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		<title>A Thrill of Hope - What Christmas 2020 Needs</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Heartbeat International - Holding Each Life Precious]]></description>
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			<title>God’s Army: Our Battle Plan for Spiritual War</title>
			<link>https://www.migration.heartbeatinternational.org/god-s-army-our-battle-plan-for-spiritual-war</link>
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			<description><![CDATA[<div class="K2FeedIntroText"><p><em>by Rachel Deffenbaugh<img src="https://www.migration.heartbeatinternational.org/images/HeartbeatServices2/take_heart/pexels-sharefaith-1202727.jpg" alt="God's Army" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" /></em></p> <p>Each year in the U.S., we commemorate the men and women who have served in our armed forces on “Veterans Day,” November 11. Their unwavering commitment to serve and sacrifice extends beyond the signature line on their enlistment form and even beyond ‘Hell Week’ of boot camp. It is in every drill, exercise, salute, flawlessly made bed, pre-deployment training, deployment/tour, and goodbye to loved ones. Despite the uncertainties, their call to duty to serve a purpose greater than themselves abounds. As Christians, we know the importance of such a calling, and we are grateful for the sacrifices (big and small, spoken and unspoken) our veterans have made.</p> <p><i>Is this the blueprint for God's army?</i></p> <p>Jesus preached about <a title="Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. -John 15:13">laying down one’s life for his friends</a> and God's word teaches us to <a title="Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves... -Phillipians 2:3">put others before ourselves</a>. Similar to the sacrifices our military makes to protect our '<strong>life</strong>, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,’ Jesus came so that we may <a title="The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. -John 10:10">have <strong>life </strong>and have it more abundantly</a>; <a title="For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. -John 3:17">not to condemn the world but to save it</a>. In contrast to the military, His mission was <a title="For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. - Romans 5:10">not to kill His enemies but to die for them</a>. He is our example not only as a Christian but as a soldier of a larger body of believers—the Church, also known as God's army.</p> <h3><strong>Weapons of Warfare</strong></h3> <p>As with everything else, the Lord has identified our spiritual weapons in scripture. Our weapons are vastly different from what our soldiers use to protect our country. Jesus’ weapons involved a different arsenal of spiritual warfare. After all, "<a title="Ephesians 6:12">we do not wage against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.</a>"</p> <p>Therefore, as the Church, we fight a spiritual war—not with physical weapons, but with spiritual ones. Our spiritual weapons are&nbsp;<i>offensive </i>and <i>defensive </i>as outlined in Ephesians 6:10-13<i>. </i>Interestingly, the only <em>offensive</em> weapon listed here is the sword. <strong>The Sword of the Spirit is the word of God. </strong>The other “gear” listed are <em>defensive</em> weapons: the shield of faith, breastplate of righteousness, feet of peace, belt of truth, and helmet of salvation.</p> <p>Additionally, we have been equipped with “weapons of righteousness.” In 2 Corinthians 6, these weapons are described as our <strong>gifts from God</strong>. Another "weapon of righteousness” is <a title="With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints... - Ephesians 6:18">prayer</a>, especially when “forged” in the word of God.</p> <p>We would be remiss if we did not mention another “weapon of righteousness,” God’s love. Indeed, love deployed as a weapon is explained in Romans 12:19-21 and emphasized as <strong>our most valuable gift</strong> in 1 Corinthians 13:2.</p> <p>You may be tempted to march in God’s army with <i>only </i>your offensive weapon, the sword. However, Paul urges us to <strong>put on</strong> <strong>every piece of armor (our spiritual weapons)</strong>. Missing a single “weapon” can expose us to vulnerabilities; similar to how our military wear their kevlar and flak jackets. They would never undergo a mission with just their rifle in tow. The same principle applies to those of us in God's army.</p> <h3><strong>Our Enemy</strong></h3> <p>As our beloved veterans understand, we must identify our enemy. Our enemy is “<a title="John 8:44">the father of lies</a>” who has been a “<a title="John 8:44">murderer from the beginning.</a>” It is fitting for him to continue doing exactly what he has been doing since the beginning of time.</p> <p>In pregnancy help, we see the same lies targeting women, men, families, marriages, and children alike. These lies perpetuate the agenda of our enemy, who seeks to not only murder our unborn children but to sever families, marriages, and livelihoods. His lies mirror the same propaganda we see today; using the same tactics he has used for centuries, just packaged with different labels through the years.</p> <p>Identifying our enemy means we can prepare for attacks and are not surprised when they come. This preparation begins with you and the call for peace among all Christians worldwide.</p> <h3><strong>Call to Peace</strong></h3> <p><i>How is peace attainable in such a divisive world?</i> Let’s learn what the Prince of Peace can teach us.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Peace means “unity.”</strong> The Greek word for “peace,” eirēnē, means “ <a href="https://www.heartbeatservices.org/united-for-life" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">unity</span> </a>and accord.”<sup>1</sup>We can have peace by being in <a title="And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. -Ecclesiastes 4:12">unity with the body of Christ</a>, God's army. <i>How can a military unit fulfill any mission with dissension, divisive strategies, and discord among them?</i></li> <li><strong>Peace means “restoration.”</strong> The definition is also described as “the spiritual harmony brought about by an individual’s restoration with God.”<sup>1</sup> Inner peace comes when we are fully reconciled with God. Forgiveness (repentance and forgiving others) is the first place to start for inner peace.</li> <li><strong>Peace means trust.</strong> “<a title="Proverbs 3:5-6">Lean[ing] not on your own understanding</a>” involves knowing your limits. We are limited by our knowledge of our circumstances (the seen and especially unseen). We are limited by our knowledge of the future. We are limited by our capacity to understand the collective truths of reality and God's purposes through them.</li> </ul> <p>While we have cognitive limitations, <strong>our trust in God as Commander and Chief of His army is crucial.</strong> Soldiers follow their superiors' orders, without question or hesitation. <i>How much more should we, in communion with God, trust He knows best, trust His perfect timing, and trust in His promises?</i></p> <p>We are grateful to our nation's veterans. Through their unwavering commitment, they've secured the freedoms we cherish today. As Christians, our battlefield and our weapons are completely different but they share similarities to preserve '<strong>life</strong>, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.' We know that in this spiritual war, armed with our spiritual weapons, we are fully equipped for the calling to peace and to protect <strong>life</strong>.</p> <p>___________________________________________________________________________________________________</p> <p><em>Source</em></p> <ol> <li><a href="https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&amp;aid=34587">https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&amp;aid=34587</a></li> </ol></div>]]></description>
			<author>no-reply@heartbeatinternational.org (Rachel  Deffenbaugh)</author>
			<category>For the Heart</category>
			<pubDate>Wed, 01 Nov 2023 15:06:39 -0400</pubDate>
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