"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day.....
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth....
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God..."
Ephesians 6:10-13, 14, 17
A Roman soldier's girdle was a strong belt which wrapped around his loins, binding the armour tight to his body, and preventing it from interfering with the freedom of his action.
The girdle braced him up, gave him a sense of firmness and a consciousness of compact and concentrated force.
See the application: Take the TRUTH, and wrap it round about your life. Wear it like a belt, to give you strength. Let it gather up the whole of your life, and bind it into compactness. Don't allow your life to be loose, indefinite, limp and inconclusive. Let it be firm, assured and decisive.
The Apostle Paul wore this belt and nothing could intimidate him. This belt gave him a sense of power as he cried out, "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me!"
Are we wearing the belt today? Are we trying to live the Christian life without daily revelations, without the sustaining power of the mighty truths which Christ made known?
Revealed truth is the dynamic of the spiritual life.
~devotional by Rev. J. H. Jowett
Now, you dear Bible Quiz Family! Each day of your labor in the Word is sharpening you and your child's weapon for spiritual warfare. The Word is Truth! In today's society there is doctrinal confusion on every side. That is why it is so important to tighten the belt of truth around us while we carry this precious Sword.
Remember that Bible Quizzing is only a tool to tighten it! It's repetitiveness will seal His Word deep in the root system of our minds and hearts!
Be encouraged today!! You are saturating your Home with the wonderful Word of God!!
It will be WORTH IT!!!
Blessings!
Darla
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
The Day That Gave Us Freedom
Today we are remembering....
The broken body of our Lord. His pain and suffering. His tears and blood flowing from a heart of love.
This day, over 2,000 years ago, was the day we began our liberation as Gentiles. He died for our freedom! Every time I see an American flag flying high and so proudly, I choke back tears of thankfulness for the men who paid the price for our freedom. Singing the patriotic songs always brings a soberness to me. I'm not a political fanatic (as my dad is :), but I understand that I am living the American Dream because somebody sacrificed their life for it.
That freedom is simply not compared to this one, though. You can be in the darkest prison, the loneliest of situations...you can be locked behind bars...even as a prisoner of war...but no one can really bind your spirit! I've seen cancer with it's ugliest face overcome a child of God and I knew they were not truly bound. The freedom of hope in their eyes proclaimed the Liberty that was given them because of this day! There have been others that have faced fiery trials and seemingly hopeless situations with great faith.
Christmas is awesome with all it's celebrations and the joy of Jesus' birth. But this weekend was the real reason He came. Shouldn't it be celebrated with as much enthusiasm?
Tonight we will carefully read the beautiful story of His suffering. I know my kids won't understand my tears, but one day they will. As Daddy gently holds the Word and explains why He died, I pray that revelation light will come to my children's young minds. And a new, fresh love for the ways of the Lord will illuminate our hearts. It is our hope. Those tough-looking Roman soldiers just thought they had Him bound! :)
Early Sunday morning, as our family tradition goes, we will gather on the front porch and watch the sun rise as we complete the Story of His Resurrection and Power!! Hot biscuits will be steaming from a basket and blankets wrapped around little arms as Daddy leads us in the BEST STORY EVER TOLD!!
What about the Easter bunny? We like the candy, but my 3 year-old twins are scared to death of him! ;)
Blessings to your family on this beautiful weekend of remembrances!
Darla
The broken body of our Lord. His pain and suffering. His tears and blood flowing from a heart of love.
This day, over 2,000 years ago, was the day we began our liberation as Gentiles. He died for our freedom! Every time I see an American flag flying high and so proudly, I choke back tears of thankfulness for the men who paid the price for our freedom. Singing the patriotic songs always brings a soberness to me. I'm not a political fanatic (as my dad is :), but I understand that I am living the American Dream because somebody sacrificed their life for it.
That freedom is simply not compared to this one, though. You can be in the darkest prison, the loneliest of situations...you can be locked behind bars...even as a prisoner of war...but no one can really bind your spirit! I've seen cancer with it's ugliest face overcome a child of God and I knew they were not truly bound. The freedom of hope in their eyes proclaimed the Liberty that was given them because of this day! There have been others that have faced fiery trials and seemingly hopeless situations with great faith.
Christmas is awesome with all it's celebrations and the joy of Jesus' birth. But this weekend was the real reason He came. Shouldn't it be celebrated with as much enthusiasm?
Tonight we will carefully read the beautiful story of His suffering. I know my kids won't understand my tears, but one day they will. As Daddy gently holds the Word and explains why He died, I pray that revelation light will come to my children's young minds. And a new, fresh love for the ways of the Lord will illuminate our hearts. It is our hope. Those tough-looking Roman soldiers just thought they had Him bound! :)
Early Sunday morning, as our family tradition goes, we will gather on the front porch and watch the sun rise as we complete the Story of His Resurrection and Power!! Hot biscuits will be steaming from a basket and blankets wrapped around little arms as Daddy leads us in the BEST STORY EVER TOLD!!
What about the Easter bunny? We like the candy, but my 3 year-old twins are scared to death of him! ;)
Blessings to your family on this beautiful weekend of remembrances!
Darla
Sunday, April 10, 2011
BQ Winners and Losers
Awwww!! The tournament is over and winning feels SO good! Bringing home a trophy and the glory that follows winning brings a pep in your step and a contagious smile :) We've known that feeling so much over the past few Bible Quiz seasons that the opposite has been quite difficult to welcome. Yesterday we were confident! Practice, practice and more practice! Quoting and quizzing had literally worn me out and the boys :) The April tournament was here and we felt so ready. Our first game was barely won by the last question! Whew!! Thankful to pull through that one. Nerves were in shreds, but a gleam of excitement were in their eyes. Next game...easy win....or so we thought. First time season for our opposing team. Our boys...a little too over confident. Time after time, too many early interruptions and, before we knew it, we had lost. Could it be? Our Championship boys of the March Tournament being defeated by this team? I watched the disappointment in their eyes and my heart felt for them both. As we were leaving the auditorium, another coach-friend of mine was passing by us. "Can you tell me how to eat humble pie?" I asked. She looked at me with sympathy (theirs was the team we had defeated during the first round) This precious coach has always been an encouragement to me! She smiled gently and explained that only a few minutes before had she overheard the team we had just lost to excitedly telling that this was their first win and they were just about to give up and quite Bible Quizzing. I had tears in my eyes now. What this meant to me was that now this team will continue to meditate, memorize and quote God's Word for the next month, anticipating the May Tournament! I shared the wonderful news with our boys and they, too, were thankful that God had turned this crazy loss into a real win! I've said it before and I'll say it again, you can't lose in Bible Quizzing!! There really isn't any BQ losers! :)
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