The Warrior

If you're anything like me, when you hear the word "Warrior" an image like this one comes to mind. We imagine a person, typically male, who is strong, courageous, fearless, and bold... a man fighting a battle that he cannot afford to lose. In many ways, we are just like that warrior. We, as Christians, have a worthy battle we're fighting, yet ours is not against flesh and blood like this soldier's is. In actuality, our battle is far more dangerous and much more crucial to win:

"[For our struggle is] against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." ~ Ephesians 6:12b

You see, our battle is so dangerous because it's one that we can't physically SEE. This makes it so much harder to dodge arrows to our most fragile and susceptible places. And let's be honest, without armor, we really don't stand much of a chance. That's what makes it so crucial to our success in battle.

Here's a full list, according to Ephesians 6:14-17, of the armor necessary to fight the spiritual battle we face as Belivers:




1. Belt of Truth
2. Breastplate of Righteousness
3. Shoes to spread the Gospel of Peace
4. Shield of Faith
5. Helmet of Salvation
6. Sword of the Spirit (The Word of God)

The following will also aid you in battle:

1. Praying in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests.
2. Being ALERT!
3. Continuously praying for the saints.

The conclusion of these things = Being FEARLESS to share the Gospel!




As I sat and pondered each element of armor, I couldn't help but ask myself, "Am I missing something?" You see, if we refuse to surrender our strongholds in order to take on the FULL armor of God, we are leaving ourselves vulnerable to attack. And let's not be deceived into thinking that we can get away without any single one of these pieces, for warriors are strongest in battle when they are fully protected.

My challenge to us all, friends, is to pray over each piece of armor that is listed in Ephesians 6 and ask God to show us what we are missing. Whether we feel like we are under attack or not, we are... and the only way to be successful is to surrender our strongholds to the Lord and ask Him to equip us with each and every piece of armor He has provided. Then, and only then, will we be able to go out and fight the good fight standing on solid rock.

May freedom from chains be yours today and may the protective armor of God shield you from the battle that lies ahead!

~Kelley

Hadda Bad Day?

*Sigh*... do you ever have one of those days where all you feel like doing is sighing? Where, for one reason or another, your day has been so lousy that you wish you could just skip it altogether and wake up tomorrow?

"Answer me when I call to You, O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
be merciful to me and hear my prayer."

~Psalm 4:1

What a beautiful and refreshing truth... that God's mercy is new every single morning. That's simply marvelous! BUT... what about this bad day? Is there any hope for recovery or is the only hope we have to go to bed early and start over again tomorrow? I mean, if God's mercy is new every morning, can it also be new every evening, or maybe even every hour? I can think of one place that will have the answer to that question...

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble."

~Psalm 46:1

You mean, God can extend His help and His new mercies ANY time of the day? Talk about a sigh of relief! I rarely get myself into a tizzy early in the morning, so I am definitely relieved to know that His promise extends throughout the day. Aren't you?

During my daily devotions today, the most needed Scripture I came across was Psalm 136. I encourage you to take a fresh look at it today and let these words especially sink in: "His love endures forever."

Chances are, you've heard this Psalm sung many times before and so the words may not be as meaningful to you at first glance, but if you'll put a personal touch to these Scriptures and insert your own very personal variables, I bet it will wash over you in a whole new way. I'll start... but then it's your turn.


I'll have times of joy and times of sorrow... but His love endures forever.

There'll be times of plenty and times of want... but His love endures forever.

My life may be stable and, at other times, shaky... but His love endures forever.

I will walk the right path or will choose the wrong one... but His love endures forever.

There'll be times to fight and times to surrender... but His love endures forever.


As you insert your own life challenges, my friends, don't forget to note the most important aspect of your relationship with God, for no matter what terrible troubles you may face in an hour, a day, or even an lifetime...





...and that's a promise. <3

The Price We Pay to "Have It All"

What woman hasn't picked up a magazine like this one and wished that she could be like the "picture perfect" person on the cover? We tell ourselves that, if only we had their body, wardrobe, fame, or fortune, all our troubles would be over. After all, doesn't the world tell us that these things will satisfy us? That true happiness is found in "having it all"? And so we wake up every morning, look in the mirror, and try our best to emulate the people we want to be like. And when we realize that we can't attain the perfection we desire, we give ourselves a heaping helping of pride and go on our way.

Pride has many clever facades. It disguises itself as insecurity and, at times, even humility. But we shouldn't be fooled or at all surprised when it doesn't satisfy us like we thought it would. Pride can feel good, really good... for a time. But time has a way of catching up with us and soon we find our precious pride has left us nothing more than empty promises. Sure it may be easy to hide behind, but that doesn't erase our desire to be seen as someone of worth.




Do you recognize the cover of this magazine? Surely you've seen many just like it at the grocery store check-out lines or in airport convenient stores. Looks like it's got some juicy gossip in there. Maybe you should read a page or two, just so you can see how truly messed up the stars in Hollywood are. It might even make you feel better about your life and how much more "put-together" you are than them. C'mon, what could it hurt to read a page or two? After all, how can you pray for these people if you don't know what's going on in their lives?

Sound all too familiar? I know I've had thoughts like these many times. But who do we think we're fooling? We like gossip because it makes us feel better about ourselves. Mr. Pride is knocking on our door once again, only now he tells us that we could never be like other people, not because they're better than us, but because we're better than them. And let's be real, we like it much better this way.




"Alexander Pope called it 'the never-failing vice of fools.' Pride--a destroyer of ministries, marriages, friendships, jobs, and character... To fulfill our God-given destinies-- to allow the King of all creation to show Himself through us-- we must overcome the temptation to seek our own glory by desiring His instead. If we are to recognize and allow God to free us from any areas of captivity, we must recognize pride as more than self-promotion. It's a dangerous lure to captivity." -Beth Moore, Breaking Free (emphasis mine)

I can't think of another word that better describes pride than deceptive. Pride sets itself up as our friend when it is actually our enemy. It covers our heart (which is deceptive to begin with), doesn't like to be told what to do, thinks it's free enough, denies that there's a problem, and won't admit to weakness. Now does that sound like a good friend to you?

Daniel 4:37 tells us that those who walk in pride will be humbled by the Lord! I don't reference this verse to scare us, but to help us realize the price we pay for our pride. Either we choose to humble ourselves, or the Lord will do the work Himself. You see, pride is one of the most dangerous strongholds to have because it conceals itself so beautifully. That's why we must rid ourselves of it before it brings us disgrace. And let's not fool ourselves, it WILL bring us disgrace eventually (Proverbs 13:10).

Oh Lord, give us a washing with Your Word!

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
"Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up."
-James 4:6, 10

Are you as grateful as I am that we have a God who longs to lift us up? Who desires not that we be consumed, but that we be given grace through humility? Let's make a decision here and now, my Beloved, to humble ourselves before the Lord each and every day. To surrender our pride in exchange for humility and choose to receive the precious grace that awaits us. There is no better time to begin than right now, on our knees. Will you kneel beside me, friend? Let's let the Lord loosen these chains and show us what TRUE freedom feels like!

Forgiveness: Your Journey to Freedom

One summer morning, a few days before Independence Day, I walked into one of the classrooms at the preschool where I taught. The children had been shuffled inside after playing outdoors and were obediently sitting on the rug they sat on every morning at this time. As I walked in the classroom with a smile on my face, ready to read a story aloud, I noticed something familiar out of the corner of my eye. As I took a few steps closer, I quickly recognized the red, white, and blue object that had caught my attention. As I stared at the small American flag standing proudly in the corner of the classroom, a strong emotion came over me. How can a simple cloth, made up with stars and stripes, make a grown adult feel like weeping? Was I merely caught up in the spirit of the upcoming holiday? Or could it be that I was experiencing the emotion I feel whenever I'm reminded of the freedom I've been bought by the blood of another?



What a blessing it is when July 4th comes along and America finally celebrates what she should be celebrating all year long: Freedom. It's so easy to take for granted the blessings we experience every day, especially for those who have never lived without it. But for those of us who once were lost and now are found, who remember what it was like before we allowed Christ to set us free from our chains, freedom is the single greatest gift we have ever received.

As I sat down with a Bible in my lap and my head bowed in prayer, I began to ponder the word Freedom in my heart. It wasn't long before I began asking myself, "What is freedom really about? Is it merely a word that gives us a warm fuzzy feeling inside? Is it an unattainable dream or, worse yet, an excuse for crudeness and laziness? Though freedom was purchased at the highest price, has it become nothing more than an excuse for complacency?"

I cried out to the Lord and begged for His forgiveness on behalf of myself and my country! How can we take for granted the greatest gift He has ever given us? I bowed my head once more and asked the Lord to tell me how I can truly live in the complete freedom He has graciously given.

And He answered, "Forgive others as I have forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:32b, paraphrased)

What? What on earth does forgiveness have to do with freedom?

And then it dawned on me: There are few things that bind us in tighter chains than the sin of unforgiveness. You see, unforgiveness has a lot of friends: Bitterness, resentment, jealousy, pain, and anger, to name a few. If we allow these things a place in our heart, we are hindering ourselves from making a greater impact for the Kingdom.

Reverend Bruce Goettsche perfectly described the results of forgiveness versus unforgiveness when he said,

"Forgiveness not only releases us physically and emotionally, it also releases us SPIRITUALLY."

"An unforgiving heart binds the Holy Spirit's ability to work. It becomes a barrier to effective and fruitful ministry. An unwillingness to forgive disrupts our fellowship with God. It steals from us the joy of knowing His forgiveness in our lives."

You see, my friends, when we choose unforgiveness, we are actually choosing to give up a piece of the freedom that is offered us in Christ. We are choosing to be bound by chains. By forgiving others we are not justifying their sin, but are freeing ourselves so that we can begin to heal and move on.

And so, on this Independence Day, I urge you to consider the freedom that you've been offered. Is there anything that you are allowing to hold you back from experiencing it fully? Are you holding on to bitterness, jealousy, hatred, anger, or anything that keeps you from knowing freedom completely? The choice is yours:

What will YOU choose to occupy your heart?

"And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." -Mark 11:25

"My chains are gone, I've been set free. My God, my Savior, has ransomed me. And like a flood, His mercy reigns. Unending love, amazing grace." <3>