… and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

Ephesians 6:15

Can you imagine a soldier going into battle barefoot? Can you imagine a farmer doing his work barefoot? In many situations in life, a person who is barefoot is at a significant disadvantage to someone who has the correct footwear for the occasion. The proper footwear protects and enhances the effectiveness of our feet so we can work with greater skill and confidence. In this passage Paul tells us that, for Christians, our readiness of our spiritual feet to stand in the battle against the devil comes from the gospel of peace.

What is the gospel of peace? Romans 5:1-2a says, “since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand.” We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not because of anything we have done. He has given us access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

Our enemy will try to get us to focus on ourselves. He will point out our sins and weaknesses and we may wonder, “How could God possibly accept me?” As long as we have this doubt, we won’t have the confidence to enter the battle. We will be as helpless as a barefooted soldier on a battlefield of broken glass. The only way we can be ready for battle is to depend only on the peace we have with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is how we put on our spiritual footwear.

For the Kingdom,

Ray King

The Doorpost devotions originally ran in the Samaritan Ministries Christian Health Care Newsletter.

The post The Doorpost: Spiritual footwear appeared first on Samaritan Ministries International.

School officials said at the time that they were overwhelmed with offers of help, but to check back with them in a few months.

Takethemameal.com checked back, and at the beginning of the coming school year, they are planning to deliver about 130 meals to families of faculty members and first-graders as a way to show support and love, Adina said in an interview for the Samaritan Ministries newsletter this morning.

Anyone who wants to sponsor one of these meals should watch the web site’s store over the next month for the announcement of the opportunity. Meals to feed a family generally cost around $40-$60, but Adina said the meals will be sponsored at cost, with no profit for Take Them a Meal.

The post Take Them a Meal to deliver to Sandy Hook families appeared first on Samaritan Ministries International.

… having put on the breastplate of righteousness.

Ephesians 6:14b

We are continuing to consider the armor the believer needs in order to prevail in the day-by-day struggle against the forces of darkness that oppose the work of Jesus Christ. The second piece of necessary armor is the breastplate of righteousness.

Righteousness is essential to victory in the daily battle. One of the devil’s most common schemes is to attack our faith by pointing out our sinfulness and lack of strength, “How can God use you when you do (or think) things like that? He accuses. “You’ll never be able to do right. You’re too weak.” Our protection against this attack is the breastplate of righteousness.

It is critical that we understand that the breastplate of righteousness does not come from our own righteousness, but from the righteousness of Jesus Christ that is given to every believer (Romans 3:22). Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins by His death on the cross. Our sins are forgiven and we are righteous in God’s sight. When the devil brings his accusations against us, reminding us of our pastor sins, we deflect his attack by keeping our breastplate firmly in place, depending on Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins to provide our right standing with God.

But our righteousness in Christ goes beyond this. Jesus Christ was raised from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father (Ephesians 1:20). We are seated with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6). The Holy Spirit is living in each of us and He is greater than the evil one (1 John 4:4). Because of this, we not only have forgiveness for our sins; we also have the power, in Christ, to do righteous deeds (Ephesians 2:10). When the devil brings his accusations against us, telling us that we are too weak to obey, we again deflect his attack by keeping our breastplate firmly in place, remembering that He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world and that we already have been given the victory, in Him.

For the Kingdom,

Ray King

The Doorpost devotions originally ran in the Samaritan Ministries Christian Health Care Newsletter.

The post The Doorpost: Breastplate of righteousness appeared first on Samaritan Ministries International.

Visitors at a north-facing window this morning.

The post Talkin’ turkey at a Samaritan Ministries window appeared first on Samaritan Ministries International.

A very good organization to be connected with. I have no regrets in becoming a member. When I had a big dilemma with very large hospital bills for major surgery that were coming in, Samaritan Ministry staff and members were there. I am still awestruck.

Thanks for the compliments, Kristi. Everything the ministry and its members do well, we do by the power of the Lord. All praise to Him.

The post Member ‘awestruck’ by Samaritan services appeared first on Samaritan Ministries International.