Prepare for Battle - Eph 6:10-24
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Ephesians 6:10-11
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Ephesians 6:10-11
Homosexuality, abortion, women's roles in the church. Regardless of where you stand on any issue, our fight is not against the people involved. Our fight is ultimately against Satan and his minions who are present but invisible. There is a war going on which we cannot see, but our Heavenly Father still calls us to fight.
"Prepare for battle!" as Gandalf says in The Return of the King. Paul gives three commands to follow as we prepare and engage in battle:
1) Put On God's Armor. These are truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, salvation and God's Word. Do you realize these have all been addressed throughout this letter to the Ephesians?
Paul has already told us what these look like and how we know we have them!
2) Stand Firm. Before, during, and after, stand firm against our enemy. Don't be persuaded or deceived by his lies and cunning tactics. Continue to grow in knowing God's Word, His truth and the rest of the "armor." God will give you His strength, power, and wisdom to stand! If He calls you to this battle, and He is, He will be your strength through it.
3) Pray. Do not neglect this! Paul implores us to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests...be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people" (v. 18, emphasis added). Nothing is too small, annoying, or unimportant to Him. You're not filling Him in - He already knows everything, but He wants your heart and vulnerable trust. Give it to Him. He is faithful. "Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love" (v. 24).
Pray:
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your word and the opportunity to get to know You and Your word better. Continue to grow each of us, making us more like You. Give Your people Your strength, power, and wisdom to stand firm against our enemy. I praise You for already defeating him and for promising to destroy him once and for all in the future. Help me put on Your armor, stand firm, and pray continually. In Jesus' Name, Amen.,
Challenge:
As you engage people around you, how can you remind yourself that your war is not against them, but against our common enemy? What does it look like to battle him and still love those who are enslaved by his lies? Finally, reflect over the entire book of Ephesians. What has the Lord taught you?
CLIMB DAY 12 & 13
Today our team splits, as two fly home, two fly to another country, and the rest will head out on safari. The team will make their way to Tarangire National Park with morning and afternoon game drives. Second only to the Ngorongoro Crater as a dry‐season (June/July) sanctuary for vast herds of migratory creatures, the park’s wildlife tend to follow clearly defined seasonal patterns. The team will hope to see zebras, wildebeests, gazelles, buffaloes, elands, oryxes, hartebeests, and elephants.
The next morning, the team will awake early morning for breakfast and make their way to the Ngorongoro Crater. The Ngorongoro Crater is a caldera, has sides roughly 2,000 feet high and a flattish centre with a diameter of about ten miles. The views from the top of the crater wall are absolutely breathtaking.
The crater walls are forested but four wheel drive vehicles will take the team down into this primeval paradise of woodland, lake, river, swamp and plain that shelters around 20,000 animals. Many of these are the large grazing animals such as wildebeest, buffalos, gazelles and zebras who depend on the open grasslands in the crater. These attract the attendant predators; the black-maned lions and hyenas. The elephant found within the caldera tend to be the lone males who have left the herds in the forested crater rim.
The team will fly home tonight! After the beating their bodies have taken over the last 12 days, they need to be sure to move around the plane cabin and stretch to keep good circulation. Thankfully, the flights will give them opportunity to catch up on any rest they may have lost on the mountain. They will also have opportunities to share their stories with those sitting at their side.
Traveling home is always bittersweet and this trip is no exception. All of the planning and preparing is past and the climb is over. Everyone can look forward to new challenges and rejoice over the accomplishments they have achieved, but they cannot go back and relive this extraordinary experience. Our team still needs your support.
Have you ever gone on a trip and returned home on a "high?” It can be difficult to adjust back to the normal ebb and flow of everyday life. Our team has experienced an incredible high - and as they adjust they will need to process their time. Each one will do this differently, but let's show them the unifying love we've learned about in Ephesians and be sensitive to them. Some will want to talk, others will want to show pictures, and others will want to just sit quietly and reflect. Make time and be there to listen intentionally, try to soak in each picture and word, and sit in silence when needed. And most of all, rejoice with them!
Pray for our team as they go through security, pass through customs and that their paperwork is in order. Pray the flights go smoothly, that God would calm their fears. Pray for conversations they may have, that God would make Himself known through them to people on the plane who do not know Him. Finally, pray for our team's return to normal life and that His work in their lives on the mountain would continue at home.
"Prepare for battle!" as Gandalf says in The Return of the King. Paul gives three commands to follow as we prepare and engage in battle:
1) Put On God's Armor. These are truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, salvation and God's Word. Do you realize these have all been addressed throughout this letter to the Ephesians?
Paul has already told us what these look like and how we know we have them!
2) Stand Firm. Before, during, and after, stand firm against our enemy. Don't be persuaded or deceived by his lies and cunning tactics. Continue to grow in knowing God's Word, His truth and the rest of the "armor." God will give you His strength, power, and wisdom to stand! If He calls you to this battle, and He is, He will be your strength through it.
3) Pray. Do not neglect this! Paul implores us to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests...be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people" (v. 18, emphasis added). Nothing is too small, annoying, or unimportant to Him. You're not filling Him in - He already knows everything, but He wants your heart and vulnerable trust. Give it to Him. He is faithful. "Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love" (v. 24).
Pray:
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your word and the opportunity to get to know You and Your word better. Continue to grow each of us, making us more like You. Give Your people Your strength, power, and wisdom to stand firm against our enemy. I praise You for already defeating him and for promising to destroy him once and for all in the future. Help me put on Your armor, stand firm, and pray continually. In Jesus' Name, Amen.,
Challenge:
As you engage people around you, how can you remind yourself that your war is not against them, but against our common enemy? What does it look like to battle him and still love those who are enslaved by his lies? Finally, reflect over the entire book of Ephesians. What has the Lord taught you?
CLIMB DAY 12 & 13
Today our team splits, as two fly home, two fly to another country, and the rest will head out on safari. The team will make their way to Tarangire National Park with morning and afternoon game drives. Second only to the Ngorongoro Crater as a dry‐season (June/July) sanctuary for vast herds of migratory creatures, the park’s wildlife tend to follow clearly defined seasonal patterns. The team will hope to see zebras, wildebeests, gazelles, buffaloes, elands, oryxes, hartebeests, and elephants.
The next morning, the team will awake early morning for breakfast and make their way to the Ngorongoro Crater. The Ngorongoro Crater is a caldera, has sides roughly 2,000 feet high and a flattish centre with a diameter of about ten miles. The views from the top of the crater wall are absolutely breathtaking.
The crater walls are forested but four wheel drive vehicles will take the team down into this primeval paradise of woodland, lake, river, swamp and plain that shelters around 20,000 animals. Many of these are the large grazing animals such as wildebeest, buffalos, gazelles and zebras who depend on the open grasslands in the crater. These attract the attendant predators; the black-maned lions and hyenas. The elephant found within the caldera tend to be the lone males who have left the herds in the forested crater rim.
The team will fly home tonight! After the beating their bodies have taken over the last 12 days, they need to be sure to move around the plane cabin and stretch to keep good circulation. Thankfully, the flights will give them opportunity to catch up on any rest they may have lost on the mountain. They will also have opportunities to share their stories with those sitting at their side.
Traveling home is always bittersweet and this trip is no exception. All of the planning and preparing is past and the climb is over. Everyone can look forward to new challenges and rejoice over the accomplishments they have achieved, but they cannot go back and relive this extraordinary experience. Our team still needs your support.
Have you ever gone on a trip and returned home on a "high?” It can be difficult to adjust back to the normal ebb and flow of everyday life. Our team has experienced an incredible high - and as they adjust they will need to process their time. Each one will do this differently, but let's show them the unifying love we've learned about in Ephesians and be sensitive to them. Some will want to talk, others will want to show pictures, and others will want to just sit quietly and reflect. Make time and be there to listen intentionally, try to soak in each picture and word, and sit in silence when needed. And most of all, rejoice with them!
Pray for our team as they go through security, pass through customs and that their paperwork is in order. Pray the flights go smoothly, that God would calm their fears. Pray for conversations they may have, that God would make Himself known through them to people on the plane who do not know Him. Finally, pray for our team's return to normal life and that His work in their lives on the mountain would continue at home.
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