Hello friends,

If you missed the last TERC meeting, you can listen to the audio here:

AUDIO FILE

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This is a summary of the message from this past Friday:


Lesson #1:  First Line of Defense- The shield of faith (as the full confidence in God and His word) is our first line of defense. Before the enemy can touch any area of our bodies, he has to first go through the shield of faith. If the shield of faith is not strong enough in the battle, this is the only time we can get shaken and attacked in other areas. What we strongly believe in cannot be taken away from us, but if our faith is shaky, then what we have can be taken away in battle and destroyed. 


Lesson #2: Protection While Standing- Sometimes, all we need to do is stand firm. A battle is not just about progressing forward and shooting the enemy. In parts of the battle, when you can't press forward, it is advisable that you don't turn back either. All you can do at that time is to "stand," until you receive the order to move forward again. In those moments of "standing," the shield of faith is our protection. (Ephesians 6:13, "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able towithstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.") The Greek word for "withstand" here is Anthistemi which means "to resist or oppose." The word "stand" is the Greek word "histemi" which means to "come to a halt," "remain still or fixed," "be established," "stand upright." The fact that we remain fixated at one point does not mean that the shield of faith was removed from before us. It is still right there in front of us, protecting us. 


Lesson #3: Overlapping of Shields- Our shields of faith joined together is a powerful force against the enemy. A team is only as strong as the weakest link. One shield is not just for the defense of one soldier. It's for the defense of the soldiers standing right next to him, and greater than that the entire nation. (Reference-The Body of Christ: Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:20-22)

Lesson #4: Quenching Fiery Darts- The Bible says the shield of faith quenches all the fiery darts of the wicked one. We are in constant battle with the wicked one, even when we think we are not fighting, he's constantly throwing arrows at us, and not just ordinary arrows but arrows with fire that can ravage our bodies and spirits. Lies, doubts, arguments that exalt themselves above God, erroneous mainstream cultures and traditions. But the shield of faith is our protection. When the arrows come, it effortlessly quenches these fires and performs the functions of protecting us.

Lesson #5: Protects Our Minds- When the shield is raised up, it protects our heads (the seat of reasoning). 2 Corinthians 4-5, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." Our minds are intelligent because they were created after the image of an intelligent God. But often, we want to prove that we know more than the One who created us to know. Pride sets in, and then we realize that we can't exalt ourselves against the knowledge of God. He is all knowing, and the depths of His knowledge are beyond human reasoning. The shield of faith protects our human reasoning.

Lesson #6: Protects Our Hearts- When the shield is in front of us, it protects our hearts (the seat of emotions). Proverbs 4:23, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life."