The armor of God 3

“...and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” Ephesians 6:15

The third element of the armor is your shoes.

The shoes used by the Roman Soldiers were a specific kind of boots that had laces that crossed over and were up to the ankles. These shoes allowed them to march for long distances. And even until today in the army, in some cases the soldiers are told not to take off their boots while they sleep, so that they can be prepared, just in case during the middle of the night there is some kind of emergency,

In the same way, we must be prepared for battle, knowing that we will come across struggles, but always showing forth God’s peace in our actions. That peace is reflected in our attitude, our words and it doesn’t go unnoticed by those who we desire to reach out to.

God counts with us to announce His word and also take that peace to those in anguish and in need. We should always be ready because of this so that we don’t loose a single opportunity.

The armor of God 2

“…and having on the breastplate of righteousness;…” Ephesians 6:14

The second piece stated in God’s armor is His righteousness. The breastplate has the objective of guarding your chest and above all your heart. In Proverbs 4:23 we can read “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” When our hearts are filled with bitterness, hate and sadness our lives follow the wrong path. When we allow ourselves to be lead by our emotions and we choose not to act on faith, we will always suffer.

If instead we guard our hearts and allow love, peace and justice to reign, then our lives will be in the center of God’s will.

Our hearts must be clean, because sin will always open an opportunity for the devil.

If you desire to know more, read the article : “How to guard your heart.”

A Mini Novel, Dinah – Trapped

Dinah awoke with her brothers voices. They were returning from herding the flocks, and it was a joy when they returned. Sometimes they were gone many days and even weeks herding the flocks in the field.

- Dinah! Dinah! Where do you think you are going like that? - Said Leah

- Mother my brothers are here, I want to give them a hug!

- I know my daughter! But you are no longer a little girl, you are a young woman! You can no longer run out anyway you want and dressed like that!

While Leah spoke Dinah looked at her nightclothes, a simple tunic of white linen.

- But mom I always went out this way to see my brothers!

- Yes my daughter but you have grown! And it's time to learn to behave. Come here close to me! - Said Leah making a hand signal for Dinah to sit.

Leah was a very loving mother and loved her daughter; whenever she looked at Dina’s beautiful face she thanked God for the beauty He had given her daughter. But at the same time; as a mother, her heart felt concerned, because Dinah was a very restless and curious girl.

- You are very beautiful my daughter! And you're a special girl! You belong to a family that God has chosen! Remember the story that your father always tells you of Abraham and Isaac?

- Yes mother - said Dinah attentive to the words of her mother, while she made her a beautiful braid.

- One day my daughter your father will choose a man who believes in our God to be your husband! - Dinah smiled and lowered her head; her face was red with embarrassment.

- Yes dear! A man who loves you and makes you very happy and someone you can give many children. Therefore you should behave and save yourself for this day! I want the best for you! - Dinah hugged her mother tightly, and kissed her tenderly.

- Well now you just need to change those clothes! - Leah said helping Dinah to put on a light blue dress.

- Now you can leave the tent to see your brothers!

Dinah ran out, but as she left the tent she remembered that she had to be different, she stopped running and walked in the direction of her brothers.

- Dinah! - Cried Reuben Dinah’s older brother, while he carried her in his arms and twirled her, circling endlessly. Dinah laughed with happiness she knew that her brothers loved her very much.

The following day Dinah was sitting next to Zilpah making bread and the two were having fun throwing flour in each other’s faces, but when Dinah looked towards the field she saw that her father was talking to her mother and her Aunt Rachel, and he seemed nervous. Dinah was filled with curiosity and walked toward them hidden among the dry bushes so they wouldn’t see her. She could not hear very well what the matter was, but understood that it was something God had spoken to her father. Dinah got up running from the bushes and returned to the camp before her parents arrived.

That night Jacob gathered his whole family and told them everything that was happening and that they would leave to a new land.

So Dinah arrived with her parents and the whole family to the city of Shechem, and pitched camp near the grounds that her father had purchased from Hamor.

Hamor was the principal of the city and he had a son, Shechem, he was a tall, strong young man, very good looking, but very womanizer and took advantage of the position that he had as the son of the most important man in town.

Dinah was euphoric, in new place, were everything was different. Time to set up the tents and put everything in place, there were many things to organize. While the men were responsible for setting up the tents and making sure they won’t fall, the women stretch out the curtains inn the inside and arranged the objects.

Dinah seemed a little distant, she was observing what was around,-Dinah! Come help! Leah Yelled, a little impatient.

"I'm going mother”, she said running but looking back.

Some days passed and Dinah walked restless and thought to herself; "Oh, I'm very curious to know the girls here in the land of Shechem, who knows their life is probably more fun and less monotonous than mine, If I go, no one will notice”, she looked around and without seeing no one around, she escaped alone..

Have you seen Dina? her mother asked her servants.

"No, madam, she probably went walking a little."

"Hum, I don’t like her walking around alone, we don’t know anyone yet, it can be dangerous," said Leah concerned.

Dinah seemed to have no fear, as she entered the city, she was delighted because everything was new to her and quite different to what her eyes were accustomed to see, but she did not realize the danger she faced.

Walking alone in the midst of strangers and heathen people was risky, but curiosity led her to feel the need to go and take a "peek" into the world. Dinah was very beautiful and called the eyes of the people from the town.

"Who is that girl?" Asked Shechem; the son of the prince of that land.

"I do not know sir, I never seen her here before, she seems to be a foreign."

Danger was approaching, Dinah, was now alone and innocent among wolves and did not know how to defend yourself.

She couldn’t imagine what was about to happen, she was trapped....

(Continues)

The armor of God

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13

I was meditating on this word, and notice with me how it says that we must put on the full armor of God, it is our responsibility. It isn’t sufficient to put on just part of the armor, it’s necessary to posses all of it, that way evil won’t find it’s way in and make us fall into the devils traps.

I would love for all of you to join me this week, to meditate over every part of the armor of God, let’s start:

“Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness….”Ephesians 6:14

Back in the day, men didn’t wear pants, instead they wore a tunic that reached their feet, it was very wide and sometimes it was uncomfortable while doing their daily chores and it was difficult with tasks that required lots of movement. In times like those, the men would grab and hold on to their tunics and bring them up until their hip, tying it with their belt, and that is what’s written as “the belt of truth…”

So, the first step to completing a difficult task if to put on the belt of truth, since we are in a battle every day with evil.

The truth also includes honest, sincerity and much aversion of hypocrisy. Did you know that the word “hypocrite” actually originated from the Greek and it means “Actor”? It used to be used to describe false people.

If we are not belted with the truth, then we run the risk of tripping over our own clothes and falling. We must always be near the truth, our way of life needs to be converted to her in every sense of the word, and not just simply be an option.

We must always be true and authentic, since lies and betrayal come from the evil one.

A Mini Novel, Dinah – A Pastors Daughter

The night was calm, the sky looked like a sheet of dark blue velvet and the stars shined like tiny diamonds, which meant that the night was different.

Jacob as usual was sitting behind his tent in company of his children, who liked to listen to the stories that Jacob told about his father Isaac and of his grandfather Abraham, every night they enjoyed these moments.

Suddenly someone approaches them screaming and running in the dark - Lord! Lord! – It was Zilpah, Leah’s servant, and Jacobs’s first wife.

Lord hurry it’s time, Leah is almost giving birth! - Said Zilpah.

Everyone got up and ran towards Leah’s tent, the uproar was intense; Jacob laughed of joy and raised his hands thanking God for another child.

-Please let me go through! - Said Bilhah Rachel’s servant, who was Jacobs’s second wife and Leah's sister. – Let’s go! Out of the way, I must go through with this bowl of water!

Leah was lying down; groaning in pain; Zilpah and Bilhah helped her and comforted her.

- Lets go Leah! You can do it, Have strength! -Rachel was at the entrance of the tent, as she watched her sister from far away, she rubbed her hands on her belly and thought, "Oh God of Israel, one day the Lord will open my womb and I would be able to give a son to my beloved Jacob"

Rachel opened the curtains of the tent and ran off. Jacob saw Rachel and felt sad for her, but the joy he felt to be a father again was so great that he didn’t move from the entrance of Leah’s tent.

- It's A Girl! It's a girl! - Shouted Zilpah - In the midst of so many sons lacked the grace of a girl!

Jacobs’s eyes and his sons were filled with tears upon hearing the news from the other side of the curtains.

Everyone hugged each other, they were very happy that the birth went well.

Jacob entered the tent and his heart filled with tenderness when he saw his daughter in the arms of Leah. – “Thank you once again for making me a happy man giving me a daughter” – Jacob told Leah while kissing her cheek. Leah closed her eyes and sighed deeply and inside thanked God.

Jacob held his daughter in his arms and could not stop crying –“why are you crying Jacob?” - Asked Leah “- She's so beautiful; she looks like my mother, Rebekah!”

He lifted the girl up to heaven and thanked God.

“Dinah!” - Said Leah – Our daughters name will be, Dinah! Because once again; God has judged my cause.

Dina grew up in a home full of love and pampering; her parents believed and served the God of Israel.

They taught her the living faith alive and she grew up happy, she had a blessed family, full of love and peace.

Dinah liked to run through the fields and feel the wind in her face. Her mother was always worried and yelled out her name every time she disappeared among the vast fields and small sand dunes that covered everything around.

In fact what she would have really liked was to go with her brothers, when they left early to the field to graze sheep, but she couldn’t, she was a girl and that was work for men, but she always followed them hidden, until one of them discovered her and returned her to the camp.

"Please father, tells me the story of my great grandfather Abraham and Isaac, Tell me! Tell me! “Said Dinah; pulling her father Jacobs’s coat.

"Very well-daughter, sit here," he replied, wanting to please her.

Dinah paid much attention to what her father told her, she thought it was great and admired the faith and courage of her great grandfather and how everything had happened.

Dinah sees her brother’s in the distance and jumps from her father's lap and ran off to meet them, they all lifted her up and she felt like the center of attention.

They all did what she wanted, after all she was the only girl in the family and they all over protected her.

Time passed and Dinah turned into a pretty girl, she was restless, cheerful and energetic, but apparently that sameness began to bother her.

Dinah could not stand the quiet and safe life she lived, now she wanted something different, new things, new emotions...

(Continues next Monday)

Convincing

Have you seen those product television commercials? They are so convincing, they speak with such certainty that you don’t doubt buying what they’re selling you, they convince you that what they’re selling is truly good, and sometimes it can even be “trash”, but because they spoke with such sureness, they made you believe that if you bought that product, you’d get the result you want from it.

Christians sometimes can’t win souls, because they don’t seem able to pass certainty with the words they speak. They express themselves with fear, a shaky voice, without looking you in the eyes, they are so insecure when speaking about Jesus that nobody believes in what they are saying.

Their words don’t convince people, not because they aren’t true or sincere, but because they can’t express the trueness and reality of what they’re speaking. That’s why they can’t reach out to those they speak to, they even raise curiosity about knowing God, but in few words, they speak the truth as if were a lie and that’s why no one believes.

When you speak about Jesus, speak with courage, without fear, be firm, and convincing, so that everyone can see you’re sure about what you’re talking about, that it’s not a mere story or fairy tale, but the purest truth.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;” Isaiah 61:1

Coming Soon

Hello friends, have you heard of Dinah, Acsah, Phoebe, and Bathsheba?

Well, if they are recorded in the Bible it’s because there is something we can learn from their lives.
Staring Monday I will start a few mini novels here in the blog based on the stories of these women.

Which one will be first? I'm sure you will love them. Until Monday!

10 Things an Elegant woman cannot do:

When we talk about an elegant woman, it isn’t enough to just think about her physical appearance, that’s to say just the way she dresses, because elegance contains a series of things, besides appearance, it includes behavior, way of expression, etc.

These are small details, which can ruin your elegance, if you’re not careful and aware of them.

Let’s take a look at 10 things an elegant woman should never do:

1. Laugh out loud scandalously

2. Showing off your bra-straps.

3. Speaking bad words (imagine a woman, beautifully dressed, impeccable hair and make-up, but speaking bad words)

4. Speaking with your mouth full of food (not only is it a displeasing site to those watching you, but you could spit food out into others)

5. Speaking with a loud voice (whether it be by phone or in public places)

6. To use shut low pants, that when you bend over you can see everything

7. To make a scene publically, specially in regards to jealousy.

8. Hair dirty and or smelling bad (you can be really well dressed up, beautiful clothes, but if your hair is greasy, you loose all elegance)

9. Not greeting others when you arrive somewhere (many woman loose their elegance because they come off as rude)

10. To be impolite (you know the magic words: Please! Thank you! Excuse me! Good morning! Good afternoon! Good evening! )

Indecisive?

So many roads, and they all seem so attractive, appealing invitations, things that catch the eye, desire calling out.

Which of them to take? Which to choose?

I’m sure you’ve felt like this before, up against the wall, on one hand you hear God’s voice that calls out to you, to do spiritual things and on the other hand you hear friends and family inviting you to parties, outings, reunions and other distractions. And so you’re confused, but if these things appeal to you then you’ll surely choose them over your commitment with God, it’s not that you can’t have a good time or do fun things, just as long as you’re not abandoning the things of God.

How many people have left God as their last priority, but they think they have put Him first, but their actions and choices show otherwise; that He is always “after”, “If I can I’ll go to church; If I have time I’ll read the bible; If nothing else comes up, I’ll go to that church event.”

These people don’t honor God with their behavior, friends, testimony, or their zeal this proves that they have put themselves first, their desires, and if there’s anything left, well than that’s for God, and if there is nothing left well their not even worried, their so distracted that they have no idea what they are missing out on, they can’t seem to say “no” to anyone, but say always end up saying it to God.

And that’s where spiritual coldness comes in, that’s why many feel empty inside, weak in their faith, without any motivation, they are inside the church but far from God.

The decisions you take and choices you make determine the course of your life.

Those who place God as their number one priority always know what to choose, choose what’s right for your faith.

The Power of prayer

Today I want to share with all of you, something very special that I’ve experienced over the years. How many times have problems come up, bad news reached our way and some become anxious, feel anguished and depressed and even think that there is no way out or that they’ll be able to handle the situation.

Nobody is immune to problems or receiving bad news, or being misunderstood, the difference is in how much we depend on God in those moments.

You can either choose to kneel down and pray or allow desperation to dominate you and in the long run you end up suffering more for not having depended on divine intervention and thinking that all was lost.

I’ve been through so many situations in my life that it seemed as if there was no going back, no solution to that problem, but prayer made the impossible happen.

It’s so marvelous when we pray and God moves everything into place and to see the answer and solution to what we once thought was lost.

Don’t forget that there is a constant battle between good and evil and only the power of prayer can dissipate evil and make God take action, you can’t see it but God’s angels are working in your favor.

Friends, if you are going through a rough situation, and it seems like the your world has fallen, pray, don’t allow yourself to fall, kneel to pray and not to cry, maintain strong and firm in your faith, and the answer will come, do you doubt it?

I doubt the answer won’t come…

"Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD God is the eternal Rock." Isaiah 26:4

Knowing your weaknesses

Many people looking at their lives being destroyed, want a change, want to re-build it, but there is a big problem, they always begin, but down the road, they give up, they become discourage, what’s stopping them?

If you truly want to change your life it isn’t enough to simply pray and act in faith, its necessary to detect your weaknesses so you can destroy them.

Maybe you’ve prayed, and even taken action, but sooner or later your weakness shows up, it’s the doubt, the negative thoughts, anxiety, fear, sin; these things have annulled your prayers, your purposes, and that’s why you haven’t seen results.

Don’t forget that the devil knows our weaknesses and if we are not on watch, he destroys what we’ve begun to construct, by attacking our weak points.

An example is the passage that speaks about Peter, he believed, he took action and used his faith and was successful, he walked on water, but soon after he was overwhelmed with fear, he doubted, and quickly he began to sink, in other words he went back to where he started, he lost what he had conquered due to his weakness which was doubt.

It’s of no use to do everything right and then allow your weaknesses to throw everything out the window.

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” Matthew 14:28-31