17 February 2008

The Armor of God - Part 3

Hi folks, Pieter here again.

To clothe yourself with God's armor is to clothe yourself with Jesus. The more you become like Him, the safer you will be against the enemy. Jesus said: "I cannot talk with you much longer, because the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me." (Joh 14:30)
If we also become like Jesus, the enemy will not have any power over us either.
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In my previous blog, I mentioned the shoes of readiness, the belt of truth and the shield of faith and how they relate to the table of showbread and the lamp-stand. and the incense altar respectively. Each piece of the furniture in the tabernacle of Moses has a specific meaning in terms of God's purpose for your life. As you progress towards your destiny according to God's process driven life, God will strengthen your spiritual armor. We need to follow this process as depicted by the tabernacle of Moses, otherwise we will be unprepared for the next phase of growth.
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After the holy place of the tabernacle comes the most holy place. To enter in, you must go through the Veil. This speaks of the next transition phase in our Christian walk.
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In the days of the tabernacle, going through the veil was a very frightening experience. Once a year the high priest had to take the blood of the lamb and present it to the Lord on the the Mercy Seat on top of the Ark of the Covenant , which contained the Tablets of the Law.
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Tradition has it that when before he could enter the most holy place, a rope had to be tied to his one foot so that he could be pulled out again should he die inside there.
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The inside of the most holy place speaks of life and death. Anyone touching the ark could die instantly. On the other hand, the dead Rod of Aaron was placed there and started to bud again. The holy place also contained a Jar of Manna, symbol of life to the obedient and symbol of death to those who disobeyd. Anyone entering this place must do so with utter care.
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That is why, at Gladiators for God, everything you need to know in your spiritual walk will be carefully prepared and presented to you in various formats.

God bless you.
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Until next time.
Pieter de Waal

09 February 2008

The armor of God - Part 2

Hi folks, Pieter here again.

To clothe yourself with God's armor is to clothe yourself with Jesus. The armor is not about doing things, you put it on by faith.

In my previous blog, I mentioned the helmet and the breastplate. I spoke of how they relate to the tabernacle of Moses and also to God's purpose for your life. As you progress towards your destiny according to God's process driven life, God will strengthen your spiritual armor. We need to follow this route as depicted by the tabernacle of Moses, for without the proper protection, we will be unprepared for the next phase of the process.
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After the breastplate comes the shoes of readiness. The shoes relate very closely with the sacrament of holy communion. Remember how the Israelites had to eat passsover with shoes on their feet. This obviously corresponds with the table of showbread in the tabernacle. In the same room with the table, you would also have found the lamp-stand and the incense altar, speaking of the belt of truth and the shield of faith respectively.
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This room was called the holy place. Entering to this point speaks of achieving greater intmiacy with Christ. This is also where you will receive the vision of your life's purpose. Truth will be revealed to you that can only be received by faith.
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Don't mess this up, you need to spend real time with Jesus or your armor will be incomplete. You don't want your pants to sit on your knees because your belt couln'd handle the strain, now would you?
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Next time. "Wielding the sword."
Until then.

26 January 2008

The Armor of God

Hi Folks. Pieter here again.

Jesus said of us Christians that we are not of this world. "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." (Joh 17:16)

As a matter of fact we are finding ourselves in an antagonistic environment. "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." (Joh 15:19)

Fortunately for us, God has provided us with all the necessary protection. All we have to do, is to take it up. "So put on God's armor now! Then when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist the enemy's attacks; and after fighting to the end, you will still hold your ground." (Eph 6:13)

As we walk towards our destinies according to God's
process driven life, as depicted by the tabernacle of Moses, we will find God strengthening our spiritual armor. Every step of the way, one by one, each part of the armor will get its turn, for without the proper protection, we will be unprepared for the next phase of growth.

We need only look at the lives of the rich and famous to see what will happen to those who are prematurely thrushed into greatness without God's protection. Don't let is happen to you. Take the time to allow God to work in you, not only through you. Let him build your armor for the
spiritual warfare that awaits you..

As you enter your calling, you will first need
the helmet of salvation, this corresponds with the altar of the tabernacle. The blood of the lamb must always take priority. Nothing precedes it!

Next will be the
breastplate of rigtheousness. This corresponds with the tabernacle wash-basin.
Without getting His righteousness, you cannot enter
the door into the Holy Place. You have to allow God to wash you with His word, only then can you take the next step.

God's process is non-negotiable. Any short-cuts will only lead you to trouble. You don't want to be the next big name pastor who gets caught on the wrong side of the straight and narrow.

Next week . . . more of the armor.

Till then, God bless you.

Pieter de Waal

The Most Holy PLace

Hi Folks. Pieter here again.

Is there anything in this world that is more awesome than the Most Holy place of the tabernacle or the temple? Just imagine . . . God's presence in its fullest!
Each one of us, as we walk towards our destinies according to God's process driven life, desires to end up right here. This is where the things will happen. Yes it costs a price to enter, but it is worth it. Once you pass through the veil of the tabernacle and enter into the Most Holy Place, your life will never be the same again!
The glory of the mercy seat will begin to reflect in your life. You will get a new name and new authority as you eat from the jar of manna and you will receive the priestly gift as you wield the rod of Aaron. The ark of the covenant will finally reveal its secrets to you as you will receive God's Word directly from the author of the tablets of the law.
Exciting times indeed, but don't forget, just as the cherubim on the mercy seat are servants of the Lord, you will not receive this glory unless you too, put on the robe of the sevant.
Next time.... the armor of God.
Be blessed.
Pieter de Waal

11 January 2008

The Holy Place

Hi, folks. Pieter here again . . .

Take the next step and enter hrough the door of the Tabernacle into the Holy Place.
You will remember that God's process for His purposes is defined by the tabernacle of Moses. Entering the gate of the tabernacle will bring you into the outer court where you will find the altar and the wash-basin . I believe that too many Christians do not progress beyond the altar, but put up camp in the outer court.
The problem is the wash-basin. Many Christians simply don't know how to make use of it. Because the items of the tabernacle have a spiritual meaning for our lives, they must be spiritually discerned. Only by meeting with the requirements of the wash-basin, will you be able to enter the door of the tabernacle and see the inside, also known as the Holy Place.
Inside the Holy Place you will find three items. The first is the Table with Showbread. This is a special place of "dining"with God, which is reserved only for those that managed to progress beyond the door . Next to the table you will also find the lamp-stand and the altar of incense.
The former provides light to the Holy Place. Spiritually, God uses it to enlighten your heart regarding His plans for your life. The altar of incense however, is the most important item here, because it provides the key to access the Holy of holies.
Next time.... the Holy of holies.
God be with you.
Pieter de Waal

06 January 2008

New Years, New Things

A prosperous new year to you!
Hi, folks. Pieter here again . . .
"Life is a Song. Sing it! This is destined to be your best year ever! How can I say that? Well, if you don't start with a positive attitude, you might as well not start at all.
On that point. Did you know that the word "positive" is nowhere in the bible? It is a secular invention. God is not looking for positive people, He is looking for those that have faith. (Selah) Is being positive bad then? It depends on the source of your positiveness. If God is your source, then it is true faith and will reap fruit. If anything else is your source, you are probably in for a nasty surprise.
Talking of surprises. Has God ever surprised you? More specifically, has he started to unleash your destiny yet? How are you progressing on route to your destiny? Are you following God's process?
You will remember that God's process is defined by the tabernacle of Moses. When you start your spiritual journey, you must first enter the gate to the tabernacle. Jesus is the gate. Entering the gate is the same thing as entering into Jesus. Only in Him will you find the promises of God.
Entering the gate will bring you into the outer court of the tabernacle where you will find the altar and the wash-basin . The altar speaks of the cross and and the perfect sacrifice offered there for our sins. Unfortunately, too many Christians do not progress beyond the altar, but put up camp in the outer court.
Are you maybe one of those? You accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, but your life did not change. If you are one of those for whatever reason, then don't despair, there is hope! God loves you and his plan for your life rocks!
Next time... the Holy Place of the tabernacle.
God be with you.
Pieter de Waal
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