Are you glad the year is over? Are you looking toward the new year with hope or with dread? No matter what 2019 was like for you, let me encourage you to look to the new year with hope. It’s a new year, a new decade, a new beginning. I believe we get what we focus on. If we focus on failure, then that’s what we get, if we focus on success, then we get success. It’s called faith. Not some law of attraction, but faith in a God who loves us and wants the best for us.
I am trusting Him with my plans for 2020. He alone knows what’s best for me, therefore I’m trusting Him to guide me. As I see His plans unfolding in my life, I will share them with you. So, thanks again for your love and support throughout the year. Please continue to follow me and tell your friends about this blog so they too can receive the goodies I distribute from time to time.
Stay safe and have a bright and prosperous New Year. God bless!
A very Merry Christmas to all of you who have followed me this year and even earlier. I am truly grateful for your support and I hope you will continue to follow me in the coming year as I bring you news of my latest offerings and those of my fellow authors.
For those of you who are looking for a freelance writer and/or proofreader, you can contact me by leaving a comment below.
And as a token of my appreciation, here’s a FREE copy of my debut novel Coming Out of Egypt. When you click on this link, your name will be added to my mailing list so you can receive regular updates right in your inbox. But hurry, this link expires on the last day of the year.
Ephesians 6 Devotionals to Empower and Make You Victorious in Everyday Struggles
Religious: Christian Spiritual Warfare
Publisher: Creativity Publishing
Is spiritual warfare real? Are you aware of how you’re being attacked? Equipped takes a detailed look at God, at our enemy, and at our response.
Everyday struggles happen, but you can be victorious.
In Africa, people believe in spirit beings. Witch doctors cast spells. People dance barefoot over red-hot coals without being burned. Spiritual warfare is obvious.
In other cultures, the spiritual battle is not so evident. Still, it is very real. Homes are divided by discord and divorce. Parents are overly busy. Children are lured into drugs and sex-trafficking. Churches are complacent and powerless. Is there hope?
Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10 NIV). What’s stopping you from living life to the full? Read Equipped. Become aware. Put on your spiritual armour as described in Ephesians six. Stand firm. Pray.
Excerpt
“We can’t meet under the great tree anymore!”
“Why?”
“Because, the gods are angry and they struck the tree with lightening.”
I first learned about spiritual warfare while growing up in southern Africa where my parents served as missionaries. In Africa, people believe in spirit beings. In Africa, the battle is obvious. One congregation my father served held their services under a huge tree near Shashe, Botswana. Lightning struck that tree and fear invaded. I witnessed my parents praying and calling on believers to continue to meet under that tree as a witness to unbelievers. Church services continued in the shade of the tree. No one died. No one became ill. The congregation grew.
In North America and other first world countries, the battle is not so obvious, but it is still very real. In some ways it is more insidious and dangerous, because it is hidden. Here we battle against conforming to the norms of a society that scoffs at God and the Bible. In our personal lives, we are lulled into just drifting along in our spiritual life instead of guarding our hearts and minds and standing firm in God’s truth. Our homes are too often divided by divorce, our churches powerless in complacency.
In the greatest story ever told, the plot is good versus evil. We live in a world where people often focus only on the physical—what we can touch or taste. But there is another dimension that is very real, the spiritual dimension. God is real, and so is Satan. We are in a spiritual battle, whether we acknowledge it or not. Denying gravity exists doesn’t nullify the effects of gravity. So too, denying spiritual conflict doesn’t make it disappear. The only choice we have is whether we follow God into battle or not. In John 10:10 Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
God has provided information on spiritual warfare in his Word, the Bible. We don’t have to enter the battle groping around like blind men. God provides weapons, fights the battle for us, and even lets us know how it is all going to end. We can read the last chapter of the story about life on this earth and know without a doubt that God wins (Revelation 20, 21). That doesn’t mean we should sit back and do nothing. The number of casualties in this war—people who reject God and face eternity without Him—can be reduced if you and I obey God.
In Matthew 17 we read about a father who brought his son to Jesus’ disciples because the son had seizures and often fell into fire or water. The disciples were unable to help. We are told in verse 18 that “Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.” Jesus goes on to tell the disciples that they were not able to help the boy because of their lack of faith.
I present these devotionals to you as a fellow pilgrim. Every day is a new battle. I try to start each day with Bible reading and prayer. However, I still fail. Often, I need to repent, confess my sin, then get up and put my armour on before I carry on. I’m thankful that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35, 37-39)!
Perhaps our world is in the condition it is in because WE lack faith and fail to obey. What if everyone who says they believe in Jesus were to read and study the Bible? What if we all chose to live in obedience to what the Bible says? What if we trusted God to work in us and through us to do the impossible? What if we put on the spiritual armour God has provided and stood against the Devil and his hosts? What if we prayed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit?
Satan knows the end of the story too. When Jesus Christ died and rose again, he defeated Satan. Satan knows he cannot win the war, but he is working at winning skirmishes. The Evil One is out to destroy families, to break up marriages, and to lead people into addictions that destroy them.
You will find there is a lot of material to absorb. I encourage you to take your time reading and studying the material. Whether you read a devotional a day, or a devotional every week, take it at your own pace. Before you read, stop and ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what He wants to say to you. Then read with your Bible in hand, looking up and reading Scripture as you go. Each chapter has an example of how God can help you be victorious in everyday struggles. Each one ends with a question for reflection. If you like to journal, reflect and write about what you are learning. Perhaps you are an artistic person and prefer to paint or draw a picture, in response. This study is between you and God, so respond in a way that is meaningful to you. (If you’d like to share your responses, ask questions, or join me in prayer, you’re invited to my closed Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EquippedForVictory/; Use #EquippedForVictory on social media to connect with others. Sign up for Ruth’s email newsletter at: https://equipped.lpages.co/newsletter-sign-up/)
In this devotional, I use Ephesians 6:10-20 as a framework, many other supporting Scriptures included to add to our understanding, along with examples from my everyday life. The first few devotionals focus attention on our great God, our foundation when participating in spiritual warfare. Then we learn about our enemy. Next, we think about our responses and our armor. The last section deals with prayer. In the Appendix section you will find additional information and resources for further help and study.
The choice is ours. We can continue on in complacency, pretending there is no battle. Or, we can put on the armour God provides and be victorious. I pray that this book will present a clear, balanced overview of spiritual warfare that will inform, equip, and motivate us all as Prince and Princess Warriors of the King of Kings.
Let’s encourage and support each other as we continue to learn to be effective warriors. You can join the Equipped: Ephesians 6 Devotionals Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/EquippedForVictory/ to share what you are learning, ask for prayer, or participate in discussion. Sign up for Ruth’s email newsletter at: https://equipped.lpages.co/newsletter-sign-up/. Our hashtag on social media is #EquippedForVictory.
Your Sister Warrior,
Ruth L. Snyder
About the Author
Ruth L. Snyder was privileged to spend the first 10 years of her life in southern Africa where her parents served as missionaries. From there her family moved to Canada, settling in Three Hills, Alberta. Ruth enjoyed her years as a “staff kid” at Prairie and is grateful for the biblical grounding she received there. She now resides close to Glendon (the pyrogy capital of Alberta, Canada) with her husband and five young children. Ruth enjoys writing articles, devotionals, short stories, and Christian fiction. She is a member of The Word Guild and The Christian PEN. Ruth currently serves as the President of InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship.
Ruth’s children have taught her many things about living with special needs. She is a strong advocate and spent several years serving on the local public school board.
Ruth loves her job teaching Music for Young Children. She is fascinated by children’s imaginations and enjoys helping young children learn the basics of music through play.
In her spare time, Ruth enjoys reading, crafts, volunteering in her local community, photography, and travel. Several years ago, Ruth and her family traveled through 28 States in 30 days!
Today, I am happy to bring you an excerpt from A Greek Cat, a novel by Moshe Karasso.
Novel, life story
Date Published: September 18, 2019
“A Greek Cat,” by Moshe Karasso, artfully unfurls the incredible story of the son of a once wealthy, now impoverished Jewish family living on one of the Greek Islands.
In a spectacular feat of juggling, time is diverted forwards and backwards, between childhood and old age, presenting readers with a wide spectrum of events, people, and island vistas.
Karasso offers readers a glimpse into the lives of fishermen and their families, and, later in the novel, into the everyday culture of German Nazis both inside and outside their homes. All of these are recounted in the first person by a remarkably resourceful narrator who eventually loses his sanity.
Looking at this book in the broader context of Existentialist literature, one cannot help but compare it with the works of French writer Albert Camus, whose grasp of the absurdity of existence liberates man from the hope of a perfect human morality that demands life at any cost.
About the Author
Born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1933. Married with three children. Lives in the Tel Aviv area of Israel.
On the
island where I was born, there was a long pier that bisected the small and
enchanting port into two. On either side, the fishing boats would drop anchor
in the protected harbor, its green brackish water spotted with gasoline stains.
The sunbeams that struck the water fractured into a thousand hues, and the
seaweed and fish carcasses that floated on the surface rocked languidly with
the waves. Sometime the smell of fish was so sharp that the island’s cats would
rest on their haunches like sphinxes, inhaling the scent and waiting.
When the sun
started to set and the boats were preparing for their evening fishing
expeditions, the decks would light up with dozens of bright lanterns, and the
hum of the motors would mingle with the fishermen’s shouted goodbyes. On stormy
days, the drunken masts would sway this way and that, almost crossing each
other. Sometimes a breathless boy would burst out of a side street and scan the
twilight for his father’s boat. He would identify it almost immediately by its
silhouette, and if the boat he was looking for was already on its way out of
the harbor, he would run down the pier alongside the boat and call out to the
fisherman. Then the boat would slow down and edge up to the pier, and the
fisherman would scold the child for his tardiness. The sack of food would be
expertly thrown from the boy’s hand towards the boat, and, after flying over
the water for a second that seemed to me an eternity, land in the fisherman’s
sure hands.
Cyber Monday is here and you are being bombarded with lots of emails to take advantage of all the great buys out there. Since Christmas is right around the corner, I think it’s a good time to focus on the reason for the season. I guess this is what the organizer had in mind when he decided to start this promotion.
The title of the promotion is Seventy Times Seven Christian Books at Christmas and it features 18 Christian-themed books, including self-help and YA. I have left my books at the discounted price of .99c, and both Coming Out of Egyptand In the Wildernessare among the selection.
Please share this information with your friends and loved ones and invite them to take part in this promotion. And as always, after you read the books, could you please leave an honest review on Amazon? Other readers will appreciate it.
If you are looking for a gift for the book lover on your list, you might want to select one of the books below. They are the paperback version and you can have them autographed, with bookmark included, and shipped free of cost to either you or the recipient. I can only ship to US addresses.
