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The Light
Dr David Wood
THE LIGHT
ARE YOU
NAKED? – PART NINE
OR, I AM
FULLY CLOTHED AND ARMOURED!
As I sit to
write this October teaching fall is in full swing. In many parts of the country
the fall foliage is coming into manifestation. This presentation of beauty is
also a reminder to us that another season is at hand, winter. If you are in the
north it heralds snow and ice which has its own beauty and in the south some
green remains but much is brown awaiting the warmth and rains of spring. As you
know the debate concerning Health Care Reform continues in full swing and in
rhetoric has focused on Health Insurance Reform but the content of the bills are
far different. I will have more on this in the future on this website. Many
of the bills coming from Washington today are a full assault on the Declaration
of Independence, the Constitution of these United States and the Bible. But
God’s people are awakening and many others that do not claim Jesus as Lord but
do believe in God. God is not a Socialist or a Communist. He invented the free
enterprise system and that is what will flourish. I believe that if we will
fight the good fight this winter by speaking out and supporting (not just in
word but in deed [cash]) men and women of righteousness we can bring this nation
back to the God of our fathers. We must vote for righteousness (the way God
sees things) in the spring primaries and in the general election next November.
Then we will again have a Government that will reflect the principles of the
Bible upon which this nation was founded. Now I will move on to the October
teaching.
This month I
will be talking about the shield of faith.
Ephesians 6:16
(KJV)
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able
to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
We the
children of God have a responsibility to bring the love of God to all mankind.
Remember we are the ambassadors of God reconciling the lost to Him. Using the
shield of faith allows us to triumph in that effort. Before we move into this
further let us do a little review of this subject up to this point. When we
were born again the Lord clothed us with “the garments of salvation” and “the
robe of righteousness”. (Isaiah 61:10) If you return to prior teachings you
can study this in more detail. The Lord is so good to us!
He then
provided other clothing which we have the responsibility to put on ourselves, of
course with His help or by His grace. The Father started us off much like we
start off our children but then there comes a point where we must cloth
themselves and put on certain armour in the physical just as He instructs us to
do in the spiritual. We are instructed to be clothed with humility which is the
absence of pride and arrogance.
1 Peter 5:5
(KJV)
5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all
of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for
God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
We are to walk
in the light as He is in the light. In short, when we are saved or born again,
quickened of His Spirit we are placed in the light and made light. This light
returns us to a place of rule over the darkness, gives us revelation of Him and
the ability to bring that revelation of Him to others. This light gives us
sweet fellowship once again with the Father, even the whole of the Godhead. The
light, the fire of the Holy Spirit cleanses us, teaches us all things and leads
us on His perfect path. What a deal, praise the Lord, thank you Lord! We are
brought to completion, prosperity and innocence. The teaching on light has not
even scratched off the surface, it is wonderful and perhaps one of these days we
will return to it and the glory of the light.
1 John 1:7 (KJV)
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us
from all sin.
Romans 13:12 (KJV)
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast
off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
We are to be
anointed of the Holy Spirit, to not only be filled but covered!
John 14:17 (KJV)
17 Even
the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not,
neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in
you.
Acts 2:1-4 (KJV)
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with
one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty
wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and
it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began
to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
We are to put
on love; this one is extremely crucial for without the full development of love
we can not walk in the fullness of the victory or bring that victory into the
lives of others. Love is what makes our faith work (Galatians 5:6) and faith is
the victory that overcomes the world system (1 John 5:4).
Colossians
3:14 (KJV)
14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the
bond of perfectness.
We are also
told to put on Christ! Sounds like a tall order but remember all things are
possible with God.
Romans 13:14
(KJV)
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision
for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Galatians 3:27
(KJV)
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put
on Christ.
Remember that
what allow us through the veil into the Most Holy Place are the broken body and
the shed blood of Jesus the perfect unblemished Lamb of God that took away the
sin of the world.
Hebrews
10:19-20 (KJV)
19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by
the blood of Jesus,
20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through
the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
The first
picture we see of this is in the garden following the sin of man.
Genesis 3:21
(KJV)
21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of
skins, and clothed them.
God repeats
this image many times, the following verses we see it under the law.
Exodus 24:5-8
(KJV)
5 And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered
burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.
6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and
half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of
the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be
obedient.
8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people,
and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you
concerning all these words.
Today the
offering which brought peace between man and God was the man Jesus Christ.
Jesus blood is not only sprinkled upon us but upon that alter in the sanctuary
not made with human hands. We are cleansed and we have put on Christ Jesus, His
broken body that that of the animal in the garden and His blood like that of the
animal in the garden. Unlike the animal in the garden and down through the Old
Covenant we have the eternal covering of Jesus and His blood!
We are
instructed to take to ourselves “the whole armour of God,” (Ephesians 6:13) So
far we have discussed “having our loins girt (to wrap around) about with truth”
(April teaching). We have put “on the breastplate of righteousness;” This is
the Old Testament equivalent to the breastplate of judgment and praise God we
are judged righteous! (August teaching) Next we have “feet shod with the
preparation of the gospel of peace;” This is the good news of wholeness in every
area of life, good by curse, hello blessing. It is possible to have the Garden
of Eden in our lives. (September teaching) Now we come to the shield of faith.
A shield is
something that separates us from adversity. In days of old the shield is what
separated you from the enemy’s arrows, spears and sword. The analogy in the
spirit realm is the same. This spiritual shield causes all the “fiery darts of
the wicked” to be quenched or extinguished. Much like we might use a fire
extinguisher on a fire. Now let me make on thing clear before I move on. I am
not saying that adversity will not come. What I am saying is that you have the
choice of entertaining the adversity, inviting it in, taking possession of it or
determining that you walk by faith not by sight. You keep your eye on the Word
not the circumstances. When you give circumstances to much room, to much
thought, you like Peter will sink in the water (be overtaken by the curse).
2 Corinthians
5:7 (KJV)
7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
Now what is
faith? Simply put faith is the adherence to, reliance upon, persuasion of and
confidence in the gospel system of Truth. Anywhere you find the word faith one
way or another you can plug in this definition. The gospel of course is the
good news! Jesus went about and told his disciples to go about teaching the
gospel of the kingdom. This gospel of the kingdom is the good news of
wholeness. Faith is a system by which we live our lives. Just as in the world
there is a system of lies and we adhered to it avidly and unfortunately many in
the Church bring that system with them and try to mingle the systems of this
world and the kingdom of God and it only results in unfruitfulness. The way we
live our lives determines where we live our lives. That is to say in the curse
or in the blessing (Garden of Eden) or some unfulfilling mixture of both.
What is
Truth? First Truth is the Word of God, which is Jesus himself and the Holy
Scripture.
John 17:17 (KJV)
17 Sanctify
them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
John 1:14 (KJV)
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld
his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and
truth.
Second Truth
is made evident or illuminated by the Holy Spirit.
John 14:17 (KJV)
17 Even
the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not,
neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in
you.
Third Truth is
love.
Psalms 119:142
(KJV)
142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy
law is the truth.
What law?
Well let us allow Jesus to answer that question.
Matthew 22:36-40
(KJV)
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy mind.
38 This is the first and great
commandment.
39 And the second is like unto
it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all
the law and the prophets.
So right now
take this shield of faith and make it a reality in your life. Remember when you
are tempted to doubt you and only you make the decision to do so or not. Make
the decision to not doubt and proclaim the Word of God otherwise you are calling
God a liar like Eve in the garden. Is that really what you want to do and reap
the harvest that Eve reaped?
Next month we
will pickup with the helmet of salvation. Until then we love and God loves you
and there is nothing you can do about it.
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