Friday, February 24, 2012

Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 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. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

(Ephesians 6:10-20 NIV)

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Blessed

  • "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  • "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
  • "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
  • "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
  • "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
  • "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
  • "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
  • "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  • "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
          (Matthew 5.3-12 ESV)