Get Your Armor On

Dear Church family and friends,
 
Good day from the Castle of King Christopher from the days of yore, when knights fought to protect kingdoms from evil, and dragons roamed the land!
 
In case you'd forgotten, we are in the middle of the Kingdom Chronicles Vacation Bible Adventure this week. We've been blessed with over 80 children each night, and about 50 volunteers who help to make this event a success! You are welcome to come visit any night between 6:00 - 8:30pm, but especially exciting are the nightly dramas at 8:05! Thursday night will be a special medieval re-enactment from 8:15-8:45, demonstrating hand-to-hand combat techniques of the day. Finally, you won't want to miss our VBA highlight service during the 10:45am worship time in the Family Life Center this coming Sunday. You will be blessed and encouraged by what you see our children learning about the armor of God and the battle for truth. I hope you'll join us! Don't forget that we will also be worshipping at 9:15am in the sanctuary, too, with Pastor Nate sharing the Word.
 
I encourage you to take time to reacquaint yourself with the scripture from Ephesians 6:11-18, regarding the Armor of God. I'll share a special version of that in a moment. As we are studying about God's truth here at VBA we are reminded about a very real battle we all daily encounter. Satan is crafty, the father of all lies, and he wants to trip us up and confuse us regarding God's absolute truth. As we spend time reading God's words in Scripture it will be easier to recognize these lies. But we can further protect ourselves and our children if we make use of the spiritual armor God has provided for us.
 
God knew Satan would try to send his attacks on us, and He made special provisions for us! Let's remember to use this protection God has provided. How ridiculous would it be for our military personnel to go into battle without all their protective gear? It is equally ridiculous for us to neglect daily putting on our armor or dressing our loved ones in it!
 
I love this scripture prayer that was written by Jodie Berndt in her book, Praying the Scriptures for Your Children. She suggests that as we dress our young children, fold laundry for our family, or pack clothes for a trip, that we pray this prayer. Make it a daily routine. We all have special people in our lives, so this prayer isn't limited to just children. Fill in the blanks with the name of the person you are "praying on" the armor of God!
 
Lord, clothe ________ with your full armor so he/she can take his stand against the Devil's schemes. Help him to stand firm, with the belt of truth buckled around his waist and the breastplate of righteousness in place. Fit his feet with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Give _________ the shield of faith, with which he can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. Place the helmet of salvation on his head and the sword of the Spirit, which is your Word, in his hands. Finally, teach him to pray and be alert. (Ephesians 6:11-18)
 
The battle is raging; suit up, grab your sword and be victorious in the Lord!
 
Blessings and peace,
 
Queen Susan, of VBAland