Tag Archive for: Faith

Justin Tamlin

April 28 – Armour of God – The Shield of Faith

ARMOUR OF GOD – The Shield of Faith

During World War I, British Admiral, Lord David Beatty discovered that there was a major flaw in the British ships, which caused many of them to sink quickly. It was discovered that although the British ships had heavily armoured hulls, their wooden decks offered almost no protection against long-range artillery shells that dropped from overhead. Only after the British began to armour their ships on top as well as on the sides did their ships stop sinking.

That reminds me of the next piece of armour in our Lockdown Lookup devotional series on the armour of God. Let’s look at the shield of faith which protects us from long-range enemy attack.

“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

Ephesians 6:16

Paul switches gear here. He has looked at the first three pieces of armour – the belt, the breastplate, the shoes and now he says: “in addition to all this” and begins to speak about the last three pieces of armour. I believe there is a difference between the first three pieces of armour and the last three.

What are the two different categories of armour?

= armour that you have vs armour that you take!

The first three pieces of armour are things that you already have. You have already put them on and they are fixed to your body. They are the basic preparation for the battle. So yes, it’s true, we need the armour of what God has done for us in the past, but we also need armour for the present. The last three pieces of armour are things that you take up in each instance of battle.

That is why Paul now says: take the shield of faith; take the helmet of salvation; take the sword of the Spirit – you do not fix these things to your body; they are something separate from you. They speak of activity!

Picture a Roman soldier waiting in the barracks. When the alarm is sounded, he doesn’t only then put on his armour! It would waste too much time! Even a Roman soldier who is not actively engaged in battle is still in uniform! But when the call to battle comes, he takes up his shield, puts on his helmet, and picks up his sword.

What is the Shield?

It wasn’t a small shield, but a large, oblong door-shaped shield (about 1.2m tall). You could hide your whole body behind it so that you could advance safely against the enemy. The first three pieces of armour are backup, but the shield is primary (it’s out in front), able to be flexed, angled and moved. It was the first line of defence against long-range enemy attack. A whole lot of shields, if placed together, could form a solid line of defence against the enemy. The shield could be covered in either a thin layer of metal or leather. The leather could also be soaked in water to extinguish the flaming arrows of the enemy.

What are the flaming arrows?

They are darts or arrows which could be dipped in a kind of tar and set alight. When those arrows hit a target, the tar would explode and shower flames of fire in every direction. The flaming arrows were often the first line of attack from the enemy, designed to send confusion and panic to their enemy. The flaming arrows prepared the way for a mass attack as troops ran in and got up-close and personal!

Satan fires these flaming darts at God’s children. Sometimes there are even seasons when the flaming arrows are flying fast & furiously! Don’t underestimate the evil power of Satan – he is a defeated foe, but he won’t go quietly. You don’t know what any day will bring. Sometimes you can have had a great day of blessing but the next day you are assaulted from all sides.

  • we’ll be busy praying – wham! Suddenly we are filled with doubt or a lustful thought or with anger towards someone!
  • we’ll be reading God’s Word – wham! Suddenly there are hundred other tasks on our to-do list screaming for our attention!
  • we’ll be busy serving God & others – wham! Suddenly we hear a whisper: “ who do you think you are to serve God – you’re not good enough!”
  • we’ll be busy worshipping – wham! Suddenly we will doubt if God even exists and whether our worship makes any difference at all!

The flaming arrows can be darts of doubt, evil thoughts, accusing questions, confusion, animosity towards God, negativity, worry, sudden fear, laziness, self-absorption, lusts, temptations, our imagination fantasizing about evil, picturing scenarios (“Maybe I would be better off if I wasn’t a Christian”), etc. These darts can often be delivered through persecution, sickness or suffering.

How come Satan never fights against us watching our favourite TV show with a good bowl of popcorn? But let us try and pray or open a Bible and he sends a barrage of flaming arrows our way! How come our minds can meditate for hours on making money, but when trying to focus on God we have a grasshopper-mind that jumps all over the place! Some of the greatest heroes of the faith in history have even had blasphemous thoughts about God right when they least expected it!

These fiery darts are from the evil one. Satan wants us to think: “How can I even be a Christian if I have thoughts like this?” Satan always wants to attack our position in Christ? (Rev 12:10) To get us to focus on sinful-self, instead of Christ – to see the flaming arrows and to forget all about the shield of faith!

So how do you combat the flaming arrows?

You take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. You hold up the shield of faith and hide behind it!

The shield represents faith? Faith is the ability to quickly apply what we know and believe to be true. We need a quick answer to everything that Satan hurls at us from every direction and to move the shield of faith quickly into position. Faith is belief in action. If I believe that a chair can hold me, then what do I do? I sit on it. I entrust myself to it! Until I have acted on my belief I have not exercised faith. But my faith is only as good as the object of my faith. Faith always points to its object not to itself. This is God’s armour – not mine! The shield of faith is God’s shield.

“After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield,”

Genesis 15:1

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear ”

Psalm 46:1

Faith points to God’s promises, God’s power & God’s presence. So, hold up the shield of faith and say: “Lord, you’ve said it, I believe it, I’m going to act on it; I’m going to step out in faith on your promises, in your power and with your presence.” And when the flaming arrows come, hold up the shield of faith and shout: “Jesus died for me and rose again. He loves me! I am bought with a price! I am his!” Hold up the shield of faith to temptation and cry out: “I won’t believe a lie! Temptation (whatever your name, whoever you are) you will not bring me the happiness that only be found in Christ!” Hold up the shield of faith and declare: “I am not alone! Jesus is making intercession for me right now from the very throne room of heaven.” 

Oh fellow soldier of Christ: you may not be able to stop the flaming arrow from being launched, but you can extinguish & nullify its damage. Even Jesus was tempted, just like you are; he too felt the flaming arrows, but those arrows never penetrated the force-field of faith that came from the truth of God’s Word. Resist the devil & he will flee, don’t retreat, stand your ground, trust God and step forward in faith and the gates of hell will not prevail against you!

Activity for kids

(Click on the bold, underlined text in the activities below to go to the online link.)

1.       Have a fort sleepover:

Build a fort with your children, using blankets, pillows and furniture. You can play pretend and imagine you’re all on an adventure. What do you need shelter from? Discuss today’s devotion with your children, explaining how we need shelter from the enemy’s attacks. Explain that our faith is like a shield, or a fort, that protects us from the enemy. However, this is not because of the strength of our faith – it’s all because of the strength of the One we trust, Jesus!

2.       Make your own shield – and aim…fire!

Let your children make their own shields, using cardboard, trays, dustbin lids or anything else they can find around the house. Determine the rules for your ‘war’ – let your children use straws and cotton balls, paper balls, or anything else you feel comfortable with to ‘shoot’ at each other, and use their shields as protection. Reinforce today’s devotion, and explain how faith in Jesus is like a shield that protects us from the enemy’s attacks. When we trust in Jesus, he protects us against the enemy. And he has already defeated and disarmed the enemy!

3.       Blindfold treasure hunt:

Hide an object in the garden or the house. Blindfold your children and let them try to find the treasure following your voice and instructions. Do this for another round, letting them hide the object and guide you. Read Hebrews 11:1 with them: ‘Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see’. Explain that they couldn’t see you in the treasure hunt, but they had to trust you and go in the direction you led. Talk about how faith in Jesus is similar – faith means we trust him and follow where he leads us, even though we can’t see him. Discuss how we can take up the shield of faith in the battle against God’s enemy this week.

3.       Big faith? No, BIG God:

Find various objects around the house and garden of various sizes, and let your child arrange them from the smallest to the largest. Talk about the shield of faith and explain what it means to have faith in Jesus. Explain now that our faith might be small (like some of the objects), but that it isn’t the size of our faith that matters. No, it’s all about God’s strength and how big he is! Explain that God is greater, stronger and mightier than anything or anyone else and that he fights for us and with us against the enemy.

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Leigh Robinson

FAITH in Ethiopia

Still 38,000 feet above Africa on our way home to Jo’burg from Kenya, I must tell you about faith in Ethiopia . . .

Last October the first missionary sent by the Kale Heywet Churches in Ethiopia to Southern Sudan died of cerebral malaria. The SIM leader who accompanied the missionary’s body and his widow back to Ethiopia described the scenes of mourning as the hearse and the growing motorcade made its way from Addis Ababa south to the missionary’s home area. At churches all along the way mourners waited and wailed with the widow and she emerged to greet them and receive their sympathy. All along the way services were held and prayers were offered as people mourned the death of their missionary—the first to die on foreign soil. Finally, after a funeral service attended by thousands, the body of the missionary was laid to rest in his home town. At the service the people were challenged to send others to take his place. The widow of the deceased missionary is currently taking further Bible training in preparation to return to Southern Sudan.

At the SLC (Spiritual Life Conference) in Kenya, Irene and I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Desta Langana, the Global Missions Director of the Kale Heywet Churches. He had come to the SLC to strengthen ties with SIM, to express thanks for their support, and to encourage several other Ethiopian missionary couples who are serving with SIM in Southern Sudan. I was not prepared for what Dr. Desta told me about the Kale Heywet Churches . . .

In the late 1920s a number of church were planted in the southern region of Ethiopia by SIM missionaries, some of them graduates of Prairie Bible College in Canada where Irene and I studied. Christians, especially evangelicals, were fiercely persecuted during the Italian occupation from 1936-41. Evangelicals were further persecuted by the Coptic Orthodox Church between 1942 and 1974. When the Communists took over Ethiopia (1974-91), fierce persecution of evangelicals continued resulting in 90% of evangelical churches being closed and many properties confiscated. But despite that (perhaps because of it!) the church continued to grow. Today the Kale Heywet denomination has nearly eight thousand churches with a total membership of seven million—about 8% of the population of the country.

One of the features of the church is prayer. In one region a particular mountain had been a place where spirit worship had been practiced for twelve generations. That mountain is now a ‘prayer mountain’ where up to 100,000 people gather at certain times of the year to pray. A hundred other mountains across the region have been set aside as ‘prayer mountains.’

A result of this movement of prayer has been mission sending. The Kale Heywet church has so far sent ninety cross-cultural missionaries within the borders of Ethiopia, and is planning to send many to unreached peoples beyond Ethiopia, including more to Southern Sudan. Faith is alive in Ethiopia!

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Leigh Robinson

FAITH in the World’s Newest Country

I am writing this blog on board a Kenya Airways flight somewhere between Nairobi and Jo’burg. Irene and I are returning home after spending five memorable days with an amazing group of SIM missionaries who are serving in Southern Sudan, the world’s newest country.

The SLC (Spiritual Life Conference) was held at a lovely conference centre amid the tea plantations in the hills about an hour north of Nairobi. The lush beauty of the conference centre was a stark contrast to the hot, dusty, isolated, primitive conditions in which most of the team serve in Southern Sudan. The location of the conference itself was a source of refreshing to missionaries who work in situations where temperatures of 45 degrees are the norm.

Our hearts were particularly challenged by the love and commitment of the single lady missionaries, many of them nurses, who serve the people of that war-ravaged land in remote bush clinics. They support churches, educate children, teach about HIV/AIDS and nutrition, and do a thousand other things—mostly without any electricity! To my mind, they are the true heroes of the faith. I am not worthy to untie their shoes.

Another hero we met was a single guy in his early thirties who hails from Germany. Henric, a qualified farmer, gave up the opportunity to inherit the family farm to become an evangelist in Southern Sudan. After spending days in prayer and fasting, he heads off to the villages with a back-pack and an interpreter to preach the gospel of Jesus. He has been arrested and imprisoned, and has stared death in the face as a result of illness, but still he keeps going with a broad smile, a beaming face, a heart aflame for Christ, leaving hoards of converts in his wake. Meeting him was a spiritual tonic. We asked if he would be willing to come and share with us at RUC sometime in the future and he has agreed to.

Irene and I went to minister to these missionaries but, as you can see, they have ministered to us. Faith is alive and the church is growing in the world’s newest country. But there remains an enormous need. Pray for Southern Sudan!

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Irene Robinson

Deep Faith: Taryn’s Story

Who is Taryn?

Up until Sunday morning, 27th February, most of us at Rosebank Union Church didn’t know her. But on that day, at the 8:00 service, Leigh read a letter she had written, introducing herself and explaining why she wished to be baptized. Her story was read again at the 10:00 service. By the end of the morning, hundreds of people knew Taryn and have begun praying for her and her family. 

I was one of those people who had never met Taryn although I was aware of her situation because of Leigh’s contact with her. Since that Sunday, I think about her, pray for her and tell others about her. 

Here is what Leigh read before he and her dad, Peter Durham, carried her from her wheel chair into the waters of baptism.

“Good morning. My name is Taryn Dickinson. Up until two years ago many would have described my life as blessed. I was born into a big and beautiful family with parents who loved me and sisters who still to this day remain my best friends. As a little girl I attended Sunday school at Rosebank Union Church. We grew up knowing the Lord and as a young adult I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. Life was good. I married the love of my life, we travelled the world and lived and worked overseas. God blessed us with a beautiful healthy baby girl, Tess, followed by her equally beautiful and healthy baby brother, Campbell. Life was a bed of roses and we hadn’t come across one thorn…

Tarryn's Baptism

“As Christians we know that storms will come and that our faith will be tested but often we get swept up in day-to-day living without giving a moment of thought to how we will equip ourselves when the storm finally hits. My brother and sister-in-law lived in Bermuda for a time and every so often they would be given fair warning of approaching hurricanes. They would prepare themselves and their home. They would huddle with their little girl in the bath with a mattress covering them while the storm raged outside. They were prepared and protected as best they could be. They didn’t open their doors and go outside to observe the forces of nature. That would have been reckless and irresponsible. I’m using this analogy because I was that person who went out into the storm, ill-equipped. The weather was wonderful so why prepare for a storm?

“Two and a half years ago, a few months after the birth of my son, I started noticing weakness in my fingers. I was fit and healthy so naturally these signs were noticeable. I brushed it off and put it down to a pinched nerve. Symptoms progressed at an alarming rate and despite visits to several neurologists, scans, invasive testing and in-depth investigation of my symptoms, my doctors were unable to diagnose my condition. Finally after 3 months, my husband and I sat in yet another doctor’s waiting room as grief consumed us while being told that I had Motor Neuron Disease, also known as ALS, a rare, degenerative disease that mainly destroys the body’s muscular neurotransmitters. In one sentence I was given 2 to 3 years to live. Thoughts of an empty chair at my daughter’s wedding table, missing my son’s sports games, birthdays, graduations and all those wonderful privileges that come with being a mom threatened to overcome me. I was drowning in sorrow as I turned to the only One I knew could bring me out of this…God.

Tarryn Dickinson“With a strong, supportive, praying family, we asked God to give us all courage, strength and the greatest faith in the midst of such a calamity. He has not only answered our prayers but given me so much more, a peace that not even I understand, family and friends who continue to amaze me with their love, kindness and support. Over the past two years I have lost most of the use of my left arm, my legs and my speech but regardless of my weakening body my faith and my walk with Him grows stronger every day.

“Today I am incredibly privileged to be able to show and share with each one of you, my Rosebank Union Church family, and my Lord and Saviour, this outward show of my deep faith.”

Why am I sharing Taryn’s story with you? Because she is someone worth knowing even if it’s just through this blog. As she’s become weaker and weaker, her faith has become stronger and stronger.

I’ve just finished reading Mark Buchanan’s latest book, “Spiritual Rhythm” where he tells the story of a fellow in his church called Clarence. I want to quote a short section that Mark wrote about Clarence, replacing his name with Taryn’s.

“The only thing she does in the church now is show up, which is a major feat in itself. Taryn is learning the secret of abiding. She’s practicing a tenacious dependency on Christ every day, every moment. In this wintertime of her life, when she can do very little, she’s experiencing her greatest closeness with Jesus. Her life is taking the shape of a prayer. If prayer, as Revelation 5 tells us, is incense in the throne room of God, then Taryn’s days are pure fragrance.”

Listen to Taryn’s Testimony

CLICK HERE to listen to a recording of Leigh Robinson reading Taryn’s testimony on the occasion of her baptistm

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Gerhard Venter

Why I believe the Bible

Dr Gerhard Venter

In the title of this blog two words are important, viz “Bible” and “believe”. The word “Bible” refers to a physical book, a book with a long, proven and definitive history that cannot be denied. The word “believe” sums up the fact that I have made a conscious choice (in response to the work of the Holy Spirit of God) to base my faith on the revelation of God that we find in the Bible.

This is another way of saying that the reason I believe in the Bible is based on some objective, undeniable facts about the Bible, as well as some subjective beliefs about the Bible. Let me share my thoughts on these objective and subjective facts with you in point form. If you want to know more, download the sermon on this subject (1st August 2010, evening service).

The Bible: Objective facts

  1. The Bible is very old. The first documents date back to 1200BC or older. The final “product” dates to the end of the 1st Century AD.
  2. The Bible is unique. It contains the unique description of the history of Israel, with a unique message of the grace of God.
  3. The Bible is well-preserved. There are thousands of ancient manuscripts that can be consulted to verify the actual contents and transmission of the Bible.
  4. The Bible survived the odds by withstanding the many attempts to destroy it and crush Christianity.
  5. The Bible is an “open” book. It was written by (normal) people, roughly 40 of them over period of 1400 years
  6. The Bible is accurate. Archeological discoveries over the last few 100 years proved many of the names, places and events mentioned in the Bible
  7. The Bible is popular. It is the best-selling book ever, having sold in excess of 3 billion copies. Its nearest rival is Mao’s Little Red Book that sold less than 1 million.
  8. The Bible has a wide appeal. It is accepted and understood across cultural, geographical and chronological barriers

Subjective beliefs

  • The Bible is powerful. Many people have had a life-changing encounter with God by reading and studying the Bible (Hebrews 4:12).
  • The Bible is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It is God’s Word and God’s words to us.
  • The Bible proclaims salvation by God through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross. In it I read about eternal life with God in heaven.
  • The Bible has a personal impact. It tells me how I can have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ and inherit eternal life. It also provides me with wisdom and guidance for daily living in this life here on earth.
  • The Bible is always fresh. You can read it over and over and not get bored since there is always more to discover.
  • The Bible is down-to-earth and contains a simple and straight forward message.
  • The Bible provides guidance by giving me insight into God’s will and design for human life on earth.
  • The Bible can handle my doubts about God and the Bible as we see from some of the Bible authors had doubts and were able (and allowed) to express them to God

Have you read your Bible today?

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