Unto The Hills Ministries

The Sword of The Spirit

Pastor Tom — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:28:59 +0000

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God -Ephesians 6:17

All the previous parts of the armor are defensive in nature, the breastplate, shoes, helmet, shield is meant to defeat satan’s attack on us, Today we look at our one offensive weapon: The Sword of the Spirit.

The Literal Interpretation

Paul spoke of one of five different types of Roman swords. This one was a two-edged sword with the end turned upward. It inflicted much more damage than the other swords. Not only was it intended to kill, but also it could rip the enemy’s insides to shreds. It only needed to penetrate the enemy a depth of two to three inches to mortally wound him. Another advantage to this sword is that the soldier did not have to turn his sword around to inflict damage to the enemy. It cut in two directions. This was seen as a very deadly and powerful weapon.

The Spiritual Application

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The Bible is described as being sharper than any two edged sword. As dangerous as the roman sword was to doing bodily damage to the enemy, the Word of God in the hands of His Warrior is just as dangerous to our enemy and so powerful that it enters even to the deepest and most inward and secret parts of the heart, fatally wounding the stubborn, and openly reviving the believers.

The Battle Plan

The battle plan is exemplified in the life of Jesus Christ, who left us an example that we should follow in His steps. How did Jesus react when tempted by the enemy, satan?

Matthew 4:1-11 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. (2) And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. (3) And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. (4) But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (5) Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, (6) And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. (7) Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. (8) Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; (9) And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. (10) Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. (11) Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

We see the three temptations of Jesus here. We are told that Jesus was tempted in all ways like we are yet without sin.

1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Lust of the Flesh: he was 40 days fasting and he was hungry.
Lust of the Eyes: He was offered the kingdoms of this world.
The Pride of Life: That he could jump off the temple and live.

Jesus was tempted just as the Eve was tempted in the garden and failed.

Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Good for food: the lust of the flesh.
Lust of the eyes: it was pleasant to look at.
Pride of life: they would be like gods.

Where Eve failed is she added to the word God had spoken (God never did say she could not touch the fruit) and she fell for the temptation while her lilley-livered no account husband watched.

But while in Eve we see how to fail, in Jesus we see how to succeed. He battled back using the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.

Excerpted from Christian Warrior VIII: The Sword of The Spirit.

Filed under: Bible, Bible Study, Christianity, Devotions, Religion, Salvation Tagged: Bible, Bible Study, Christianity, Devotions, life of jesus christ, roman sword, sword of the spirit

Getting Thing Right In America

Pastor Tom — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:15:43 +0000

A father wanted to read a magazine but was being bothered by his little girl. She wanted to know what the United States looked like. Finally, he tore a sheet out of his new magazine on which was printed the map of the country.

Tearing it into small pieces, he gave it to her and said, ‘Go into the other room and see if you can put this together. This will show you our whole country today…’

After a few minutes, she returned and handed him the map, correctly fitted and taped together.

The father was surprised and asked how she had finished so quickly..
‘Oh,’ she said, ‘on the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus.
When I got all of Jesus back where He belonged, Then our country just came together.’

Sooo…….. When we get Jesus back where He Belongs—

Our country will come together.

Psalm 62:1 From God comes our salvation!

Thanks Mrs. Carol for the e-mail!

Filed under: Bible, Bible Study, Christianity, Church Life, Devotions, Religion Tagged: Bible Study, Christianity, Devotions

The Shield of Faith

Pastor Tom — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:03:52 +0000

OK, I know I skipped this last week. It was unintentional, I got so wrapped up in studying the helmet of salvation I skipped over the shield of faith. So here it is this week with my apologies.

The Literal Interpretation

The Romans had a long, rectangular, knees-to-chin shield which protected them from arrows and spears and could be knelt behind during an arrow barrage. It
was quite a bit heavier and clumsier that the smaller Greek circular shield; but
there was a series of exercises, a manual of arms, designed to give the
soldier flexibility and strength in the use of the shield. Groups of soldier who
were besieging a town could form close together and hold their shields over their
heads to make a huge circle to protect the group from fiery arrows.

The scutum was an impressive line of defense. Because of its sheer size (some were three and a half feet tall and almost three feet wide), soldiers were afforded a great deal of protection from enemies. Because of its slight curve, it was able to deflect attacks without transferring the full force of the assault to the man holding the shield. Because of its boss, it was able to deflect even the more vicious blows and function in a limited offensive capacity as a means of knocking an opponent backwards.

One of the more famous use of the Roman shield as illustrated in the movie “Cleopatra” was when Cesar sent out a “Tortisto” formation to attack a catapult.
In the testudo formation, the men would deploy very densely and position their shields at the sides (rather than by the grip behind the umbo).The first row of men, possibly excluding the men on the flanks, would hold their shields from about the height of their shins to their eyes, so as to cover the formation’s front. The shields would be held in such a way that they presented a shield wall to all sides. The men in the back ranks would place their shields over their heads to protect the formation from above, balancing the shields on their helmets, overlapping them. If necessary, the legionaries on the sides and rear of the formation could stand sideways or backwards with shields held as the front rows, so as to protect the formation’s sides and rear. In addition, the leather coverings could be dampened so that the fiery arrows would be doused upon impact.

The Spiritual Application

In this verse, the Roman shield stands for the faith of the believer in the promises of God. The value of faith lies not in the person exercising it, but in the person whom the faith is in (Have faith in God. -Mark 11:22). Faith is something that all people possess and use every day. Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes through hearing the Word of God. Knowing the Bible and the God of the Bible gives you greater faith. Remember it is God that fights with you and that is some awesome protection.Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. -Ephesians 6:16

Excerpted from The Christian Warrior VII, The Shield of Faith.

Filed under: Christianity Tagged: fiery arrows, protection from enemies, roman shield, shield of faith

The Helmet of Salvation

Pastor Tom — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:28:09 +0000

Literal Interpretation

The Romans had the best helmet of the ancient world. Many other nations used helmets of cloth wrappings, animal hides or bones, or hooves, etc. The Roman helmet had chinstrap, visor, and came down to cover the back and sides of the neck. Officers’ helmets had a ridge on top on which was mounted plumage or some sort of brush, depending on the rank.

The parts of the Roman helmet were: a lining of leather, softened for comfort and good fit; the helmet itself which was a bronze cast for the soldier, or iron alloy for officers; a metal crest for the plume; and a chinstrap. The highest ranking officers had gold and silver alloy helmets for parade dress.

This design protected the head from various angles of attack and was not easily lost during battle.

Spiritual Application

The greatest battlefield is in our minds. This is the area that the enemy wants to attack the most. One key area he wants to damage is our assurance of salvation. We must be on guard on what we let run free in our minds. Satan is very subtle in these areas. He has blinded the world and he will do the same to the unsuspecting or careless Christian. We must have a clear mind to be discerning in all situations. This comes by immersing yourself in God’s word and prayer.

We get the helmet of salvation when we are born-again, but like other pieces of the Armor of God we must tend it, care for it. Just like an uncared for breastplate will become worn or cankered if not cared for, shoes will lose it straps, a helmet not kept in pristine shape will not offer much protection. There are some things we can do in keeping the helmet in working order and Paul gives us some valuable advice:

Philippians 4:8-9 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (9) Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

1. Think on these things.

One thing the devil will try to win the battle of the mind is to attack our thoughts. Paul gives us things here that we should be thinking on, so if we see a thought entering our mind that is contrary to these thoughts we can cast them out in the name of Jesus.

True: What is truth? Jesus is truth, His Words are truth. We must think on His words and the truth of them.
Honest: Isn’t honest just another word for truth? If it were, why would the Bible list it separately? Honest. The Greek is “reverend” or “grave” Whatever is worthy of reverence.
Just. Strict justice in all dealings; an upright life towards God and others.
Pure. Chaste lives and clean hearts and thoughts.
Lovely. Such deeds as spring from love and inspire love in others.
Of good report. A life of which no evil thing can be truthfully said.
If there be any virtue. Lest he may have omitted some excellency he adds, “If there be aught else which is virtuous or praiseworthy, let these all be the things to which you give your minds.”

2. Do these things

It is not just enough to think about things, we must do them as well.

Learned: by instruction have learned of from the Bible.
Received: not just in the head but in the heart. A lot of people are only 18 inches from heaven. They know all the verses. The have learned the Christian lingo, but it has not changed their lives.
Heard: weather publicly or privately, from the pulpit or in council.
Seen: by example in the life of this beloved apostle, do it.

It is a hard course for both teacher and student. The teacher must live a life worthy of following and the student must follow the teacher only as far as the teacher follows God.

Excerpt from Christian Warrior VI: The Helmet of Salvation

Filed under: Christianity, Church Life, Devotions, Religion, Sunday School Tagged: armor of god, Bible Study, Christianity, Church Life, Devotions, helmet of salvation, roman helmet

Shodding The Feet

Pastor Tom — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:08:23 +0000

The Literal Interpretation

The Shoes of the Roman solider was one of the reasons that the Roman army was so successful in battles. It had three things other shoes of the era did not: small spikes on the bottom, a very thick sole, and they were accompanied by greaves. What does all that mean? Glad you asked!

Spikes: They gave traction and mobility. They could move forward on ground where others would lose traction (like loose gravel or sandy ground) and more importantly in my opinion is that in hand to hand combat they could not be pushed back easily. They could dig in and hold their ground!
Thick soles: one tactic of armies that were on defense is that they would lace the ground with stones, glass shards, thin wire spikes and the like. Soldiers who went barefoot or had light-weight or flimsy footwear would be slowed down, injured or even stopped from advancing. They would become immobilized and easy prey.
The Greaves: These attached to the shins and protected the lower leg. Imagine being in a phalanx or turtle formation. Everyone on the outside lines has their shields up and interlocked but the enemy comes down to attack. They rush us and what happens? the people with the shields start slipping back! They are wielding swords and are swinging low, going below the shields, and cutting down the legs of the defenders! those inside or on the second line holding our spears are open to attack!

Their is importance in having the feet shod or covered properly.

The Spiritual Application

We need the proper footwear to have the spiritual victory. We see the spiritual correlations on the literal interpretations.

This preparation will help you to stand (…having done all to stand, v. 13) with your feet planted firmly on the Word of God and stay there, unmoved by the devil’s threats and lies.

It will protect us when we walk through the rough places and keep us steady in the heat of a battle.

What is the Footwear of the Christian Warrior?

Ephesians 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

The word preparation means to make ready. As a good solider is ready to do battle we need to be prepared to do battle by being equipped with gospel of peace.

The Gospel is the glad tidings, the good news. We have a message of the Good News of Jesus’ death, burial, and Resurrection. He died for our sins and is our Saviour, and that is a message worth spreading.

Excerpt from Christian Warrior V: Shodding the Feet

Filed under: Bible Study, Christianity, Devotions, Religion, sermons Tagged: Bible, Bible Study, Christianity, Devotions

Merry Christmas

Pastor Tom — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:29:20 +0000

As we pause to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, I want to share with you this holiday season one of my favorite YouTube videos. Presenting the Silent Singing Monks!

Filed under: Christianity, Religion Tagged: birth of jesus, birth of jesus christ, Christianity, holiday season, monks, Religion, silent singing, youtube videos

On The Winning Side

Pastor Tom — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 06:18:47 +0000

This great saint of God, now in heaven. Singing his heart out as he was dying of cancer singing this song of victory. If this don’t move you, your dead already!

Filed under: Christianity, Ministries, Religion

The Breastplate of Righteousness

Pastor Tom — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:49:26 +0000

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; -Ephesians 6:14

The Literal Interpretation

What is so important? Why do we need a breastplate? Would a Roman solider go into battle without a breastplate? Don’t be silly, of course he would not. The breastplate is a very important piece of armor.The breastplate was either a heavy piece of linen covered with horn or pieces of metal or was the molded breastplate. In either case it protected the torso, covering two of the most vital areas of the body: the heart, and what was termed the bowels, or the vital organs of the middle of the body like liver, kidneys, etc. It protected both from close combat wounds that could be caused by swords or daggers as well as long range weapons like spears and arrows.But the warrior had to maintain his armor. He had to keep the linen clean and in good repair, keep the metal sown on, keep the metal polished so it would not canker and have rust or weak spots.

The Spiritual Application

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

We must be prepared for the battle our enemy is constantly on the watch for us being unprepared, for a moment of weakness. The areas we need to have protected is the heart and the bowels.

Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

We must guard our hearts at all costs. We keep the heart by watching the entrance to out innermost being. What are we letting in? Is it pure and good? What seed are we allowing to settle in our hearts?

Luke 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

When we allow worldly things in…via TV, Internet, Books, worldy music. Worldly pursuits and lust crowd out the things of God. It brings no fruit to perfection. The need is simple, we need to keep the world out. We cannot just let the world in and expect Christian maturity.We can have 10,000 verses memorized in our heads but if we do not live it out, it does not profit anything.

We also need to tend our gardens. If we see a weed we need to remove it, confess it and forsake it. Switching back to the solider theme: to keep our breastplate clean and canker-free we need to keep the dirt of the world off of it. We need to do our part and live righteously the best we can.

From the lesson The Christian Warrior IV, The Breastplate of Righteousness

Filed under: Bible Study, Christianity, Devotions, Religion, Salvation, sermons Tagged: Bible Study, breastplate of righteousness, Christianity, Devotions, spiritual application

Loins Girt About With Truth

Pastor Tom — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:25:40 +0000

This begs the question “what is truth?” What is truth asked jesting Pialte and would not stay for an answer. We know that according to the Bible there are two things mentioned as being truth:

Jesus: John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. To the question concerning knowledge, he answers, I am the truth.
The Word, The Bible is Truth: John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

I feel that having our loins girt about with truth is speaking of the Word of God in context, not Jesus Himself.

The literal meaning:

Mainstream Christian views on this passage often agree that Paul was in prison and looking at a Roman soldier’s uniform when writing this letter to the Ephesians. When Paul mentions, “having your loins girt about with truth” (Eph 6:14, KJV), he is referring to our protecting the pelvic region of the body (which is very vulnerable). This action was common practice for most of the people living in this era, not just the Roman soldiers.

To gird your loins during the Roman Era meant to draw-up and tie your lower garment between your legs as to increase your mobility and agility. This prevented the loose ends of the tunic from becoming snagged on something or entangled with your feet which would cause you to stumble or fall down when moving about quickly.

How to gird your loins:

This was accomplished by pulling up the fabric of the knee-length tunic so the length in front stopped at your upper thigh, and collecting the excess material in your front. (You pull the material forward so the back of your tunic is snug against your backside.) Next, you tuck the extra front material down between your legs and gather it behind you. At this point, you collect half of the material behind you evenly on each side of your back (left and right). The final step involves wrapping each side of the material around your waist and tying it together in front or in the case of a solider tuck it into your belt. The belt would tie it all together. The belt would hold the solder’s sword so he would be ready for battle.

The Spiritual Meaning

So one part of what Paul is trying to tell people is, “to secure anything that will cause us to stumble or fall down when moving about quickly in the Christian daily battle”. We should always be spiritually sharp, alert and ready to respond with spiritual mobility and spiritual agility.

From The Series The Christian Warrior, Part Three: The Armor of God, Dressing for Success

Filed under: Bible, Bible Study, Christianity, Devotions, Religion Tagged: Bible, Bible Study, Christianity, Devotions

Happy Thanksgiving

Pastor Tom — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:38:40 +0000

In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. -1 Thessalonians 5:18

As we pause at this time of year with thanksgiving in our hearts for loving family, caring friends, and the Creator God who made this all possible.

I also am thankful to be born again, saved by the grace of God without which all is lost.

So enjoy time with family and friends. Eat the turkey and the stuffing. Watch some football. Laugh and enjoy today what God has blessed us with, but take some time today and give thanks to Him who made it all possible.

God bless, PT

Filed under: Bible Study, Christianity, Devotions, Ministries Tagged: Bible Study, Christianity, Devotions, Ministries