In the last post, we talked about the possibility of an event I call the Revival of Unity to be at our doorstep. If this is indeed true, it means we are on the verge of something unprecedented, exciting, and beyond our current comprehension. And if so, what does this mean for us?

We should not assume restrictions upon God or assume he will work in a certain way. We need to be open to what God will do without limiting our mind on what he will do. We need to be on his page and not expect him to be on ours. Only then are we free to be in his will and be a part of his ultimate plan for us and for the world.

And how do we then prepare for this? Well, whether one believes it is time for the Rapture or time for a Great Harvest of Souls, our response should be the same. We need to lift our fellow believers up to God in prayer and ask God to empower all his children. We need to pray within the armor of God, resist the devil, and pray for God’s favor. We should remind ourselves that our battle is a spiritual one and fight on our knees. We should pray for God’s will to be done and not what we wish to have done. We need to let our hearts be open to however he desires to work and whatever character of his he wishes to express. Bottom line: Armor up and yield yourself to the Holy Spirit.

Here is a poem that expresses these thoughts and wishes:

Armor Up

Heavenly Father, our world has become a confusing place.

Yet, your Word has told us of the coming of such a thing.

We believe a paradigm shift is coming, and at a feverish pace.

Similar to that at your first coming – this truth in our heart does ring.

Many were unprepared for your first arrival and what they had to face.

We want to operate with you during this time and what you will bring.

Help us not to hinder in how you will work to extend your grace.

May all darts of our enemy fail and allow your truth through us to sing.

Let us rest in you and allow our shield of faith against those darts to brace.

May the helmet of our salvation cause our minds to focus on you, our king.

And our breastplates of righteousness forge ahead battling for truth in our race.

May our shoes, the gospel of peace, bring knowledge swiftly of you as if on a wing.

Allow us to battle with the Sword of the Spirit, your very words we embrace,

Which stand the test of time and their truth for eternity will ring.

Keep our hearts and minds open to you as we grow in love and grace.

Causing our faith to deepen despite the enemy from all sides pressing.

Your peace dispels the darkness even in the valley giving it no space.

Your light abolishes despair and anguish for your brilliance is so piercing.

In you there is no darkness; none at all – not even a trace.

All becomes clear if we rest in you and to your truth we cling.

Thank you, Father, for your faithfulness, your Word, and your Son

Who gives us relationship which for us you have forever won.

--Randy C. Dockens--

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Last time we discussed how God took our place on the cross and reconciled our sin debt. He did not cover it up but took it away completely. It was nothing we did. It was all him. If you missed it. You can access it here: Christ Reconciled Our Sin Problem.

Did we gain anything else by this gracious act of our Messiah? Oh yes: I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way (Ep 1:18-23, NIV).

Did you catch that? Paul is telling us that we have the same power that raised Christ from the dead within us. What is within us with this power? The Holy Spirit.

Paul goes on to say: But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ep 2:4-10, NIV)).

His Holy Spirit will now be able to do great things through us because of what Christ has done for us on the cross. This is likely why Paul talks to us about the armor of God in Ephesians chapter 6. Let’s examine this armor:

We have the Helmet of Salvation: If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Ro 10:9, NIV). This is by the spoken word and accomplish by Christ.

We have the Breastplate of Righteousness: It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has been for us wisdom from God—that is our righteousness, holiness, and redemption (1Co 1:30, NIV). This is by words of wisdom from Christ.

We have the Belt of Truth: Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me (Jn 14:6, NIV). This comes from Christ who is the Word of God.

We have the Feet of Gospel of Peace: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (Jn 14:27, NIV). The words of Christ give us peace.

We have the Shield of Faith: Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer [author] and perfecter of faith (Hb 12:2a, NIV). Christ and his words give us the faith upon which we believe.

We have the Sword of the Spirit: Take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ep 6:17, NIV). Paul then tells us to Pray in the Spirit.

This passage in Ephesians 6 is often used to portray the armor as a defense against Satan and his “fiery darts” as Paul stated when he talked about the Shield of Faith. While true, these verses seem to indicate that the main reason for the armor is one for offense more than it is for defense. These are all action verses and show that each piece is a representative of Jesus Christ and of the power of the spoken word.

So, if we are donning the armor, this means we as the warrior are within Christ. And if we were to look at ourselves in a mirror, we would see him and not ourselves because we are in him, and he is in us. This is just as he prayed with his disciples: that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me (Jn 17:21, NIV).

No wonder James said: The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (Ja 5:16b, NIV). The spoken word is very powerful when spoken through inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Proverbs also tells us: The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who live it will eat its fruit (Pr 18:21, NIV). This seems to imply we need to be living within the armor of God for our words to be effective. Paul also tells us: Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold (2Co 3:12, NIV). Speaking through inspiration of the Holy Spirit allows us to speak boldly for the Lord. And, again, in Proverbs we understand the following: The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion (Pr 28:1, NIV). We can be bold as a lion because the Lion of Judah dwells within us. This helps us to see how powerful our words are and that they should be under the control of the Holy Spirit.

We are commissioned as Paul tells us: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power (Ep 6:10, NIV). If we live within Christ by donning his armor, then we can be strong in him and work through his power which he has bestowed to us as Paul tells us: The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds (2Co 10:4, NIV). Our words, if operated under the control of the Holy Spirit, can destroy strongholds. So, our words can be very powerful.

We have the same blessing as Paul gave the church at Rome: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Ro 15:13, NIV). Our hope is a tangible hope because it is secured in the promise of Jesus Christ and in the power given to us by the Holy Spirit. If we pray with the words of Christ (Scripture) and pray as the Holy Spirit urges us to pray, then we will be powerful and we will be effective.

Isn’t God awesome?! He has paved the way for us to have a hopeful, eternal future with him. And, he has given us his Holy Spirit so we can have the same power he utilized which can make us strong and effective, accomplishing great things for him. All we need to do is be yielded to him and his Spirit. Praise God!

Are you ready for your future—both now and in the world to come? You can be. Just reach out to him and he will never fail you.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens