Armour-Awareness...

Forgive the Poem-flood. I'm posting this past week's writing so I don't get lazy 

and think I can get away with not thinking for a bit ;-)

How in the world can we survive the trouble and the tests

Or easy explanations from the Tempter’s cunning quests

And how do we decipher right from wrong or wrong from right

If we decide to turn our eyes from The Word’s Guiding Light

Pride goes before destruction; haughtiness before the fall

But Death and Resurrection’s triumph hails to one and all

Then how will survive if we disregard Calvary

And darken understanding with the lesser gods we see

This churlish mind is master of excuses, ruses, lies

Our trophies of disaster deck the ashes of disguise

Still, Mercy’s sacred purchase peals in every gifted breath

Then how will we survive if we exchange God’s grace for death

…for we will never be enough to save our soul’s from hell

Without the power of the cross, how dark death’s doleful knell

And how will we survive if we Taste grace, then spit it out

To stuff faces with flavours that will poison faith with doubt

How in the world can we survive the pitfall and the snare

If instead of God’s armor we choose sin’s entangling fare

And how, without His Word to be the lamp unto our feet

Will we be fit for Heaven when soul and the Saviour meet

© Janet Martin

Those who cling to worthless idols

forfeit the grace that could be theirs.

But I, with a song of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you.

What I have vowed I will make good.

Salvation comes from the Lord.

Jonah 2:8-9

Hope's Bugle-call

Foolish me! Trying to delay the inevitable by hitting snooze
hoping nine more minutes of oblivion will somehow
make it easier to switch from the horizontal position to the vertical,
but never does!

Foolish, foolish everyone who tries to thwart The Inevitable by ignoring it!

 This morning the sun broke through stunning hues of blue like a brass-bugle call...

Pry thy Soul-ship from Thy berth

Creature-care awaits

Love in flawless forms of worth

Storms through eastern gates

Rise and shine and take thy place

In life’s line of thanks

God extends his divine grace

To earth’s chosen ranks

Left foot-right-foot-left-foot-right

Mercy’s sacred charge

Bids us onward as we fight

Enemies at large

Don the Armor God designed

Without it we fall

Keep thy Victory in mind

Heed Hope’s bugle call

Forbid we, with foolish heart

Satan’s darts ignore

Soon we will see, not in part

Who we’re fighting for

© Janet Martin

There's no doubt about it; we are in a fight of our lives!
Only the true believer survives!

 Eph.6:10-18

 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.  

 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,  

and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  

 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, 

with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. 

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Love the words to this song to 'rally the troops' to persevere

 

In Case We Forget and Become Anxious...

Put on the armor of our Lord

Salvation’s helmet, Spirit’s sword

The belt of truth, the shield of faith

Feet shod with the gospel of grace

Let righteousness be your breastplate

With prayer prepare for day-in-wait

Then raise your voice with mercy’s boasts

Rejoice and praise the Lord of hosts

For He our debt of guilt forgave

Redemption seals the sin-cursed grave

He died so when we die we live

Beneath hate’s nails love cried ‘forgive’

And pardoned with His blood the debt

That doomed us to eternal death

Then, for the loss that paid sin’s price

Take up your cross of sacrifice

For, wherever we go He goes

And what we do not know He knows

God bestows peace to hearts that trust

And hallelujah hymns where dust-

To-dust is not a hopeless chase

But prelude to that face-to-face

Where grace our reckoning secures

Through faith in He whose Word endures

© Janet Martin