SUBMIT TO THE RIGHT AUTHORITY

“And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan;
even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee”
(Zechariah 3:2).

We need to get two facts straight: Satan is our accuser (Revelation 12:10), but Jesus is our advocate (1 John 2:1).

We see a picture of this in Zechariah’s vision. He sees “Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan stand standing at his right hand to resist him” (Zechariah 3:1). Joshua wasn’t a heathen who didn’t believe in God. He was the high priest, the one who had the most privileged and honored position before God.

No one is exempt from Satan’s buffetings and accusations, even the most ardent believer. Maybe the adversary (1 Peter 5;8, 9) is getting at you today, He whispers his accusations, lies, and deceptions into your ears. That’s where Satan likes to be--right next to you, at your right hand.

But you must know the truth. This is not his place. The right hand is the place of power and authority. The only One who deserves this place is Jesus Christ who defeated Satan at the cross and now sits at the right hand of the Father. The adversary acts as though he has authority, but it has been wiped from under his feet through the power of the blood of Jesus when He died upon the cross. At the cross, Jesus defeated the devil and the power of death.

But the devil doesn’t give up. When he comes to your right hand and speaks his lying thoughts into your mind, do not receive them.

Most translations say that Satan was at the right hand of the angel of the LORD. The NCV says he was “standing by Joshua’s right hand to accuse him.” Either way, he has no permission to take this place. He is usurping his authority that does not belong to him. It only belongs to Jesus. Give Jesus the authority in your life, not the devil.

How wonderful that we have an advocate who resists Satan on our behalf. Listen to these words: “And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee.” The NCV translates it: “The LORD said to Satan, The LORD says no to you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem says no to you!”

I am sure there are thousands of times when our Advocate has said No to the accuser when he has come to trip us up. Often, we are unaware of the intercession on our behalf by our Savior, Jesus Christ who continually intercedes for us. But there are also many times when He wants us to resist the devil too. God fights for us, but we must also fight. We must take up our authority through the powerful name of Jesus and resist the devil, send him kicking, and say No to his deceiving, lying, and accusing thoughts.

Remember dear mother, you do not belong to Satan. When you become a child of God, you belong to Jesus Christ. He has all power and authority at the right hand of the Father and He also wants to come to your right hand with all His mighty power to enable you to live in victory and push back the devil.

Be encouraged today,

Nancy Campbell

PRAYER:

Thank you, dear Jesus, that You intercede for my continually at the right hand of the Father. I thank You that You are my advocate against the adversary. I thank You that You have all power over the enemy. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

I will not listen to the lies of the enemy that he speaks into my ear. I rebuke them in the powerful name of Jesus, the name that is above every name.

IT’S ELIMINATED!

“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth”
(Ephesians 6:14).

Each one of us know that to counteract the onslaughts of the enemy, we must daily put on our armor. Do you remember the first piece of armor that is mentioned?

Yes, it is truth. What area of our bodies do we cover with truth? The King James Bible says it is “the loins.” I’ll type it again: “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth.”

The Greek word for loins in this Scripture is osphus meaning “the hips (reproductive area), the strength of a man, the procreative power, the seat of generative power.” The Bible talks about future progeny coming forth from the loins (c.f. Acts 2:30 and Hebrews 7:5, 9, 10). It was most important that soldiers protected their loins (their procreative power) as they went out to war.

The military girdle was a defense. The phrase, “to smite the loins” refers to a fatal blow, forever ending anything that would come from the slain.

However, I am confused. Most modern translations do not even mention the word loins. A typical translation is “Tighten the belt of truth around your waist.” The word “waist” is not mentioned in the original Greek. Nor do I find the word “belt.” I will concede that often the clothing covering the loins is attached to a belt to hold it tightly in place. So, they’ve got something there.

Men wore long robes in those days. When they did physical work, or readied themselves for action they “girded up their loins.” They picked up their robes to the knees or just above the knees and tucked them in their belt. Therefore, they could be using this metaphor.

But they eliminate the most important word, “loins.” No soldier would go to war without protecting his loins. A belt is not enough. In fact, it is a shame to have the loins uncovered. When prisoners were taken captive, they often shamed them by shaving their heads and uncovering their loins!

The Bible says the loins are to be protected with truth. Are modern translators victims of the deception this Scripture exposes?

It is a fact that most of Christendom today is ignorant about the power of their loins. They are not protected with the truth of God’s Word. This area of the body has been, and is being, attacked by the enemy. Satan hates life and seeks to eliminate it every way he possibly can. He has fooled God’s people to close their wombs and cut off the power of their loins so they cannot bring forth God’s children. Satan has won a huge victory and God’s army is sorely lacking.

The loins are to be fully girded about. That means they must be protected from abortion, all the modern methods of contraception that eliminate life, and the knife that cuts off procreative power.

Not only have the loins been made lifeless, but they have become prey to sin—fornication and adultery among young people and married couples. It’s time for a revival of strengthening the loins and bringing God’s truth and holiness back to this area of our bodies.

We must teach our young people to gird their loins with truth. It’s interesting that the first three “works of the flesh” mentioned in Galatians 5:19-21(ESV) are “sexual immorality, impurity, and sensuality.” And we notice that the first part of the body the Bible says is to be protected is the loins. It is the preparation for all others. If the loins are not kept pure and holy, it’s not much use putting on any other piece of armor.

What conviction does a “belt of truth” give us? It is the loins that must be girded about.

Blessings today from Nancy Campbell

PRAYER:

“Dear Holy Father, I pray for a revival of holiness to come to your church, for You have said that without holiness no man will see the Lord. I pray that You will bring mighty conviction to those who do not keep themselves pure and to those who commit fornication. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

I’m putting on the armor of God, beginning with the loins!

P.S. The following versions use the word “loins” which is in the original Greek: King James Version, Revised Standard Version, Darby Version, Young’s Literal Translation of the Holy Bible (which I would expect to use the correct word), Douay-Rheims, Knox, Geneva Bible 1599, 1901 American Standard Version, and New American Standard Bible.

WHERE ARE YOU?

“The LORD God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’"
(Genesis 2:9).

God loves to ask questions. We notice that when Jesus came to earth that He loved to ask questions too. Of course, God always know the answer, but He wants to hear a personal answer from us.

The first question God asks in the Bible is “Where are you?” After Adam and Eve took of the forbidden fruit, they realized they had sinned. When they heard the LORD God walking in the garden they freaked out and hid themselves among the trees. God knew where they were, but He wanted to hear from Adam and Eve.

God still asks this question to you and me. “Where am I?” “Where are you?”

Are you hiding from My presence? Are you too busy to listen to My Word? Do you think My thoughts? Are you obedient to My ways or are you more in sync with society around you (Isaiah 55:8, 9)?

God knows the answer, but He wants us to answer Him. He keeps calling to us in the midst of this distorted and deceived society in which we live. He constantly calls us back to Him, His truth, and His ways.

It is interesting that God didn’t ask this question the moment Adam and Eve sinned. He came at the end of the day. The heat and toil of the day was over and a gentle breeze was blowing. It was the time to rest. The time for fellowship.

Genesis 3:8 says: “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.”

This is the time of the day God still wants to visit us and fellowship with us. It’s the time when we gather to eat together as a family. It’s the time when we sit around the table to fellowship and discuss things together. It’s the time when we invite God’s presence to our table. And we wouldn’t leave the table without opening His precious Word to allow Him to speak to us and to spend time praying and calling out to Him.

God longs to come to us. Do we long for His presence? Or do we hide? Just as Adam and Eve hid from the presence of the Lord, I believe many families continue to hide from God’s presence. This is the time of the day God established to specifically communicate with His created ones. We should make sure we are not hiding.

Unfortunately, the enemy of God and of our souls seeks to keep us from this daily appointment. He makes sure that all our extra-curricular activities are scheduled for this time of the day when we should be home preparing the evening meal and gathering our family together to not only eat together, but enjoy His presence.

Sports and lessons all vie for this time. Instead of preparing for a meal with God and our families, many mothers and children are still away from home and fighting the traffic. No time to prepare a meal. Grab some fast food. Eat it while looking at the head of someone in front of you in the car!

This is not how we are meant to eat meals. We are meant to sit around a table where we can see one another’s faces and truly communicate.

Far more than sitting together, Satan makes sure we don’t have time to read God’s Word together. He makes sure we won’t be home to pray together as a family--the most powerful, nation-changing, and world-changing thing we can do as a family. Nothing we can do is as powerful as praying together.

Don’t let good things prevent you from doing the most powerful thing. Don’t let Satan trick you to hide from God’s presence when He comes to be with your family in the “cool of the day.”

Blessings from Nancy Campbell
www.abaoverubies.org

PRAYER:

“Dear Father, I thank You that You long to fellowship with us as a family. You love to presence Yourself at our table with us. Help me to make this daily appointment happen. Amen.,”

AFFIRMATION:

We are not a hiding family, but making time to sit with God each day as a family.

GOD’S EXTRAVAGANT LOVE
Part 2

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God”
(Ephesians 3:17-19).

Today we look at more descriptions of love in God’s Word. Don’t forget to use these Scriptures with your children. Print this off if you need to.

Great love (1 John 3:1). The NIV and CJB translations say: “See what GREAT love the Father has LAVISHED on us, that we should be called children of God!” The Berkeley version says: “See what a wealth of love the Father has LAVISHED on us.” How blessed we are to receive His LAVISHING love. Mediate on it. Praise and worship Him for it.

Hoping love (1 Corinthians 13:7).

Humble love (Proverbs 15:16, 17; 1 Corinthians 13:4-5; and Philippians 2:7-8).

Increasing love (1 Thessalonians 3:12; 4:9, 10; and Revelation 1:5, 6).

Keeping love (Jude 1:21).

Kind love (Psalm 17:7; 36:7; 69:16; Proverbs 31:26; Romans 12:10; 1 Corinthians 13:4 and Titus 3:4).

Knitting together love (Colossians 2:2).

Laboring love (1 Thessalonians 1:3 and Hebrews 6:10). In other words, we show our love by our hard work.

Light-filling love (1 John 2:9-11).

Longsuffering love (1 Corinthians 13:4).

Never failing love (1 Corinthians 13:8).

Non-provoking love (1 Corinthians 13:5-6).

Obedient love (John 14:21, 23, 24; 15:10, 17; Romans 13:10; 1 John 2:5; 3:11, 23; 4:7, 8, 11, 20, 21; 5:1-3; and 2 John 1:5, 6). Above all, the first and greatest commandment is to: “Love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” Read also Deuteronomy 10:12; Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 12:29-31; and Luke 10:27).

Passing all knowledge love (Ephesians 3:17-19).

Perfecting love (Colossians 3;14 and 1 John 2:5; 4:12, 17, 18).

Polite love (1 Corinthians 13:5).

Pouring out love (Romans 5:5).

Practical love (Deuteronomy 15:7, 8; Matthew 5:44-48; Luke 3:11; Romans 12:8-16; James 2:2-10; 15, 16; 1 Peter 4:9; 1 John 3:16-18; and 4:20).

Pure love (1 Timothy 1:5 and 1 Peter 1:22).

Reciprocal love (Philippians 2:2 and 1 John 4:19).

Refreshing love (Philemon 1:7).

Sacrificial love (2 Corinthians 12:15; Ephesians 5:2, 28, 29; 1 Peter 2:21-24; and 1 John 4:9-11).

Serving love (Galatians 5:13).

Sincere and genuine love (Romans 12:9; 2 Corinthians 8:8; and 1 Peter 1:22).

Stirring up love (Hebrews 10:24).

Truthful love (Ephesians 4:15; 1 John 4:20, 21; and 2 John 1:1).

Undeserving Love (Romans 5:7-8 and 9:24-26).

Ungrudging Love (1 Corinthians 13:5).

Unselfish Love (1 Corinthians 13:5).

Victorious love (Philippians 2:5-11).

Willing love (Psalm 40:6-8; 110:3; and Luke 22:42).

May you be blessed and encouraged,

Nancy Campbell
www.aboverubies.org

PRAYER:

“Dear Father, thank You so much for lavishing your love upon me. Even all eternity will not be enough to fathom Your great love to me. Thank you too, for shedding Your love abroad in my heart. I will to be filled with Your love so I can pour it out upon my family and all those I meet. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

“Loved with everlasting love,
Led by grace that love to know;
Spirit, breathing from above,
Thou hast taught me it is so.”

~ George Wade Robinson (1838-1877).