Today, Bishop Alexis A. Thomas completed his series on the Epistle to the Ephesians. His reference scriptures were Ephesians 6:10-13. He entitled the message, "Stand!"
Ephesians can be divided and describe using three words; Sit, Walk, and Stand. We must know that we are seated in heavenly places with Christ, we must walk through life and represent and reflect His love to the world, and finally we must STAND strong and in faith when faced with and attacked by the devil!
The enemy knows the scriptures. He quotes them and mis-quotes them regularly. He is the culprit behind every attack. He uses human beings to fight against the people of God. He also works to dilute our impact in the world. How we stand against the enemy is our testimony to the world. The Apostle Paul encouraged the Ephesian Believers, "Finally, brothers and sisters, draw your strength and might from God. Put on the full armor of God to protect yourselves from the devil and his evil schemes. We’re not waging war against enemies of flesh and blood alone. No, this fight is against tyrants, against authorities, against supernatural powers and demon princes that slither in the darkness of this world, and against wicked spiritual armies that lurk about in heavenly places. And this is why you need to be head-to-toe in the full armor of God: so you can resist during these evil days and be fully prepared to hold your ground." Ephesians 6:10-13 (Voice)
Stand! I know what you're thinking! How can I stand my ground when my life seems to be falling apart? I'm glad you asked! 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "The path we walk is charted by faith, not by what we see with our eyes." (Voice) By FAITH! How do I get faith? The Word says, "so then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17 (New King James Version) Hearing the Word daily, meditating on it, and studying it will strengthen you and help you to stand against the enemies attacks. Bishop mentioned the movie, "The Usual Suspects". I've not seen it, but he said in one scene the the star is trying to convince another person that their enemy Keyser Söze really exists. It's just like our enemy! Satan exists! Closing our eyes and covering our ears will not make him disappear! If we understand that he is already defeated it removes the fear factor. Jesus defeated Satan at the cross! Now all he does is lie to us and deceive us into thinking he is more powerful than God.
Our theme for this year is, "We are a WELL Church"; walking examples of liberated lives. Bishop also declared that this is the year we will see the manifestation of our total wellness. Ever since he made that declaration, he has personally been under physical attack. But he has been encouraging himself and we should as well. No matter what we see with our natural eyes we must trust the Word. The Word is truth! I am what God says, I am! I can do what God says I can do! And I can have what God says I can have!
Stand your ground!
Love and prayers, Cynthia
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