July 31, 2024

When you look at the state of the world, you cannot deny that time is short and Jesus may return soon. The enemy rages like a roaring lion, looking to kill and destroy (1 Peter 5:8-10) and that is evident from what you see around you or when you watch the news.   By the way, I strongly advise against watching the regular news or watching too much television at all. It’s better to fill yourself with a good sermon, the Word, a good book or teaching than all the junk that television brings, but that’s just my opinion, LOL.   In any case, you somehow get the idea that what is happening now is not very encouraging. You see so clearly what is going on and the decay of the world that you almost have to do your best not to see it.   And not only in distant countries but also close to the brothers and sisters around me, the spiritual battle is great. I experience it myself; the spiritual struggle and tension are palpable. /*! elementor – v3.23.0 – 25-07-2024 */ .elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px} Jesus, the hope of glory There’s something in the air. Something ominous, and at the same time, that ominous feeling stirs up hope in me! Looking forward to Jesus and knowing what lies ahead. He is our hope of glory and the way out of misery. The Bible teaches us to be watchful and alert because our salvation comes like a thief in the night (Matthew 24:42-44).   Until then, we’ll just have to put up with each other here for a while.   We need each other, and the time will come when we need each other more than ever. The closer we get to Jesus’ return, the more this will become clear. The Roman soldier A Christian life often reminds me of a Roman soldier and how these soldiers used to prepare for a battlefield. The equipment of a Roman soldier corresponds to the equipment as we read in Ephesians.   “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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 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.” – Ephesians 6:13-18   Now Paul wrote these letters to the church of Ephesus thousands of years ago, and all these years the people have needed this armor every moment of the day, but still, I think the more we get to the return of Jesus, the more we become aware and make use of this weaponry.   The Roman soldier made sure that he entered the battlefield armed and trained. He was armed with a lot of armor, He wore sandals with iron spikes and a helmet on his head. His weapons were a sword, a dagger, a spear and a shield. Before the soldier was ready to go into battle, he was trained. They swam, practiced recognizing commands and signals, trained in fighting with swords, practiced throwing javelins, learned to use stone slings, learned to ride horses, practiced carrying a heavy load and learned archery.   When all this had been mastered, he was sent into the battlefield, armed and fully equipped. The comparison with the Roman soldier is instructive for us because we too must be trained in using our spiritual armor. The armor we have received from God. Not a care in the world When you are in a season where everything is going calmly and smoothly, you might sometimes forget that you are actually on a battlefield. You lean back, unsuspectingly enjoying the peace and quiet…not a care in the world, you would think.   And that’s okay, we should certainly relax and enjoy when we are in a calm season, enjoying God’s peace and presence. I just think that we should not forget who we are dealing with and who wants to rob us of that calm and tranquility. When we learn to recognize the attacks from afar, and we are awake and sharp and alert, we are already two steps ahead.   Don’t be surprised when the enemy attacks you, he is always watching and hunting; looking for who he can crush; that is a result of living with Jesus,😊 LOL. But before his storms and attacks come, we need to make sure we are trained in God’s Word, that we know who we are in Christ, that we know our authority, and that our armor is not only in order but that we are already wearing it. “The reason why many fail in battle is because they wait until the hour of battle. The reason why others succeed is because they have gained their victory on their knees long before the battle came” – R.A. Torrey The Roman soldier did not simply put on his helmet on the battlefield and gather his weapons. He made sure he was trained and fully dressed in his uniform to attack the enemy.   Fortunately, God has given us everything we need to resist the enemy, and he only has the power over us that we give him. Hallelujah!! We need our brothers and sisters Besides the armor, we also need each other. And the closer we get to the end, the more we will need each other. Making sure we stay in prayer and connected with each other is crucial for