BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

********** ADVERTISEMENT ********** 2019 Kenneth Copeland Jerry Savelle April 4-6 Branson Victory Campaign Branson, Mo. Register today kcm.org/branson ****************************************** * * * * * * * cont. from p. 29 * * * * * * * Not only that, the shield of faith is extremely effective—it quenches all the fiery darts of the wicked. Now the word wicked means “hurtful.” The devil is out to hurt you. But the word quench means “to extinguish, put out, render ineffective, nullify” all the darts. The word all leaves no exceptions. Does the devil have any big, nuclear-tipped missiles that could blast through the shield of faith? Friend, the shield of faith is impenetrable. It cannot be penetrated by any fire-tipped dart or devil-inspired wile. Nothing can ever pierce through or destroy the shield of faith. Nothing. So keep your shield up by keeping your faith operative. Meditate on the Word, believe it and speak it. You’ll see the same kind of results the disciples saw. Nothing Can Hurt Me! In Luke 10, we read that Jesus sent out 70 of His disciples and empowered them to do what He had been doing. When they returned, they received a life-changing revelation: “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (verses 17-19). In the Greek, that’s stated as a double negative for emphasis. It means much more than just nothing. It means none, not at all, no way at any time can anything hurt you! I was listening to a CD of the Bible before I went to sleep one night. When it came to this part, “Nothing shall by any means hurt you,” I sat straight up in bed. I thought, Glory! Nothing can hurt me! Then the Lord said to me, 'You haven’t been taking that seriously. And many, many like you have not been taking that seriously.' Does the Bible mean what it says? Are there exceptions that we should read in between the lines? Or did Jesus really mean that if we would follow and obey Him like the 70 did, that we would have power and authority to tread or trample on things that sting and bite and hurt and poison? Uncertain thoughts might try to creep into your mind: I’m just not sure. I think we could be hurt. Well, we have to decide: Do we walk by sight and reasoning? Or do we walk by the Word of God that promises, “There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling” (Psalm 91:10)? As long as you’re standing, saying and believing what the Word says about protection, you’ll be safe. But you have to be bold and declare, “Nothing shall by any means hurt me.” Now when you say that, most of the religious world will jump up and yell, “Who do you think you are? A lot of good Christian people didn’t plan on having bad things happen to them. Do you think you’re better than they are?” It has nothing to do with being better. It has to do with being a believer, and not just believing in and experiencing the new birth, but believing in the protection of the Most High and claiming it for yourself. You can, by believing, by standing in faith, raise up that mighty shield of faith and have a barrier of protection about you. I’m not saying that you’ll never have any trials or attacks. But I am saying that no matter what is fired at you, it can’t hurt you. It can’t get to you. The psalmist said, “A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee” (verse 7). Delivered Out of Trouble Every time you have been hurt or hit, it was because you lowered your shield of faith. The enemy is always ready to fire, so it’s never OK to drop your shield and become an open target. Remember, there is no cease-fire in this war. While we would prefer to be delivered from ever experiencing an attack, that is unlikely. But each time we’re delivered out of the midst of one—that’s a demonstration of the keeping power of God—a testimony of His faithfulness and miracle-working power. We find examples of this over and over in the Bible. The three Hebrew children mentioned in the book of Daniel were not delivered from being thrown into the fiery furnace. But they believed God, raised the shield of faith and said, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us…” (Daniel 3:17). Paul wasn’t delivered from the shipwreck, he went through it. Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den but came out untouched. These people didn’t gripe, doubt, fear, rationalize or ask, “God, why did You let this happen?” That would have lowered their shield. In the midst of bad situations, God protected those who trusted Him, and He can and will do the same for you. But you have to understand that everything we receive from God, we receive by faith. The first time you took hold of a promise in His Word and declared, “By His stripes I am healed,” you were probably thinking, Yeah, but I’m not. Every day you have to decide if you’re going to believe what Jesus said. Or are you going to go by experience, sight or feeling? Nothing Gets Through Faith If you’ll keep your shield of faith raised, nothing can hurt you because it can’t get through faith. Why? The faith that’s in you came out of God Himself. It’s a portion of the same substance He used to create the universe. To get through faith, it would have to go through God. That’s why nothing can get to you. That’s why you can’t be hurt. First John 5:18 says, “He that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.” How do you keep yourself? In faith. A weapon might be launched against you. You might hear the thud of it against the shield, but you won’t feel it. It won’t get through to you. Ecclesiastes 8:5 says, “Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing….” You can believe the Scriptures and take them literally, without exception. So put your armor on. Strap on the truth. Take the sword of the Spirit and raise that great big, door-sized shield of faith. Remember, as long as you’re behind that shield, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper” (Isaiah 54:17). So above all, don’t leave home without it! V Keith Moore is founder and president of Moore Life Ministries and Faith Life Church in both Branson, Mo., and Sarasota, Fla. For more information or ministry materials visit moorelife.org. 30 : BVOV

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