God's power to stand firm in the midst of the spiritual battle

I have been studying Ephesians 6 to better understand the nature of the power we have to endure the spiritual battle in which we, as born again believers in Jesus Christ, are constantly engaged. Verse 10 is where Paul begins to write about how we can stand firm in this battle. I looked at a number of different translations

Ephesians 6:10 (HCSB) Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength.
Ephesians 6:10 (KJV) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Ephesians 6:10 (NIV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Particularly intriguing was the most recent HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible) translation as it used the phrase "His vast strength" rather than "power of his might" or "his mighty power." I decided to research the Greek words used to better apprehend the depth and breadth of this "strength" or "power" or "might" of the Lord.

Kittle's (a multi-volume Greek theological dictionary of the New Testament) gave an expanded definition of the Greek word kratos that is translated "vast" in the HCSB: "the overwhelming greatness of the power of God...more particularly the outer aspects of the divine strength...its supremacy."

This is the power that is available to every believer as we enter into the battle that "is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens" (Eph. 6:13).

Only God has this power. Only God can manifest this power within us. Only God loves us enough to provide this power as we "put on the full armor of God so that [we] can stand against the tactics of the Devil" (Eph.6:12 HCSB).

It is this overwhelmingly, supreme power of God that gives us the ability to "resist in the evil day" and stand firm in the face of the promised onslaught. An incomprehensible power of an Almighty God!

How did the author get that meaning from that passage?

Many born again believers attend small group Bible studies. There are a variety of names such as Sunday School, Bible Study, Discipleship group, and cell group; however, most have in common a guided study that includes an extremely common tool called a study guide.

Over the years there have been many times that I worked my way through a study guide and would ask myself the question, "How did the author get that meaning from that passage?" Due to the press of time, the question would generally hang in my mind for a few moments only to fade as our group plowed on through that week's assignment.

However, there came a time when the Lord showed me that He wanted me to be able to sit down with His Word and allow His Spirit to speak to me through the Scriptures. This sent me on a quest to obtain the skills needed to appropriately observe and interpret the Scriptures, and then determine how they apply to my life.

The Beroean Christians became a model for me. "As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea. On arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. The people here were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, since they welcomed the message with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so [emphasis added]" ( Acts 17:10-11 HCSB). I wanted to be equipped to examine the Scriptures like the Beroean's in order to better understand God's Word and prepare myself to disciple others.

It was an extended journey for me, but by God's grace He led me to books, places and people for training in the methods and rules that I need to properly read and study the Scriptures. This revolutionized my life as a Great Commission Christian.

Because of our commitment at WorldReach to mobilize and equip the church for global missions, we are committed to training believers to systematically read and study God's Word. It is this commitment that resulted in the founding of WorldReach Bible Institute.

You may have experienced the same question as I did when going through various Bible studies; or God may be convicting you of the need to better prepare yourself to be a Great Commission Christian; or you may sense that as a small group leader you need to continue your leadership development; or perhaps you want to be able to discern what God's Word says, what it means, and how it applies to your life. If so, I exhort you to enroll in the foundational course at WorldReach Bible Institute (WBI): Bible Study Methods and Rules of Interpretation. You can find out more about WBI, the course content, costs, professors, certificate programs, and our partnership with the curriculum providers at the Bible Training Centre for Pastors/Church Leaders by visiting the WBI website at www.wbionline.us.

The next 12 week semester begins September 14th. Classes are held each Monday evening from 6-8:55pm on the campus of Prince Avenue Christian School. Online enrollment is available on the WBI web site.

Come join us so you will no longer be wondering how the author got the meaning, but determining the meaning yourself.

Report on our first Mission Celebration

Our celebration was scheduled to begin at 5pm this past Saturday. Just after 4pm I received a call from Romania. Pastor Teofil Mihoc, pastor of Jibou Baptist Church, wanted to assure me that our brothers and sisters in Jibou had been praying for our celebration. Not long after that, I received a text message from one of my mentors, Dave Guinn, that he had been praying for our event. Not only was it a great encouragement to me, but I knew that God was at work. Sure enough, after the eleven testimonies were complete, I had seen God speak through His people.

The celebration had its beginnings in a suggestion made to me by one of the members of Prince Avenue Baptist Church. He had gone on a short-term mission trip and wanted to hear what God had done on other mission trips. I believed the Spirit prompted him to share this with me. After praying and sensing a need to move forward, I also sensed a need to video the testimonies for sharing with others via web sites and within worship services. Thus was born the first WorldReach Mission Celebration.

A ton of thanks go out to Brother Reg Gattie and MattTyre (his able minded assistant) for being our video team. Also, many thanks to Brother David Smith who helped us procure the Smith House for this event. And thanks to those who came to share and hear...and brought finger foods and drinks for all to enjoy.

In order for you to be blessed by what we heard that night, we will be posting testimonies to our blog as soon as Reg completes the editing. To God be the glory, great things He is doing!

Do you have videos from a short-term mission trip or mission project that you would like to share with others? Shoot me an email and let's talk about using it on a future WorldReach blog post. You will never know how God may use it to encourage, mobilize or minister to others.

Join us for our first ever Mission Celebration

Have you been on a short-term mission trip this past year? Are you involved in a local mission project in the Athens, GA area? Are you interested in hearing about what God has been doing in our Jerusalem and to the ends of the earth? Have you prayed for or contributed to someone who has gone on a mission trip or a local mission project or organization?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, then plan on coming to the WorldReach first ever Mission Celebration this Saturday evening (August 15) from 5:00 - 7:00pm. We will gather at the Smith House (1760 Old Epps Bridge Road) to hear testimonies about God being at work in and through His people. The testimonies will be video taped for use on our web site and in worship services.

Come join us and bring some finger foods and drinks for sharing with others. We beleive this will be a blessed time and look forward to seeing you there.

Directions to the Smith House:

From the Athens Perimeter, exit Epps Bridge Parkway/GA 316 and go toward Athens. When you come to the traffic signal at the Lowe's/Home Depot intersection, go right onto what may be called Old Epps Bridge Road (google maps is not clear about the name). After you turn right onto this road, the first road on the left is Old Epps Bridge Road - for certain! Travel about 1 mile and you will see a large street number sign with 1760 on the right at the driveway into the Smith House parking lot. There is a residence on the left just as you turn onto the driveway, but the Smith House is behind it, up on the left. If you have any questions or need navigational help call Jerry Haas @ 706-207-5889.