A Moment of Hope

by David Chadwick The full armor of God must be put on each and every day as we face the wiles and tactics of the enemy. As we learn to guard ourselves, we discipline ourselves to walk in greater measures of wholeness as we are transformed more and more into the image and likeness of Jesus ( 2 Corinthians 3:18 ). Jesus believed the Bible to be true. Is Jesus God? He claimed to be in John 14:6 and...

by David Chadwick God's Word is so important. Followers of Jesus must adhere to its accuracy and demands. It's not a theoretical suggestion. It's the heart of our Creator for his Son's disciples. It's the wisdom from our Father for his children. We see so many reasons, both spiritual and practical, for why God's Word is important. Spiritually, it is the gift God gives his people to use as an offen...

by David Chadwick We are taking time this week to deeply examine the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. This part of the full armor of God is the only offensive piece of armor. It is so important to believe in its absolute authority while also understanding how to use it against the enemy's lies. God's Word is important because it is the only offensive weapon against the enemy's scheme...

by David Chadwick This week, we are taking a deeper look into the last piece in the armor of God, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12  says,  "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." The Word of God is not...

by David Chadwick Last week, we looked at all but one part of the full armor of God. Today, and throughout this entire week, we will look at the final needed piece in the full armor of God. It's time to pick up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. It is the only offensive weapon given to us to fight against the enemy's wiles. With every other piece of armor, we are to operate defensi...

by David Chadwick This week, we have been looking at the full armor of God, being intentional to learn how to put it on piece by piece. The shoes with the readiness of the gospel of peace are the next things we must put on to be fully covered in the armor of God. A soldier can't win without shoes that grip the earth. We can't defeat the enemy unless we can stand firmly on the gospel that gives us...

by David Chadwick The next piece in the armor of God is the helmet of salvation. We are called to have the mind of Christ ( 1 Corinthians 2:16 ). To think like he thinks. We are transformed by the renewal of our minds ( Romans 12:2 ). As we think like Jesus thinks, we change and are renewed. We are to focus our thought life on things that are above, not on earthly things ( Colossians 3:2 ). As we...

by David Chadwick The full armor of God is to be put on by every believer to protect us from Satan's attacks during perilous times. The next piece is the shield of faith. The only definition of faith in the Bible is found in  Hebrews 11:1 .  "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."   Hebrews 11:6 goes on to say that without faith, it is impossible to ple...

by David Chadwick This week we are going through each of the pieces in the armor of God. In order to be protected, we must apply the full armor of God. The next piece in  Ephesians 6 is the breastplate of righteousness. It covers our vital organ: the heart. A breastplate, in Roman times, was made of such a strong metal that any weapon would bounce off it. The heart must be protected by the stronge...

by David Chadwick We are taking the next five days to look at the full armor of God found in  Ephesians 6:10-20 . Dear friends, our war is not against flesh and blood. It is against powers and principalities of darkness. Spiritual enemies. Forces of evil ( Ephesians 6:12 ). Therefore, we must fight spiritual powers with spiritual weapons. Paul outlines in these verses the essential pieces of the a...

by Marilynn Chadwick When people meet my 95-year-old father, they often ask, "What's his secret? How does your dad look so young and stay so sharp?" Daddy would be the first to tell you that part of his secret was caring for his beloved wife. He and my mom had been married just shy of 70 years when she died this past January. My mother had been bedridden the last fifteen years of her life. A ruptu...

by Marilynn Chadwick Sometimes an ordinary person assumes hero proportions only after we hear their story. Such was the case with one of my seminary classmates. From our cohort's introductions, I learned this man, whom I'll call Ahn Wok, was a neurosurgeon. Impressive enough. He was lighthearted with a quick wit and a kind manner. During one class, he shared how he had escaped Vietnam on a boat du...

by Marilynn Chadwick Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you  ( James 4:7 NIV ). I've long been inspired by the vibrant faith of believers in China's underground church. No one is sure, but some think there may be over 60 million believers in these secret house churches. Astounding when you consider all the forces over the years that have tried to stamp out the...

by Marilynn Chadwick I still marvel when I remember the beautiful young mother I once met in a tiny country in a forgotten corner of the world. She was a survivor of the horrific genocide in Burundi that had exploded alongside Rwanda's frenzy of killings. I'd been invited to teach on the subject of prayer to a group of church leaders and pastors' wives. All were survivors of the war and no strange...

by Marilynn Chadwick Barbara was one of the most inspiring real-life heroes I've ever known. This vibrant woman with a giant heart and an easy laugh was also a courageous spiritual warrior. She became a long-time friend and mentor. And she opened my eyes to the impact one woman can have on her family and community. Years earlier, Barbara's husband had been murdered in a drive-by shooting while wal...

by Marilynn Chadwick A sense of calling in life is vital for anyone. The Bible says,  "Where there is no vision, the people perish"  ( Proverbs 29:18a KJV ). Moms raising their children in fragile neighborhoods have shared how having a purpose in life can often divert their children from drugs, gangs, and prison. Not a luxury, vision often means survival. My young friend Dominique was just ten whe...

by Marilynn Chadwick Sometimes, our toughest battles are for our God-given dreams. I wonder if some wars are harder than others because the enemy knows the stakes are so high. Our daughter once said something to me which made me pause: "Mama, you didn't know when you were going through all those years of infertility that you were also fighting for all these little people to be born," pointing to h...

by Marilynn Chadwick Have you ever faced a trial so painful you couldn't endure the weight of it? A trial so dark that the enemy taunts you with lies whispered in the dark:  God is not listening to your prayers. Why else would He seem so silent? When all seems hopeless, I find encouragement from believers who have passed through the furnace and come forth with faith shining. Their stories inspire...

by Marilynn Chadwick Sometimes you find heroes in the most unlikely places. I'm referring to those ordinary folks who are quietly living faithful lives—in my eyes, they're the real heroes. A while back, we traveled to our nation's capital. David and I met with influential men and women who are faithfully serving our country. We toured the capitol building. We were reminded anew of our awe for the...

by Marilynn Chadwick Are there times in your life when you feel fresh out of strength and empty of courage? Perhaps you've been enduring a long trial. You've grown weary waiting for what you believe to be a God-given dream. It's during those very times I've learned to draw inspiration from someone who has gone through similar difficulties—and prevailed. It's amazing how someone else's story can br...

by Marilynn Chadwick The sign in front of a small country church caught my eye: "It's not happy people who are the most thankful. Rather it's thankful people who are the most happy." The power of giving thanks to transform any situation is still something of a mystery. When someone gave thanks in the Bible, a miracle often followed. Jesus gave thanks before He broke the five loaves and two fish to...

by Marilynn Chadwick Can practicing thankfulness actually improve your health? Some seem to think so. I read about a study in which participants were asked to list the things for which they were thankful. They were instructed to time the writing of their gratitude list and sustain this exercise for exactly five minutes. Sounds a little like weightlifting, doesn't it? The results of the study showe...

by Marilynn Chadwick I remember an old Tarzan movie in which the famed ape man was peering at a droplet of water through a microscope. Tarzan was shocked to see the water was teeming with microorganisms invisible to the naked eye. What if we could peer into the spiritual world? Like Tarzan, I imagine we'd be shocked to see the real source of our battles. The Bible tells of an atmosphere filled wit...

by Marilynn Chadwick Thankful.  One simple word—thankful, emblazoned across the front of a woman's t-shirt, caught my eye. There was a period at the end of what wasn't even a sentence. Thankful. So, I guess you could read it this way: "Thankful, period." I would like that to describe me. I'm thankful.  Period. But I have to confess. Sometimes I'm less than thankful. Maybe I am not paying enough at...

by Marilynn Chadwick One day I was outside on my deck enjoying the quiet when suddenly, two fighter jets flew overhead at a very low altitude. Their roar was deafening. Everything around me shook violently. Now I surmised the two massive military jets were part of the game opener at a nearby football stadium, so I wasn't overly alarmed. Even so, I was overwhelmed by their sound and speed. By their...