hearts no matter the circumstances.

3. As we are given God’s peace, we can then take that peaceful spirit with us as we walk through each day.

I like the Bible in Basic English version of this verse, which says, “Be ready with the good news of peace as shoes on your feet;”

As we interact with the people God gives us each day, having been prepared by the Lord first thing that morning by sitting at His feet and letting Him speak to our hearts, giving us wisdom for the day and peace to lead us in our words and actions, we will then be able to effectively minister to others. Our kind words can be what gives someone else who’s having a bad day, or a bad life, the strength to go on another day.

(Let me say, too, that there are some people who believe that their “big” devotional time (and by big I just mean the main devotional time. How long that is is between you and the Lord) for the day needs to take place in the morning, and if you can and desire to do that, great. It can be a good discipline to do that if you know you’ll forget or won’t have the time or energy to do it later in the day. But if you can’t have your main devotional time of the day first thing in the morning, at least commit to starting your day by reading a verse and praying for God’s wisdom and direction for that day. It will set your mind on the Lord and your perspective on the things that come your way that day be godly and eternal.)

And others, believers and unbelievers, will watch us as we carry the peace of God through our battles. We can be a source of inspiration for our brothers and sisters in Christ to keep walking steadfastly in the trials they face, and we can be a light to those who have yet to know Christ as their Savior and Lord.

We can allow God to prepare us to bring the Good News of Christ - that He died on the cross to pay for their sins - to them as they see and desire the peace that we have, and we’ll be able to say that the same peace we have can be theirs as they invite Jesus Christ into their hearts and lives.

Friday Foodie - Lemon Cream Scones with English Lemon Curd

Well, the creek rose some, but I was able to get to the other side. Kind of like a chicken during rainy season. (Refer to my last post for some 'splainin'.)

Anyway, I was able to make my Friday..er Sunday Foodie and at the same time participate in the Flavor of the Month at Bake at 350. And there was much rejoicing. So be sure to hop on over to her blog and check out the many other mouth-watering lemon and/or lime recipes.

So this month’s theme over at Bridget’s lovely blog is lemon, lime or a combination. I chose lemon in the form of Lemon Cream Scones with English Lemon Curd. I must give credit where credit is due. I found this recipe in the cookbook The Village Baker’s Wife by Gayle and Joe Ortiz. They own Gayle’s Bakery in Capitola, California. I’ve never been there, but I almost feel like I have by the many behind-the-scene stories included in the book and by the way they share a number of the bakers’ inspirations to so many of their creations, including the delectable cinnamon roll recipe I have used to make our Christmas breakfast for several years now, Christopher’s Buns created by Christopher Love. If you adore baking I highly recommend adding this cookbook to your baking resources.

And now, on to the recipe.

Lemon Cream Scones

2 cups flour
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ cup heavy whipping cream
1 large egg
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/3 cup unsalted butter, chilled
½ cup currants, optional

Egg Glaze (optional)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pulse several times to combine the ingredients.

In another bowl, mix the cream, egg, vanilla, and zest. Set aside.

Cut the butter into ½-inch pieces and sprinkle them over the flour. Pulse several times, or until the mixture resembles course crumbs.

Transfer the dough to a bowl and add the cream mixture. Stir to combine. Stir in the currants, being careful not to overmix.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With floured hands, gently pat the dough into an 8-inch circle and transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. With a serrated knife, cut into 8 wedges. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water to make the glaze. Using a pastry brush, coat the scones with the glaze.

Place the baking sheet on the center rack in the oven and bake for 19 to 22 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Let the scones cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

English Lemon Curd
3 large eggs
½ to ¾ cup sugar (use less for a more tart flavor)
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

In the top of a double boiler, (I just put a little water in a pan and put a bowl with the ingredients in it over the top) whisk the eggs and sugar until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until the mixture resembles slightly whipped cream. (It will thicken slightly as it cools.)

Remove it from the heat, cover, and stir frequently as it cools. When cool, strain and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Friday Foodie Postponed

This week's Friday Foodie will be on Sunday, Lord willing and the creek don't rise...aka my back decides to cooperate with the rest of my body. Talk amongst yourselves.

Love,
Dorci

Prayer Requests

Taking prayer requests today. Don't forget you can email them to me if you wish by clicking on the postcard on the right.

Blessings to you,

Dorci

Armour of God - Breastplate of Righteousness

Armour of God Part one, Part 2a, Part 2b, Part 2c


I doubt a week ever goes by without the enemy wagging his boney, little finger of condemnation in my face. he usually doesn’t have to wag it very long, though, before I take over condemning myself – a consequence of having removed my breastplate of righteousness.

“and having put on the breastplate of righteousness..” (Ephesians 6:14b)

The enemy loves to bring up our past sins, whether it was 20 years ago or yesterday, and shoot his arrows directly at our hearts –

Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!

If we’ve taken off our breastplate of righteousness – our claim to righteousness through Jesus alone - we are completely open and vulnerable to those attacks. The arrows of guilt sink deep into our hearts and we stumble in the knowledge that we have sinned against our beloved God. We condemn ourselves and our usefulness is lessened because we aren’t standing in the righteousness that is ours. Many times we will then try to earn our righteousness back by – performing this good work or being “perfect” - then we’ll be made right before God, we reason.

“But Jesus said, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)

Today, that’s kind of like saying, unless you’re more righteous than the Pope, you’ll never get to heaven. So many people look at that statement, and because their idea of righteousness is being a religious leader, or serving at church, or feeding the hungry or being a missionary, or any other type of work, they think they’ll never make it.

But Jesus boldly made that statement because the scribes and Pharisees were missing it. They thought it was all about their own self-righteousness rather than a righteousness that comes through faith in God.

Even Christians, knowing they have been justified through Christ alone, can try to earn God’s love and favor through good works. We couldn’t earn righteousness through good works before salvation, and we’ll never be able to earn it that way after.

“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

Did you suffer so many things in vain--if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith-- just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’?

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’

So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.’ (Deut. 27:26) Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith." (Galatians 3:1-11)

It is by your faith in Jesus Christ that you have been made righteous. We can so quickly forget that we haven’t been given a second-class righteousness that works sometimes and sometimes doesn’t; we have the righteousness of Jesus Christ that we now claim by faith through His precious blood that was shed on Calvary. If you have that faith in Him, you have been justified and are no longer guilty of even one sin you committed. God has declared you to be innocent of all charges.

So, let us add to our royal armour the breastplate of righteousness, along with our belts of truth, so that when the enemy tries to dredge up the past to condemn us, our hearts will be defended as we boldly stand in the righteousness that is ours through faith in our everlasting Lord, Jesus Christ.

Once we’re saved we will still sin, but there are still no works we can do that will erase the guilt. There is only one thing to do: fall into the waiting and loving arms of the Lord, asking for forgiveness. The enemy’s arrows can no longer touch you as you remember that even before the words, “I’m sorry” are uttered from your lips, you’re already forgiven and have been since that day on Calvary.

Friday Funnies - Ninja Kitty

Josh and Brenna, this is just for you. No tissues needed.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the hallway...

Thursday Thanks - The Cacao Plant

I love chocolate. I really, really do.


I also love the thought that at some point God planted a cocoa bean plant, which is actually a small tree, in one spot of the world, and a sugar cane plant, which is actually a grass, in another spot of the world, and then grinned, knowing that someone, somewhere would think to combine the seeds from one and the fibrous residue from another so that we could enjoy a cup of hot cocoa with a good book on a rainy day.


Or so that we could send a heart-shaped box of varied confections of them to a special love on Valentine's Day. Or enjoy it frosted it on a cake to celebrate a child's birthday. Or munch on a box of them in a movie theatre either covered in a candy-coated shell or coating a gooey junior peppermint treat.

Or hide a sleeve of it, masterfully blanketing a peanut butter cup, in the bottom shelf of my fridge, otherwise known as Mom's Private Stash Shelf, for whenever my little ol' heart desires.



So for all it's wondrous forms, thank you, Lord, for chocolate.

Prayer Requests

Hello bloggy friends. Well, it seems Tuesday was feeling left out so Tuesdays are going to be prayer request day. While I do pray for you corporately, I'd be honored to have the opportunity to pray for you individually. If you have any needs you'd like me to lift up to the Lord in prayer, you can leave it in a comment to this post or you can email it to me by clicking on the post card on the right above my profile picture.

May God bless you abundantly.

Dorci