How to Become an Expert at Swinging the Sword of the Spirit of God

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Fourteen

How to Become an Expert at Swinging the Sword of the Spirit of God

We’ve arrived. Today, we take a look at the final piece of the armor of God, the Sword of the Spirit. What is the Sword of the Spirit? Well, the scripture says that it’s the Word of God. So, our interaction with the Bible is necessary when we engage the levels of devils that come against us to steal, kill, and destroy. One gentleman, Robert Boardman wrote an article entitled, The Neglected Exercise, What will you miss if you don’t read your Bible every day? In it, he said that in the early 1970s, he accompanied a small tour group into a country that was difficult to enter. In one city of about 500,000, we found only one church left open by the authorities. All over the city, we could distinguish former church buildings turned into museums, warehouses, offices, or military barracks. In that solitary open church, we joined about fifteen bystanders, including several youths, watching a stand-up worship service. The worshipers numbered ten elderly women, one elderly blind man, and a handful of children. A priest wafted incense and recited some incantations. Then he brought out a huge, bejeweled Bible, carefully unlocked it, and read a portion from the Old Testament and another from the New. He then locked the Bible and, to our astonishment, one by one the eleven elderly worshipers came by and reverently kissed the ancient Holy Book. As we came out of that forlorn but open church building, many thoughts raced through our minds. One thing we were sure of was that the onlooking young people were thinking, If this is Christianity, it deserves to stay in the Middle Ages. What we saw was a ritualistic, clergy-dominated religion where the people had no access to a Bible of their own. It was locked away from them. How many versions of the Bible do we have in the free world? Hundreds I’m sure. I have an invaluable study book called The New Testament from 26 Translations. Do you and I take advantage of the unlocked, abundant versions of the Bible in our homes and libraries? Or do our negligence and apathy make the Bible a locked book? That was Robert Broadman’s insightful comment. Let me ask you a question based on what you’ve heard. How does the Bible become the Sword of the Spirit that it needs to be if you treat it as a locked book? How to Become an Expert at Swinging the Sword of the Spirit of God, that’s the focus of this week’s Light on Life.

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Just Who Is Jesus to You? Encore

[Tweet “it’s not important what the devil has to say. What’s vital is what you have to say after he gets done talking. “]

Why God Believes You Should Read Holy Spirit Inspired Books

Podcast: Light on Life Season Eight Episode Twenty-Four

God believes in books. He believes in you reading them. The Lord inspired people to write them. He spoke to them in the night seasons and in their secret times of prayer. That should not be a ‘wow’ statement to you since He is the author of the most extraordinary book ever written, the Bible. It is the number one seller on planet earth! He wants you to read His book often, even daily. The Bible is your contact with Him — it is God speaking to you. Your gateway to freedom lies in your reading it, getting your mind renewed to it, and putting it into operation in your everyday life. The Bible details the way to God, the way to heaven, and how to succeed in all your affairs. Many books have been written about the Bible. Most of them are Holy Spirit-inspired works that are aids to help you understand His most exceptional book. These books are not replacements or substitutes. But the Lord did have them written for your benefit. Here are some thoughts to help you engage this material in your everyday life. Why God Believes You Should Read Holy Spirit Inspired Books, that’s our focus on this week’s Light On Life.

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Why Doing the Word of God Is The Ticket to Success

[Tweet “There’s something tangible about the thoughts expressed by those who have spent lots of time in God’s Presence.”]

How to Build Your Life Praying Bible Prayers

Encore Podcast: Light on Life Season Seven Episode Forty

How to Build Your Life Praying Bible Prayers

It is vital to have a prayer life based on God’s Word. So, praying Bible prayers is a skill a follower of Jesus should acquire. What are Bible prayers? They are prayers that are laced with scriptures specifically Bible promises. Today, in this week’s podcast episode, we are going to show you how to pray these kinds of prayers.

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#S3-033: How to Pray Practically for Presidents and Kings [Podcast]

[Tweet “After you pray, act like the Lord heard you. Live your life like the answer is yes.”]

The Word of the Lord Is Like A Fire

The Word of the Lord Is A Fire

How’s Your Fire?

Jeremiah said the Word of the Lord in him just lit his heart up like fire.

Jeremiah 20:9 (GW) — 9 I think to myself, “I can forget the Lord and no longer speak his name.” But ⌊his word⌋ is inside me like a burning fire shut up in my bones. I wear myself out holding it in, but I can’t do it any longer.

If you think about the Word of God long enough, if you ponder it and meditate on it like the Psalmist David did in Psalm one,

Psalm 1:1–3 (GW) — 1 Blessed is the person who does not follow the advice of wicked people, take the path of sinners, or join the company of mockers. 2 Rather, he delights in the teachings of the Lord and reflects on his teachings day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted beside streams— a tree that produces fruit in season and whose leaves do not wither. He succeeds in everything he does.

You will come to a place just like Jeremiah where His Word is so strong in you that you can’t hold it in. You have to just let it go.

[Tweet “Is God’s Word like a fire shut up in your heart?”]

We met this colorful gentleman in Ocho, Jamaica while on vacation. For more of our travels check out our Instagram account.© 2017 Emery Horvath

How Meditating the Word Makes You Sharp in the Things of God [Encore]

The Parable of the Sower

“The end of study is information, and the end of meditation is practice or a work upon the affections. Study is like a winter sun that shines but does not warm, but meditation is like blowing up the fire, where we do not mind the blaze but the heat” 1. So says English Puritan Thomas Manton. Studying a Bible verse is different than meditating on it. Jesus proved this out in His own life. And you can prove it out in yours.

[Tweet “If Jesus had to grow in wisdom and understanding per Luke 2:52, so do you.”]

Why You Should Be Best Friends with Books [Encore]

God believes in books. He believes in you reading them. That should not be a ‘wow’ statement to you. He is the author of the most extraordinary book ever written, the Bible. It is the number one seller on planet earth! He wants you to read it often, even daily. It is your contact with Him and your gateway to freedom. The Bible details the way to God, the way to heaven, and the way to success in life. Many books have been written about the Bible. They are aids to help you understand this most exceptional book. Here are some thoughts to help you engage this material in your everyday life.

[Tweet “You cannot be effective for God and think junky thoughts.”]

#S2-038: Why is Faith Important and Who Has It? [Podcast]

Real Bible Faith: How It Works

Although the first Pilgrims established a peaceful relationship with the natives in America, the following generation struggled with bloody warfare. The war between Pilgrims and Indians, known as King Philip’s War, began in 1675 and lasted fourteen months. In March 1676, a group of nearly fifteen hundred Indians attacked the village of Rehoboth. Nathaniel Philbrick writes, “As the inhabitants watched from their garrisons, 40 houses, 30 barns, and 2 mills went up in flames. Only one person was killed—a man who believed that as long as he continued reading the Bible, no harm would come to him. Refusing to abandon his home, he was found shot to death in his chair—the Bible still in his hands.” 1 What is the point here? Reading the Bible is not enough. You have to believe it. You have to act on it. We’ve been talking the last month on the subject of divine healing. The linchpin required to make healing a reality in your life is faith in God’s Word. In this weeks’ Light on Life we are going to begin to take a look at the subject of Real Bible Faith.

This is part one of the Series entitled, ‘Real Bible Faith: How It Works’. You can find Part Two ‘How to Release Your Faith with Words’ here

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#S2-030: Why ‘HE’, the 5th Letter of the Hebrew Alphabet, is Important for Your Life [Podcast]

The Hidden Power of the Hebrew Alphabet

There is an old Italian proverb, “When God shuts a door, He opens a window.” Many of God’s saints have come to barriers in life which have eventually meant new and broader fields of service. If we are identified with Christ, distressing circumstances will bring us into new discoveries of the riches of His grace and the treasures of His boundless and eternal love. 1 Windows is the subject as we open the fifth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet and try to understand it’s power.

This is part 4 of the Series “What is the Hidden Power of the Hebrew Alphabet?” You can find Part One ‘Alpeh’ by clicking herePart Two ‘Beth’ and ‘Gimel’ by clicking here. and Part Three ‘Daleth’ by clicking here.

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How to Conquer An Ungodly Habit

One unknown gentleman said, ‘A bad habit is like a comfortable bed—easy to get into but hard to get out of.’1 Are you a believer in Jesus and yet struggle with habits which weigh you down and dilute your testimony? There is a answer to the dilemma (Gal.1:4).  The habit may be difficult to overcome but not impossible. All things are possible to one who believes (Mk. 9:23). Here are areas to look at and some things which you can implement from the Bible to overthrow the negative which has gripped your life.

What is the Reality of Real Humility?

The Bible admonishes us to adjust our lifestyle and to walk in a certain way, to walk worthy. Howard was a most talented church choir director. His life was filled with humble service to the Lord and to His church. He was truly a “glory-deflector”—one who was always careful to give God the glory. One afternoon before the Christmas cantata, a choir member approached Howard and said, “Tonight, all of the men are going to wear colorful bow-ties to celebrate the season. Do you want to wear one also”? 1 In a very loving but direct response, Howard said, “I do not want to do anything that would distract others from clearly hearing our message of the gospel.” Howard was demonstrating what walking worthy  means? Are you walking worthy? Is your humility helping others to clearly hear the gospel?

#047: What Happens to a Person When They Die? [Podcast]

Today’s post is in answer to the following question which came in. If you have a question you would like answered, please consider making contact. We would love to hear from you. Here is the question.

“Would you please answer this question for us or if you have something already written on this subject would you please send it to us. What happens when a person dies? If a Christian dies what happens after they die and when an unsaved person dies what happens? We know what the Bible says about death but some ministers teach that saved Christian’s when they die they lay in a state of unconsciousness until the rapture. While others teach that the saved Christians go immediately with the Lord and are rejoicing with Christ on the streets of gold and the unsaved are burning in hell.” – Cotia & Ford

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download | Subscribe in iTunes

What Happens to a Person When They Die?

Today’s post is in answer to the following question which came in. If you have a question you would like answered, please consider making contact. We would love to hear from you. Here is the question.

“Would you please answer this question for us or if you have something already written on this subject would you please send it to us. What happens when a person dies? If a Christian dies what happens after they die and when an unsaved person dies what happens? We know what the Bible says about death but some ministers teach that saved Christian’s when they die they lay in a state of unconsciousness until the rapture. While others teach that the saved Christians go immediately with the Lord and are rejoicing with Christ on the streets of gold and the unsaved are burning in hell.” – Cotia & Ford