CE application

Finally printed out the application and supporting documents for the exemption from Compulsory Education.  Going to file it up, photocopy my certs and send it in.

Truth and Righteousness

Ephesians 6:13-14

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness.

"Stand" seems to be an important word here, appearing 3 times.  "Withstand" implies a resistance to something... the evil that will be rampant in the "evil day".  Having done that, we are told to "stand".  To be upright.  Not to be lying down.   We do not merely stand, only to be knocked down again by the evil that abounds, but we are to stand with armour, defending and attacking.

Truth must surround us.  What truth?  The absolute truth of the Word of God!  Not some airy-fairy, post-modern 'truth' which cannot stand the test of time.  Only the Word of God as our belt, upon which we can hang our sword and other important parts of our armour.

The breastplate protects the largest, most exposed part of our bodies, and this must be righteousness.  Again, it is not our own brand of righteousness.  It can only be the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to us.  This holy righteousness is free from weak areas, holes and kinks.  This is the only righteousness that can be depended upon to protect us from the darts of the evil One.

Practically, all this means that we must spend time getting to know the truth of God's Word in the Bible.  We must ensure that we put on the correct breastplate, believing in Jesus ALONE for salvation.  Today, when temptations come at us, we shall be able to stand and withstand.  Praise the Lord.

Against Cosmic Powers

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

We are in a fight. A wrestling match. But not against fellow man. The principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this age.... what are they? I gave Sarah a word search puzzle related to this verse to do today. She had difficulty finding some of the words, so she ended up circling two very insightful 'words' - TV and IT!!!

I do believe that it is through the TV and the computer (more specifically the Internet), that these rulers of darkness have their primary dominion. When we switch on the TV, or casually browse the Internet, we enter their world. Be careful not to take anything out and back into God's kingdom. If you can, don't let these dominions into your home at all! Spend too much time in these dominions, and we'll soon have PR there. Be warned. These spiritual hosts of wickedness are in the heavenly places. We might not be able to see them, but they are in the ideas propagated, the visuals we see, the little bits of omissions that we are liable to make. BEWARE!! We are to wrestle against these, never allowing them to gain the upper hand.