Put on the Full Armor of God

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. — Ephesians 6:11 

The armor of God includes the breastplate of righteousness,

The shoes of the Gospel of Peace,

The helmet of salvation,

The sword of the Spirit — the one offensive weapon,

Which is God's Word.

When we put on the armor of God, he gives us the protection we need to take our stand against the devil's schemes.

My Heart Is Glad

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. — Psalm 16:9-10


My heart is glad.

I rejoice in the Lord.

My body is at rest.

I rest secure in the knowledge that God is with me.

He will not abandon me.

He watches over His faithful flock and brings us back to the fold.

We were born into community.

The Message of Reconciliation

God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. — 2 Corinthians 5:19

Monday I returned to work back in the Axos Bank office full time.

It was fun to get to see lots of friends and coworkers who had been working at home for the past few months.

And the commute is great right now while most people are still sheltering in place.

At the same time, I'm nervous about having so many of us inside together when the coronavirus is spreading.

I brought extra masks for my colleagues.

And my boss made signs for my desk and those of my teammates, asking others to social distance and/or wear a mask, too.

After work, my friend had some of my girlfriends from church over to her home.

We sat outside at a safe distance and had a great time together.

I haven't seen some of them since the beginning of March, when our church stopped having services.

And I've missed them.

They have always been very supportive of me, not counting my sins and faults against me.

And they have lifted me and family up in prayer — I've done the same for them.

God has brought us together to be part of His family.
 

God Is for Us

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? — Romans 8:31

After we hear that Jesus rose again from the dead, offers us mercy and grace, and loves us - even counting the hairs on our heads, what shall we say in response?

If God is for us, we can stand against anything.

If God is for us, who is against us?

No one can stand against our wonderful God.