WORD OF THE WORD-JUNE-6-30-2020

WORD OF THE LORD-6.30.20
ARK OF GRACE MINISTRIES-AMANDA GRACE

And the Spirit of the Lord says this day..I will contend with those who contend with you. I, the Lord God Jehovah will fight against those who fight against you. My Children take hold of the Shield of FAITH and the Sword of the SPIRIT and STAND UP for your help.

I, the Lord will close up the way of those who pursue and persecute you the Lord IS YOUR DELIVERANCE!! Is My arm too short that it cannot reach? Is My power limited so that it cannot be demonstrated?! NO! I the Lord rule and reign on the throne forevermore. I AM the Alpha and Omega, I AM Omnipresent, I AM Omniscient says the Lord of Hosts this day. The enemy that snake of old will NEVER be these things, He will never be exalted above the throne of God and as hard as he wages war and battles He will NEVER be able to overthrow the Kingdom of God to which there is no end says the Lord God Jehovah! My Spirit is sweeping through this country says the Lord, The Spirit of the Lord will overtake and dismantle the strongholds of the enemy! For I the Lord God, see all the chaos and instability the enemy is causing to get more and more in this country on uneven ground, to get them to lose their footing which makes it easier to ensnare them and direct them through fear instead of faith. FAITH OVER FEAR right now My Children, the Lion of Judah is Rising up and I the Lord will ROAR, Rule Over All Rebellion!! My Children shall ROAR in this hour with a sound that will cause the gates of hell to tremble and the kingdom of darkness to quake says the Lord God Elohim this day! My Spirit, the Spirit of the Lord your God is raising a standard, is flooding areas of the United States and around the World with a concentrated surge in the Spirit that will weaken the hold in the Spirit and will crush those markers the enemy has put down in an attempt to mark territory as his through those who have given themselves over to a reprobate mind and blindly serve him. If they do not repent now and turn back they will blindly serve the enemy right off a cliff says the Lord where they cannot see the edge says the Lord of Hosts this day. I AM God there is NO OTHER! They can attempt to march and invoke the elements and call upon the names of demon heads however it will FALL SHORT says the Lord. For no weapon that is formed against you, against my anointed, against those I have appointed in leadership shall prosper says the Lord of Hosts this day! For the weapons of our warfare are NOT carnal BUT MIGHTY THROUGH GOD TO THE PULLING DOWN AND DESTRUCTION OF STRONGHOLDS, and I the Lord God am sweeping these areas with My power and strongholds in the spirit and the natural will come crashing to the ground. I the Lord will allow for a time in order to wake people from their slumber to expose to them to the depths of evil attempting to hijack a covenant nation, those who were asleep are waking up there are watchman arising on the walls who will sound the alarm, who will expose the plans of the underground network of those who serve darkness AND NOT THE Kingdom of God. They dwell in the shadows of the enemy’s kingdom and they have been deceived into believing that serving him is more PROFITABLE. What profits a man to gain the whole word BUT lose His soul says the Lord God Jehovah?! For the soul is priceless and many souls have been lost that have never come back from all the wickedness and darkness they chose to dwell in, says the Lord. You see it is a choice man has been given free will says the Lord and free will in itself is a gift. You can make a choice as an act of your will to serve the Kingdom of God, to pursue the things of God, to be a living letter read by all men for the Glory of God OR you can choose as an act of your will to serve that rebellious foul mouthed serpent satan and sow destruction, corruption, and evil your entire lives. There are those who have made a choice, who have been allowed to run a muck by parents and society who were too busy indulging in the pleasures of this world, these were an easy target for the enemy to bring into the fold. They have made a choice says the Lord and now as the Righteous Judge I WILL make mine.

 You shall see a shifting around the world. Loyalties shall shift as well, watch for this says the Lord God Jehovah. I AM a God of LAW AND ORDER and I shall operate through my anointed in leadership to sweep through and restore law and order for a spirit of lawlessness has attempted to hijack this country, a spirit of antichrist has attempted to as a wave come through a crash down in an attempt to stop My plans and harm and distract My children says the Lord, HOWEVER, I the Lord am raising a HOLY standard against these spirits attempting to mobilize and march through the land. These spirits love to lull people into yelling injustice! Hatred! They draw these people into extremes, HOWEVER, the fall from that is hard and sobering says the Lord God Jehovah.

Hearing the word Placate (to make someone less angry or hostile) I the Lord am placating their hostilities and tempering it with My Spirit. Their rebellion has been judged, says the Lord God Jehovah, for I the Lord judge the thoughts and intents of the heart.

A harassing spirit has swirled around these groups HOWEVER, I the Lord will continue to dismantle tear down and destroy their plans their resources their channels their leadership for I the Lord am the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and if it is rebellion they want so the fruit of their labors they shall receive their wage in full for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus your Lord says the Lord of Hosts this day.

NOTE: Watch Australia, big events coming with Australia.

History is attempting to be rewritten and is attempting to be rearranged to make a march to the top far easier for the front men and women those players and prognosticators behind the scenes have chosen. I will shake areas of the United States of America they will literally quake, this is a wake up call says the Lord this is the valley of decision, says the Lord of Hosts this day. Choose this day, whom you will serve. Everyday you have a choice my children everyday you wake up and you are granted another day you have a choice whom you will serve, and everyday you choose Me the Lord your God the enemy takes a hit to his Kingdom. Those the enemy is speaking with and instructing and grooming will fall says the Lord they will not be able to continue their mission for missions of the enemy are being aborted, dismantled, destroyed and dissipated says the Lord of Hosts this day, you shall see evidence of this in the natural, areas marked by the enemy for rebellion I the Lord God shall sweep through and My Glory shall descend upon that place and instead of rebellion there shall be revival! There shall be brokenness and surrender and they shall put down their swords and their allegiances to wicked groups that coiled and constrict like the serpent spirits whom dominate them. They shall disperse and put down their weapons seeing that their lives matter and are precious in the eyes of God. The cornerstones of these sinister operations shall fracture and split says the Lord. There are many cracks in the foundation that they have arrogantly ignored and By My power their foundations shall split and what is upon it shall come down hard says the Lord of Hosts this day.

There are plans being made with the conventions, watch the sequence of events leading up to them, says the Lord of Hosts this day. Joe Biden will need to be propped up literally more and more says the Lord. The man has been bought and paid for and he is being pushed right to his demise says the Lord God Jehovah. This is a Hoax! And this Hoax shall not prosper but crumble like a house of cards as November approaches. I, the Lord am allowing these things with the President to show he truly NEEDS ME to go forth into a second term, that he needs to truly submit and come into agreement with My plans and purposes. I am dealing with His heart and allowing the dross to come up as I the Lord God soften His Pride and Strengthen His resolve as he shods His feet more and more with the PREPARATION of the Gospel of Peace.

Many of My Children are in a preparation process right now, they are about to be birthed into an even greater call than they walk in now. I am stretching their faith, I am preparing their hearts and I am allowing shifts and changes in their lives to make the conditions right for the birthing of this greatness that I the Lord God am bringing out of My Children.

I, the Lord am pulling back the veil and those who truly have sought Me will have heavenly encounters, open visions, vivid detailed dreams, there with such power it will even make non-believers quake, says the Lord God Jehovah. Yes, My Holy Fire and the water of My Word shall flow forth out of their bellies simultaneously the latter part of the year shall be far greater, you shall see much happen that will be shocking, however it is all to triumph over the kingdom of darkness and place My anointed leaders, those appointed to truly minister at all levels will be elevated in this hour for they have given their Father in heaven much Glory and now I shall honor them before men says the Lord of Hosts this day.

NOTE: A shift in the royal family watch for this says the Spirit! For England is shifting and I the Lord will light a fire in England!

NOTE:A MAJOR Event out of Israel approaching the feast of Trumpets. Israel will have a significant role in events through the rest of this year says the Lord God Yahweh this day.

NOTE: A medical breakthrough for those suffering from Emphysema will come forth, there will be multiple medical breakthroughs including the brain and eyes to see, says the Lord of Hosts this day.

NOTE: Watch for a MAJOR event to come forth from Florida, Florida is a key in November says the Lord of Hosts this day.

They will want more riots, they will want more rage, they will want more looting and destruction for the enemy truly comes to steal, kill, and destroy. However, they will get My Spirit breaking forth like the dawn pierces the darkness and those who wanted to harm and destroy will drop to their knees in brokenness and repentance, I am sending in those I have called and the Spirit shall be stirred in the inner cities, it shall be stirred in Seattle, it shall be stirred in parts of New York and California says the Lord God Jehovah!

The Leadership in New York, I am the righteous Judge, they have been found wanting with the blood of others smeared upon them and there must be recompense and a rectification of what has been done. Watch for events in NY with the leadership that will leave many shocked and taken off guard says the Lord God Jehovah! The time has come for rectification, for recompense, for My Spirit to sweep through and do much house cleaning including in the church for judgment begins in the house of God. And there will be a stepping down and removal of many leaders whose smoke and mirrors and high life is up says the Lord God Jehovah!! TIME IS UP! There is a changing of the guard and I the Lord God am bringing in those who speak with fire, and power and walk in the true authority of Almighty God, their Father in Heaven! This is a time of great CHANGE.

This is also a time where I the Lord in the midst of the chaos of this world am giving My children, My faithful little ones, who truly have loved their Father in heaven and served Him, I am granting them the desires of their hearts as a light and a witness to those who are in the bondage of the world. Yes My children shall receive surprises, gifts, blessings from their Father in Heaven because I love to watch My children receive the gifts and blessings I give and receive them with such happiness and joy that it brings me such Joy to bless and reward My children for walking such a difficult walk and being faithful to their Father in Heaven.

NOTE: July will be a BIG month, of BIG change and transition, some chapters will close in July and others will open. There will be much activity in Washington DC in July as well watch and see, says the Spirit!

So, shout to the Lord all the earth says the Spirit for he is Worthy of your praises, He is Worthy of your Honor, He is Worthy of Glory! Enter His gates with thanksgiving in your Hearts and Enter the Lord’s Court, His Throne , With Praise! Praise! Praise is a big KEY right now My children for praise clears out the clutter, it dissipates the darkness, it destroys the oppression and it makes the way straight for your answer to come!

So Praise me now continually and watch what flows down from the heavenlies into your lives, thus saith the Lord of Hosts, who rules and reigns forever and ever, AMEN!

WORD OF THE LORD-JUNE 6-22-2020

And the Spirit of the Lord says this day….

My Children get your eyes off of circumstance, your eyes off of the physical state of events, and redirect your focus to me the Lord your God and to the Sword of the Spirit MY WORD. For I am the WORD. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word WAS GOD! The enemy in this hour wants nothing more than to silence you for truly death and life are in the power of the tongue. This is an hour where the people of God, My soldiers on earth MUST rise up and SPEAK MY WORD and saturate the atmosphere of the United states of America and around the world. This is a time where evil is attempting to overshadow what I the Lord am doing in the United States, South America, and in Europe. Evil is attempting to tip the scales.

HOWEVER, I the Lord your God hold the scales and I weigh those and find them wanting. Mene mene tekel Upharsin, the writing is on the wall, and there are those in this hour marching right to their demise says the Lord of Hosts this day. I the Lord will now shake areas of the United states of America, for evil has saturated that area of earth and the earth and the people cry out. A spirit of terror has been released to paralyze people with fear, to cause people to bow to groups they have no business bowing too, for I am Almighty God and the only bowing that should be occurring is to Me before My throne!! Those groups that have literally caused others to bow will find themselves especially their heads forced to their knees says the Lord of Hosts this day. For the fabricated power they have been given by the enemy is no match for My presence the true power and glory of God! I am positioning my angelic army to strike. Those who want to cause evil to overshadow the covenant I have with this nation will find their cause, their leaders, their message suddenly struck, divided, pierced into the areas the public cannot see and all the gall, the poison, the deals, the money exchanged, exposed. For My Children many of these concentrated groups of destruction the enemy has formed cannot survive if their people prosper, if their people are freed from bondage, if their people are educated and have wisdom, discernment, and insight, their groups cannot prosper! Behind the scenes deals have been made by the heads of these groups to attempt to ensure their people stay in peril and in oppression so they can confuse the truth, confuse the language and use them as pawns to benefit the few at the top of a very disturbing and intertwined pyramid says the Lord of Hosts this day. I am the Lord God Jehovah, I created Life and I say this day ALL life matters. Those who are attempting to pull strings will see them snap! My Children this is a call to proclaim MY WORD, to Speak it Forth, Blow the shofar and shout for I the Lord already have given the Victory.

I am the Lord God and My power has the ability to pierce through every darkness, every storm, every evil and truly disable its power. Pray My children petition Me the Lord to disable the power of the entities behind the rage, behind the terror, behind these groups terrorizing communities, pray to disable that power for as the power of baal was disabled at Mt Carmel, no matter how much the people cried out baal could not answer could not demonstrate his power, so I the Lord say this day petition My throne for the powers and principalities to be disabled by my angelic army, that they are silenced, bound and restrained says the Lord God this day. My power is going to restrain says the Lord, you will see the physical manifestation of this, they shall be as Sodom, and for the destruction they have caused a double portion shall be upon them and their households says the Lord God Jehovah this day. The tables will be turned and those who want to reign in terror shall have terror reigned upon them.

This is their last chance to repent and turn back for the Spirit of the Lord will sweep those areas and you shall see a dismantling and fall of the powers that be ruling over those areas thinking they have it under lock and key. However, My Holy Angelic army has already been positioned and they will strike. However, all the evil, the new age, the turning away for the Lord your God, the violence being pumped into the atmosphere from the television portal, from the news, the do what thou wilt mentality, has opened a legal door that the enemy has fully exploited and these areas being looted, destroyed and terrorized are areas that have turned away from the Lord and promoted a very liberal, “do whatever you feel” “ where  pleasures and perversions openly rule, and it has built up enough in the Spirit that the enemy took advantage and he struck with his soldiers bringing a wave of darkness into the areas. The way to defeat it is for those areas to cry out to me for if My people who are called By my name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and TURN from their wicked ways I WILL hear from heaven forgive their sin and heal their land says the Lord God Jehovah!! I have set before you this day death and life blessing and cursing choose life that you, your people, and your cities may live says the Lord of Hosts this day!! Saturate the area with the word of God for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down and destruction of strongholds.

There is a reason My children “outdoor dining” is being promoted, it is easy to scout and an easy target for terror My children. They are looking to one after the other promote and execute different acts of terror, confusion, strife, and violence says the Lord of Hosts this day. They are scouting and recruiting says the Lord of Hosts this day.

Outdoor church services need to anoint and pray for I the Lord will protect but there will be an attempt says the Lord of Hosts this day. The masks easily conceal so identification is interfered with. They are attempting to make the country look as if leadership has lost control says the Lord, campaigning has halted, and violence has increased it is not a coincidence. At key points you will see the Obamas even the Bush’s reemerge says the Lord of Hosts this day, watch the timing, watch the events says the Lord of Hosts this day.

Seek me, Ask seek knock I will give instruction I the Lord will warn and thwart their plans.

A multi city terrorist attack will be attempted the enemy is attempting to bring terror upon the whole nation in an attempt to put puppets in leadership that will truly unravel the country, look at the cities my children where that leadership stands right now, look at their condition, for when leadership opens up portals of hell you will see the manifestation in the natural.

However My Children Psalm 91 speak it proclaim it, the Lord is your strength and your Song, I am your shield your Glory and the lifter of your head the Spirit of the Lord is coming upon those mightily in this nation and I the Lord will compel them into the positions where truly they will speak and change will happen says the Lord of Hosts this day.

Yes, there is a great battle happening in the Spirit and I AM, and the enemy is NOT! NO weapon that he forms will ultimately prosper and we will see evil crumble and collapse and leadership turn on each other and as those who are walking in violence turn on their own groups, I the Lord God will cause them to turn on each other and fatally wound their own cause and toxic message, they will fall. It is a desperate attempt of the enemy filled with flaws and I the Lord God see way ahead of him and his plans will be stopped short of succeeding says the Lord God Elohim!

Know this day I am on the throne, I have truly given you the power to trample upon serpents and scorpions and against all the power of the enemy so NOTHING shall by any means will hurt you, USE THE POWER SPEAK THE WORD COME INTO AGREEMENT REBUKE THE DEVOURER PETITION MY THRONE TO DISABLE THE POWERS, PRINCIPALITIES, AND GROUPS OPERATING IN THIS SORCERY, AND PRAISE ME CONTINUALLY THAT I HAVE DEFEATED THEM AND RESCUED THIS NATION FROM THE UTTER DESTRUCTION THE ENEMY AND HIS MULES HAVE PLANNED.

You will see sudden change My children, you will see sudden change. Blow the shofar for I the Lord am coming to protect My people and destroy the enemy’s camp for the battle is the Lord's and you will now see those giants fall as the solid rock of My Son Jesus Christ destroys their idols, their powers, their agreements, their weaponry, their strategy and their financial channels.

Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to Come and who rules and reigns forevermore! Amen and Amen

BIBLE STUDY-JUNE 6-20-2020

THE ARMOR OF GOD PART 2 -THE ARMOR IN ACTION- DAVID AND GIDEON

DAVID: 1 Samuel chapter 17-David anointed BEFORE facing Goliath

1 Samuel 16

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve for Saul, when I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have chosen a king for Myself among his sons.”  But Samuel said, “How can I go? When Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer from the herd with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’  You shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do [after that]; and you shall anoint for Me the one whom I designate.” So, Samuel did what the Lord said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, “Do you come in peace?” And he said, “In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

 So, it happened, when they had come, he looked at Eliab [the eldest son] and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.”  But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass before Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.”  Next Jesse had Shammah pass by. And Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen him either.” Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen [any of] these.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” Jesse replied, “There is still one left, the youngest; he is tending the sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send word and bring him; because we will not sit down [to eat the sacrificial meal] until he comes here.”

David Anointed

So, Jesse sent word and brought him in. Now he had a ruddy complexion, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. The Lord said [to Samuel], “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David in the presence of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

So, we see the Lord tell Samuel to stop grieving for Saul, that ship has sailed, and 2 fill his HORN with OIL and GO!!! There is a season for mourning, and there is a season for moving forward. Rest assured that God does not want us to remain in our brokenness and grief forever. He has a plan that is far above what we see right in front of us – a destination – that He will empower us to move into if only we will follow His lead, instructions, and keep moving.

A horn in Hebrew means basically a container, so fill your container with oil and go! The Lord is telling Samuel Equip yourself and move on from Saul and towards the future of Israel! The Lord is giving Samuel a good kick in the pants, or tunic for that matter, because there is a timetable to anoint a new King because a fierce opponent is about to arise against Israel and Saul is NOT equipped to fight him.

What was David’s training before Samuel arrives to anoint him? David was responsible for protecting the flock of HIS FATHER'S SHEEP, the lion and the bear and monitoring and keeping watch day in and day out was the boot camp the Lord had him enrolled in for this phase of His life. Soon David would be transitioned to protecting the sheep of Israel, HIS FATHER in Heaven’s flock.

So, you see the anointing had to come BEFORE David ever was positioned in front of Goliath. David was literally Samuel’s last look! Samuel thought for sure based on physical appearance that David’s brothers were Kingly material.

However, being anointed of the Lord and armored of the Lord, the Lord looks at the heart, the Lord evaluates the heart when it comes to equipping and positioning. This had to do with obedience and faith not physical stature. The armor of God has to do with obedience and Faith it has nothing to do with physical stature, the best weaponry, the most physically fit. This pertains to spiritual fitness.

So, Samuel ANOINTS, sanctifies, and sets apart, David for service unto the Lord as the next King of Israel. BUT David is young, and the Lord needs to process him some more to get him ready. However once David is anointed, The Spirit of the Lord comes upon him, included in that is the armor of God, and He comes under the Divine protection of Almighty God.

FAST FORWARD to 1 Samuel 17:

1 Samuel 17:36

David starts out as the delivery guy delivering lunch to his brothers, BUT he is anointed he is set apart, he is protected. He is going to finish as a Victorious Soldier.

1 Samuel 17:32-36

David said to Saul, “Let no man’s courage fail because of him (Goliath). Your servant will go out and fight with this Philistine.” Then Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight him. For you are [only] a young man and he has been a warrior since his youth.”  But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,  I went out after it and attacked it and rescued the lamb from its mouth; and when it rose up against me, I seized it by its whiskers and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted and defied the armies of the living God.”  David said, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” 

See David knows a few things before this battle:

     That the Lord has delivered him more than once from an enemy sent to harm, him and his   FATHER’S flock.

     

      That he has been anointed, he is sanctified, protected, set apart, and armored in the Spirit.

      That he is in covenant with the Lord and Goliath and the philistines ARE NOT “This   uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them BECAUSE he TAUNTED and DEFIED the   armies of the living God.

David is calling goliath and enemy of God, uncircumcised, out of covenant, which MEANS, out from under the protection of the Lord. So, this out of covenant Philistine is threatening an in-covenant people and David KNOWS IT!

Lets for a moment talk about Goliath’s armor because Goliath was completely armored, he was about 9 feet tall and completely armored.

1 Samuel 17:5-7

He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale-armor (overlapping metal plates) which weighed 5,000 shekels of bronze. He had bronze shin protectors on his legs and a bronze javelin hung between his shoulders. The [wooden] shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; the blade-head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And a shield-bearer walked in front of him. 

Coat of armor =125lbs

Blade head of the Spear=19lbs

Shield=8.5 feet tall approx.

Okay so there is a PARTICULARLY important prophetic meaning to the fact goliath was wearing bronze armor.

Daniel 2:31-36

“Your Majesty, you had a vision. You saw a large statue. This statue was very bright. It stood in front of you, and it looked terrifying. The head of this statue was made of fine gold. Its chest and arms were made of silver. Its stomach and hips were made of bronze.  Its legs were made of iron. Its feet were made partly of iron and partly of clay.  While you were watching, a stone was cut out, but not by humans. It struck the statue’s iron-and-clay feet and smashed them. Then all at once, the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were smashed. They became like husks on a threshing floor in summer. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a large mountain which filled the whole world.  This is the dream. Now we will tell you it is meaning.

The BRONZE and IRON on the statue were the weaker Kingdoms, far less than the kingdoms representing gold and silver. HOWEVER, it was a STONE that destroyed this enormous “statue” along with the BRONZE and IRON parts of it

Goliath’s ARMOR is all bronze and IRON and a STONE is about to be flung right at him.

So, Goliath has INCREDIBLE earthly armor BUT there is a flaw in it because he lacks ANY spiritual armor of protection which is the greater of the two!

1 Samuel 17:38-40

Then Saul dressed David in his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head and put a coat of mail (armor) on him. Then David fastened his sword over his armor and tried to walk, [but he could not,] because he was not used to them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, because I am not used to them.” So, David took them off. Then he took his [shepherd’s] staff in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones out of the stream bed and put them in his shepherd’s bag which he had, that is, in his shepherd’s pouch. With his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.

So, Saul attempts to give David EARTHLY ARMOR of bronze and David CAN HARDLY MOVE! And if he cannot move around, he becomes a sitting duck. Just like the enemy attempts to weigh us down by placing things upon our lives that make it difficult for us to move with the Lord. So, what does David do? He strips off that bulk armor and he grabs 2 particularly important things:

His Shepherd's STAFF (Remember Moses had a staff when he went to face off before Pharaoh). He takes 5 smooth stones out of the stream bed.

Psalm 23 Amplified Bible (AMP)

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David

The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me],
I shall not want. He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still and quiet waters.

He refreshes and restores my soul (life);
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the [sunless] valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You have anointed and refreshed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days] in the house and in the presence of the Lord.

This Psalm embodies the battle between David and Goliath and demonstrates how the Lord, leading us as our Shepherd, his protective hand will be upon us as we face these circumstances. When we walk with Him in true steadfast Faith, Called and anointed of God as His Children, wearing the Armor of God, we shall see a table prepared for us in the presence of Our enemies, they will fall! We get the Victory; Almighty God gets the Glory!

You see that armor Saul gave David had not been proven in the eyes of David, it had NOT ever protected him in a battle.

HOWEVER the Shepherd's Staff and His slingshot with the favor of Almighty God had been proven over and over with the lion and the bear when it came to protecting the flock, and again David was facing off against an enemy threatening the Lord’s Flock, His people Israel.

Those 5 smooth Stones that David picked up I believe had incredibly significant meaning.

First of all, I believe that the other “giants” that David faced prior to Goliath as the Lord was protecting Him, it took no more than 5 stones to defeat them perhaps.

The number 5 also represents Grace and Grace is a measure the Lord pours out into our lives that enables us to endure a circumstance that otherwise is not humanly possible to come out of victorious and restored.

Goliath was not the only one of his kind. Goliath had brothers plus there were other descendants of gigantic men from Gath (1st Chron 20:5-8), from the same place that Goliath had come from (1 Sam 17:4). Apparently, David was ready in the event any of Goliath’s brothers came with him or any of the other so-called giants that came from Gath. David did what we are to do. He made provisions for the future and was ready for any trouble in advance, but he still relied on and trusted in God to fight the battle for him. God is sovereign. HOWEVER, there is a much more prophetic and symbolic reason David chose stone as his weapon of choice.

Psalm 18:2 Amplified Bible (AMP)

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and the One who rescues me;
My God, my rock and strength in whom I trust and take refuge;
My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower—my stronghold.

Why did David think like this? Because when defending the flock against the Lion especially, Lions usually hunt in prides or packs so David knew that the Lions family members may suddenly arise on the scene and he had to be prepared the same with Goliath. All David had been through and endured PREPARED him for this moment!

1 Peter 5:8 Amplified Bible (AMP)

Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.

HOWEVER, David has another weapon, he has been anointed to be King and he is wearing the ARMOR OF GOD!! He also has the weapon of the covenant!

1 Samuel 17:41-44

The Philistine came and approached David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. When the Philistine looked around and saw David, he derided and disparaged him because he was [just] a young man, with a ruddy complexion, and a handsome appearance. The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with [shepherd’s] staffs?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine also said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.” 

First mistake Goliath makes is he does not take his opponent seriously.

Second mistake he mocks the shepherd’s staff which truly represents the Lord.

Thirdly goliath cursed David by his gods which are way-way-way inferior to Almighty God whom David is in a covenant with and has been anointed by.'

Fourthly Goliath makes the major mistake of failing to understand that Israel and David are in a covenant with Almighty God and he is out of covenant and an enemy of God, not a good position to be in in battle.

1 Samuel 17:45-47

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.  This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the corpses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,  and that this entire assembly may know that the Lord does not save with the sword or with the spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will hand you over to us.”

Ephesians 6:13-16

Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. So stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart), and having strapped on your feet the gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news]. Above all, lift up the[protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

This is Faith in Action!! David has no earthly armor. He is anointed, he has the Armor of God, and he has immovable faith in the Lord because the Lord has delivered him over and over from dangerous opponents. David also knows that Goliath is out of covenant, uncircumcised, and has not only defied the armies of the living God BUT cursed them!

Genesis 12:3 Amplified Bible (AMP)

And I will bless (do good for, benefit) those who bless you, and I will curse [that is, subject to My wrath and judgment] the one who curses (despises, dishonors, has contempt for) you and in you all the families (nations) of the earth will be blessed.”

Once Goliath cursed Israel, he was a dead man walking! He was cursed, he was fallen, he was defeated in the realm of the Spirit before the battle EVER took place in the natural.

1 Samuel 17:47

And that this entire assembly may know that the Lord does not save with the sword or with the spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will hand you over to us.”

1 Samuel 17:48-52

When the Philistine rose and came forward to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.  David put his hand into his bag and took out a stone and slung it, and it struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone penetrated his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.

So, David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck down the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David’s hand. ⁵¹ So he ran and stood over the Philistine, grasped his sword, and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their [mighty] champion was dead, they fled. The men of Israel and Judah stood with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance to the valley and the gates of Ekron. 

Think about this, first stone out of the bag direct hit!! David ran towards the battle head on! He was not going to give Goliath time to strategize, position, or draw out a weapon! Why did it only take one stone? Because the Lord only needs one time, one time to strike His enemies, this was a prophetic statement to the philistines! Their champion was fallen, they hid behind him and now they were exposed!! It foreshadowed the amount of defeat the philistines would suffer in the coming years as David rose to King. And to solidify matters David used goliath’s own sword to finish him off, goliath’s own sword is what solidified his fate!  The Lord had David strike the head and cut the head off to scatter the remainder the opposition!

Goliath NEVER got a shot at David, did not even get close enough to him!! Why, the anointing and armor of God is more protective, more powerful than any giant and its armor you could face. It was about timing the timing of God under the hand of His protection brings forth the Victory for the Glory of God! It was in fact a shepherd with nothing but the armor of God and a stone, defeated a champion warrior because physical strength is no match against the power of Almighty God!

-WORD OF THE LORD-JUNE 6-16-2020

WORD OF THE LORD-ARK OF GRACE MINISTRIES

(Given to Amanda Grace at Approximately at 5:30AM)

Come unto Me all who are heavy laden, and I shall give you rest. It is in My presence My children that there is true rest. Amidst the chaos, lawlessness, and disorder of the world, I am far above. My peace surpasses ALL understanding.  I am a God of order, of Righteous Law and Order says the Lord of Hosts. Evil is attempting to swell and crest as a wave swells and crests right before it crashed down.

HOWEVER, when the enemy attempts to come in, like a FLOOD the Spirit of the Lord your God will raise a Standard against him says the Lord God Elohim. My children you may see chaos, rage, disorder, rebellion, HOWEVER,  I the Lord am raising a STANDARD in the midst, and with this standard I the Lord am raising the standard of My children during this this time. For the enemy is attempting to shift the narrative attempting to shift in the spirit and carry it out into the natural, in an attempt to bring power and leadership under his control. There are those the enemy is using who are empty shells that have been filled as vessels with his hatred, darkness, rebellion, and lawlessness says the Lord of Hosts this day. The enemy is attempting to bring his interests and key players into agreement for in agreement there is power My children.

HOWEVER, I the Lord God have already defeated him. I am far above any principality, power and might, and I sit on the Throne, not him, I have always sat on the throne and will continue to rule and reign forevermore.

The enemy is whispering in the ears of certain groups just as the Pharisees whispered in the ears of the crowd that had gathered. The enemy utilized the Pharisees to begin the “crucify him” chant. To turn the crowd against My precious Son says the Lord God your righteousness. The enemy is attempting to do the same now and serpents are whispering in the ears of those who have been broken and fragmented since childhood, who have been deceived into believing they have been placed in positions of power to help their people when in fact all they are is another host in a long line the enemy is attempting to use to satisfy his agenda. However what they do not understand about the enemy is that you are expendable to him and once he is done utilizing those in this hour, destruction will come upon them for the enemy does not want to leave a trail that can be traced. I the Lord know all things; I am the Alpha and Omega and I keep a record of what goes on throughout the earth. The wave of rebellion and lawlessness that the enemy is attempting to build momentum with attempting to crest it in order to crash down, I the Lord your God am raising My own standard and it shall rise up and oppose the enemy and stop the advancement says the Lord of Hosts this day. However, I have allowed it to make a clear separation.

Yes, there is separation happening as was warned for this year My children. The goats are being herded together, the goats are attempting to be destructive, attempting to eat up and destroy whatever is in their path. However, I the Lord am scattering their herd and judging their leaders. A major blow to antifa is coming says the Lord. Antifa has the spirit of antichrist resting upon it and the enemy is attempting to use these hollow shells as A way to intimidate and get his agenda to the top, the enemy is attempting to bring into agreement these groups that walk in terror, rebellion, and fear, attempting to bring them into agreement.

HOWEVER, the kingdom of darkness is built upon mistrust and competition and those alliances will severely fracture saith the Lord of Hosts this day. The leaders of Antifa shall be struck says the Lord, and as nimrod attempted to oppose Me and build a tower in their rebellious agreements so this tower they are attempting to build, I shall scatter them and break and destroy the agreement fragmenting to the core their hierarchy says the Lord of Hosts this day. The enemy is attempting to harm and kill for the kingdom to attempt to gain power, however, says the Lord it is going to backfire. My children, focus on Me right now, get your eyes off of the news, listen for your Father in Heaven more than you listen to the news for it is skewed it is fallible it is used to speak as the serpent. As the serpent spoke to eve and lulled her into agreement with mangled narratives so the media is doing the same attempting to hypnotically fixate you, oh yes there is a hypnotic spirit attached to that media machine, upon their narratives, their instruction, their timing. The enemy utilizes it to clutter the spirit and the soul, to confuse and oppress and bring upon you a spirit of hopelessness so you give up your walk-in truth says the Lord this day. My children, bring your eyes your ears your souls and your lives back to Me fully, return unto Me and I shall return unto you. The enemy wants you to look away from Me right now. The enemy wants to get you entangled in a brambled mess of vices, bad habits, spiritual clutter by mixing rituals and religion into My Word and into your walks with Me. It is time to          declutter for My children MUST be able to clearly hear Me in this hour for I will be giving instructions and My children MUST be able to hear it. I will be positioning, ordering your steps, and speaking into you the truth of My Word that you need in this hour we are in. You will see much transpire in this hour, watch and pray, be vigilant My children for the enemy is determined right now to shut down any power and authority My children have in the United States and around the World. The enemy is determined to break the agreement of My children through the Church. Yes, through the Church! For if the enemy can bring the temperature more and more to lukewarm the church poses no threat for the power has departed. Ichibod will be written upon the doors of those churches who have brought masses of people to lukewarm, where there is no power, superficial faith, and little effort put into serving Me says the Lord this day. Yes those who truly walk in the power of Almighty God are RISING STRONGER IN spirit than ever before and they shall because of Me, their voices shall reach further, shall pierce into the darkness and yes there are those who will be delivered from the kingdom of darkness in this hour. Those who truly walk in power and authority, there is a shift happening and, in this hour, they shall be elevated and lifted up for My Glory, you are entering a new chapter for My Glory. However, my children, the enemy’s nature is to counterfeit. If He can clutter your spirit with vices, rebellion, excuses and rituals such as the Pharisees chained the people to, then the enemy can bring forth a counterfeit and make it look like God on the surface says the Lord. And if your spirit is so cluttered, well the enemy can easily make himself sound like Me the Lord your God Elohim. The enemy can get you into agreement with counterfeit ideas, people, positions and in this hour, he is fiercely attempting to do exactly this says the Lord. Pray My children to expose the counterfeit, pray for the Lord your God to be the two edged sword penetrating to the dividing line in your lives, to draw a clear plumb line of what is of the Lord and what the enemy has counterfeited. We are at a very crucial point and he would love nothing more than to hook you to a counterfeit to destroy the plans I have for you says the Lord of Hosts this day.

You are soldiers of the living God and discipline is necessary right now for where My children, the direction I am leading them in.  those who lack discipline shall be chastised to bring them into the discipline in their walk with Me that they so desperately need. The Lord chastises those He loves, remember that My children. I am your Father in Heaven and I the Lord must rear you up to go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, and to be put in positions around the world, influential  positions, that shall move forward and advance for the Kingdom My plans and My purposes. Watch for some major public falls amongst the wicked acting as light but resting in the shadows of darkness and helping advance that agenda. There will be major public falls for those who pretend to be children of the light while making deals in the darkness says the Lord of Hosts this day.

You shall see engineered rebellion, and those who protest, those who are spoon feed poison to speak into the younger generations, There shall be a righteous anger as I allow people to witness this interconnected web, people shall return unto Me and that righteous anger shall build and will fracture the lawlessness they are attempting to stir up in order to try and seize the law and manipulate and dominate it for their wicked purposes says the Lord of Hosts this day. The gate is closing on gates. My power will be made manifest stronger and more fierce than ever before says the Lord of Hosts this day. For the enemy shall not derail My plans, and just when he thinks he is causing rebellion,  fear, and lawlessness to rise enough to seize power, one blow from My mighty right hand shall bring it crashing down says the Lord of Hosts this day the Righteous Judge. I am the Righteous Judge and I shall righteously judge those who have given themselves over to the enemy. I shall take their speech and their ability to make any sound arguments says the Lord, they shall go mad and lose their voice of influence says the Lord. However, watch for those who arise who speak for others, those who should not be a part of leadership arise and suddenly do all the talking attempting to seamlessly weave their agendas. The people of this country are restless. I am allowing the pressure to birth forth vision, to bring people into focus to expose the agendas of the enemy to make a clear choice for those lost in confusion. You will see miraculous jaw dropping events occur to suddenly turn the narrative, to scatter the enemy’s gangs, mules, and soldiers. As furious as they arise, they shall fall a double portion of that rage, and some of these rebellions will be supernaturally put down and fall faster than they ever arose says the Lord of Hosts this day

Your steps right now My children MUST BE ordered of the Lord for I will shine a light on My children and will provide for them in amazing ways to show the world that I truly am the One true Living God who is not subject to any system of this world and neither are My Children, they shall be propelled into positions where the world sees they are not touched by what is occurring, they are protected and being provided for above and beyond their needs. Walk circumspectly before Me right now My children for much change is occurring, yes there is shifting and changing occurring in the natural in My children’s lives for the enemy is being evicted as he attempted to put down roots to cause oppression, idleness, weariness, and hopelessness in the lives of My children and in this hour I say ENOUGH, the enemy is being evicted and there is a shift of whose presence shall be around you and allowed near you for the enemy’s easiest doors are the people around you My children. You are mine first and I the Lord am making major changes now in order to free My children to be powerhouses and voices for My Glory in an hour where rage wants the floor.  Rage wants to be heard and rage shall lose it’s voice says the Lord God Jehovah this day. I shall choke rage says the Lord as the root of rage is exposed and the dirty deeds done to seize the microphone will be laid bare for all to see, it will cause an exodus, you shall see a second exodus of people abandoning groups and parties after the stench of deception and wickedness is too much to bare says the Lord God Jehovah. I am waking people up, I am separating the wheat from the tares, and I am moving much in the lives of My children, for I see ahead and I the Lord thy God know what is best for them. Trust right now My children TRUST in ME Trust in MY PLANS for your lives.  Let go of the rope, for many of you have continued a tug of war with Me because you are resisting where I the Lord God am leading. Let go of the rope and let the leading of My spirit position you into new areas, new chapters, and new life for My Glory and for the well being of You My children. God Bless You in the name of My precious son Yeshua, Jesus, who rules and reigns forevermore.

BIBLE STUDY-JUNE 6-13-2020

Read the Bible with Amanda Grace

Armor of God Ephesians 6 (PART 1) 

Ephesians 6:10-20:

• 1 Gird your waist with truth
• 2 Breastplate of righteousness
• 3 Shod your feet w/the preparation of the Gospel of Peace
• 4 Shield of Faith
• 5 Helmet of Salvation
• 6 Sword of the Spirit

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 Amplified Bible (AMP):

The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ. The weapons of our warfare are not CARNAL. The armor of God is one of those weapons of warfare that are of the Spirit and are mighty through God where we see the pulling down and destruction of strongholds.

NOTE:The word in Greek, panoplia, means full armor, a complete set of defensive and offensive armor (weapons), i.e. everything needed to wage successful warfare; (figuratively) the full resources the Lord gives to the believer so they can successfully wage spiritual warfare. In this way they do not fight for victory – but from His victory!

To understand the armor of God we must first understand the background as to why Paul wrote this in the book of Ephesians:

First of all, Paul was writing to the Church of Ephesus, giving them specific instructions since he was absent. He was absent because at the time he was a prisoner in Rome. It is very likely Paul was in the company of Roman soldiers who guarded him. Paul wrote this letter to the Church of Ephesus around 60 AD, while he was awaiting to go before Caesar for trial.

Paul commends Ephesus for their faithfulness. He had spent a considerable amount of time with them prior. According to the book of Acts 20:31 he spent three years with them. He was so effective for the Kingdom of God that the silversmiths were losing money hand over fist because the people stopped buying idols.

Paul,while imprisoned, writes to the Church of Ephesus instructing them how to be successful and effective in their calling.

In Paul’s closing he Strongly urges the church to put on the full armor of God.  Ephesus later became a stronghold of Christianity I think it was 96 AD is what I read. Also, Jesus in the book of Revelation commends the city for adhering to doctrine, and their willingness to test those who claim to be disciples in (Rev. 2:1-7).

So it is very fitting that we would find this instruction in the book of Ephesians. It appears that Paul concludes that if a Roman Soldier or Centurion in the natural has, from head to toe, physical armor that is designed to protect them in battle, then we as children of the most High God must have armor in the spirit that we put on because we are soldiers of the Lord. And we are to occupy until His return.

Think about it Angels, because I have seen them, are armored. So if angels have been equipped by Almighty God with protective Armor to war for the Kingdom, we also should be armored as we go forth fighting the good fight of faith.

As I am writing all 6 pieces of Armor the Holy Spirit says to me “it makes the Cross”

Because the blood of Jesus is in front of Armor.

So what does it mean to gird the waist? Where does that expression come from? First of all loins is used to reference the area below the ribs so the waist area. Men and women in the Biblical era typically wore tunics, which would have understandably gotten in the way whenever a man needed to run, fight or perform hard labor —as men are wont to do, of course.Men got around this issue by fastening a girdle to their waist and tucking the loose ends of the tunic into it, thus “girding up their loins.” So most likely, when David fought Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, he first girded his loins, which is preparation before battle, he put on the armor of God against Goliath and the Philistines. The physical earthly armor King Saul attempted to put him in, David could barely move. Instead he entered the battle only with the armor of god, and that is all he needed to triumph over Goliath. So girded one's loins is an act of preparation for the battle.

Gird your loins, be in preparation for battle, with truth. Make sure truth is tucked into you because if you do not have the Truth of God, you are going into the battle on shaky ground, on sand, and we all know how hard it is to run and maneuver in sand. Girding our waist with Truth gives helps us to avoid snares and traps the enemy sets through lies and deception. Truth the Kind of truth we can only walk in with a solid relationship with the Lord, exposes and dissipates those deceptions, neutralizing that weapon of the enemy’s. Because when you prepare with the truth of God, you are entering the battle that way which begins to position you to be victorious! You want to be in a position to get the victory before you even begin! “Every other piece of the full armor of God is attached to the belt of truth. If you don’t begin with truth, you’ll never defeat the enemy. And Jesus said God’s Word is true (John 17:17).” (Christianity.com).

John 17:17: 

Sanctify them in the truth [set them apart for Your purposes, make them holy]; Your word is truth. So the armor of God is indeed about sanctifying us and setting us apart as the Lord’s for His purposes, and you need Truth, to begin with the truth of what is in God’s Word to proceed successfully.

The Breastplate of Righteousness:

In the armor of a Roman soldier, the breastplate served as protection for some of the most important and vital parts of the body. Underneath the breastplate is the heart, lungs and other organs necessary for life. Therefore, if a soldier did not wear his breastplate, he was vulnerable to an attack that could result in instant death. Because as we know with attacks of the enemy the heart, getting into our heart, is what his goal is, to get into our heart and get the Lord out of our heart and then our life which would expose us to destruction.

Romans 6:23:

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God [that is, His remarkable, overwhelming gift of grace to believers] is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

However, the Lord has brought to mind that in the word of God there was another kind of breastplate as well…Aaron was the first high priest of the temple at Jerusalem to have worn this breastplate, several centuries before Christ. Later worn by the High Priest, when he was presented in the Holy Place, in the name of the Children of Israel. The stones of the breastplate appear as one of three lists of gems, in the Bible. In Ezekiel 28:13, in Revelations 21:19–20, and in Exodus 28:17–20 are lists of the 12 foundation stones. The authorized list is (1) red jasper (sardius), (2) citrine quartz (topaz), (3) emerald, (4) ruby (carbuncle), (5) lapis lazuli (sapphire), (6) rock crystal (diamond), (7) golden sapphire (ligure), (8) blue sapphire (agate), (9) amethyst, (10) yellow jasper (chrysolite), (11) golden beryl (onyx), (12) chrysoprase (jasper). The Hebrew names of these 12 stones are (1) Odem, (2) Pitdah, (3) Bareketh, (4) Nophek, (5) Sappir, (6) Yahalom, (7) Leshem, (8) Shebo, (9) Ahlamah, (10) Tarshish, (11) Shalom, (12) Yashpheh. Also called  Aaron’s Breastplate (link.springer.com).

In the midst of the commandments for the building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), we find the instructions for the making of the garments that the High Priest was to wear. The details for the High Priest’s clothing are detailed completely from head to foot in Exodus chapter 28. We also know that every detail provided in the Bible was given so that every person reading the Scriptures would in some way be directed or led to Yeshua (Jesus). Each word was framed precisely to make a pathway where, no matter where you start from, the end of the path leads to Yeshua.

These twelve stones represented the twelve tribes of Israel, that they were chosen and set apart for the Lord through a covenant. Twelve also represents God’s power and authority which we have been given as His children in covenant with Him.

The high priest also was the one who entered the Holy of Holies into the presence of Almighty God. Because we are purchased by the blood of Jesus we are sanctified to enter into the Holy of Holies into the presence of the Lord to receive instruction from Him.

This Breastplate also signified that the individual was a priests:

1 Peter 2:9: 

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation. A [special] people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Revelation 1:6: 

And formed us into a kingdom [as His subjects], priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the power and the majesty and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

NOTE: So what exactly is Righteousness? We read about this throughout the Bible.

Righteousness is the quality of being right in the eyes of God. This would include the  character (nature), conscience (attitude), conduct (action), and command (word). Righteousness is, therefore, based upon God’s standard because He is the ultimate Lawgiver (Christianity.com).

Isaiah 33:22: 

For the Lord is our Judge,The Lord is our Ruler,The Lord is our King; He will save us!  And every tongue that rises against you in judgment you will condemn. This [peace, righteousness, security, and triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from Me,” says the Lord. 

So putting on the breastplate of righteousness we are putting on a covering that not only protects our heart, especially, because the enemy truly and desperately wants to do everything he can to turn our hearts from God towards the world and the Kingdom of darkness. This covering also helps to bring us into alignment with the Lord, to be in right standing before the eyes of God.

SHOD YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE:

As part of the Roman armor on the feet of the soldier they wore boots with long cleats or nail-like spikes that would allow them to anchor themselves to ground with more stability than the enemy.

The Word of God anchors us, it is our anchor. When we are anchored we have stability no matter the battle. The Word of God stabilizes our lives that we can stand in the battle, in the storm, and not be knocked to the floor by the tactics and schemings of the devil. Also, when we prepare everyday and in our lives by reading the word of God, by spending time with the Lord, that preparation allows us better to hear instructions from the Lord in the battle.

Joshua 5:13-15: 

Now when Joshua was by Jericho, he looked up, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his drawn sword in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?” He said, “No; rather I have come now as captain of the army of the Lord.” Then Joshua fell with his face toward the earth and bowed down, and said to him, “What does my lord have to say to his servant?” The captain of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy (set apart to the Lord).” And Joshua did so.

What did Joshua do right before this encounter happened? He and all the Jews observed the Passover, they observed the instructions of the Lord, which was preparation for the battle of Jericho. The Lord goes on in Joshua chapter 6 to give him very specific instructions in preparation for this historic battle. Joshua was in right standing with the Lord and put Him first. Because of this He was able to receive the instructions he needed to be victorious in battle. Interestingly enough what is said is ‘the Gospel of Peace."

We should have peace that the Lord is very present and will give us the instructions, protection, and strategy we need to be victorious in the battle. We prepare everyday knowing in whom we have believed, that The Lord will never leave us or forsake us. He is an ever present help in times of trouble.

Phillipians 4:7: 

And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].

Because to be victorious in battle we have to be thinking clearly so the enemy cannot enter and confuse the situation. When we walk in the peace of God we can think much clearer and see clearly what the Lord desires to reveal to us.

THE SHIELD OF FAITH:

Now the Shield of faith is the only peace of armor in which Paul makes it clear what it’s purpose it.

Ephesians 6:16:  

Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (Definition of Extinguish: To put an end to; annihilate).

Interestingly enough with a Roman Soldier: There were many designs, but one of the most famous is the eagle's wings and lightning bolt. The eagle was the symbol of the Roman army, and the lightning bolt was the symbol of Jupiter, the king of the gods (Jupiter was the Roman version of the Greek god Zeus, who threw thunderbolts from the sky).

Look at that you have the battle between the Lord, eagles wings, and lucifer, the lightening bolt, painted on the Roman shields without them even knowing it. They were pagan and served false gods, and it is clear by their shields who was protecting them in battles, not God Almighty but lucifer. And isn’t it interesting then that Jesus was crucified by the Romans when a symbol of lucifer is on their shields. And the shield was made of wood. Interesting you have the Lord and lucifer facing off one a shield of wood, that sounds like what happened on calvary to me and Glory to God the Lord was victorious!

Now, the Shield was held in front of the Body to protect the body from weapons that were launched. The shield deflects HOWEVER, Paul makes it clear that the SHIELD OF FAITH does more than deflect it EXTINGUISHES, the fiery darts of the enemy. It annihilates those darts and destroys them. As soldiers of the Lord and Children of Almighty God faith goes BEFORE us! 

2 Corinthians 5:7 Amplified Bible (AMP)

For we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises.

Faith is what SHIELDS US from doubt, keeps us abandoning the course, reinforces our relationship with the Lord, and moves the Lord God to act on our behalf.

Lucifer hates FAITH, because faith blocks him from being able to plant doubt, unbelief, worry, fear, it neutralizes the fiery darts he fires in an attempt to make matters so upsetting and unsettling for us that we abandon our walk with the Lord.

So the Shield of faith has an extinguishing property to it because the Holy Fire of God destroys any weapon, and the shield of faith is built to annihilate those fiery darts and neutralize their effectiveness.

However, the Shield of Faith also has another property, when put up in front of you it not only makes a boundary that the enemy cannot breach or penetrate, but it has a blinding property to it where the enemy cannot see you behind it and what is happening. Therefore he does not know necessarily what to launch against you. It is another layer of protection.

Isaiah 54:17: 

No weapon that is formed against you will succeed! 

THE HELMET OF SALVATION:

Now the helmet of the Roman Soldier had these bristles going from front to back. The reason there were bristles on the Roman soldier’s helmets was it gave them the appearance of being taller. When one enters into battle they would try to gain any physical as well as psychological advantage they could over their opponents. Looking taller meant a Roman soldier would look more fearsome to anyone they were fighting. (quora.com).

The Roman helmet served to protect the head. If you look at pictures, they are a reasonably close fit, they have (often) a reinforcing bar on the place most likely to be hit, and what are called cheek pieces – metal flaps which come down and cover the cheeks and some of the chin. But another function was to identify the wearer. In the middle of a battle with everyone dressed much the same, you need a quick way of identifying who is in charge. And that was largely the function of the crest. Although there were times when crests were only ever worn rarely if ever. Because Rome lasted for a long time, and fashions changed. (quora.com).

So the helmet’s main function and purpose was to protect the head from blows from swords and other weapons.

In the armor of God we have the helmet of Salvation. The helmet of salvation speaks of receiving deliverance from our greatest problem on earth; namely, the many consequences of our sin against a holy God. Salvation also references that we are rescued from some great threat and peril.

Romans 6:23 

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God [that is, His remarkable, overwhelming gift of grace to believers] is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.The helmet of salvation is our covering, it protects us from the wages that sin produces, it provides a covering for our lives because we are bought with a price, purchased by the precious blood of Jesus, Yeshua.The helmet also protects our minds. The enemy loves to play head games and strike the first blow in our minds. Because the enemy first has to change our mind to then travel down into our heart. Our mind is the gateway to the heart. The mind turns, the heart turns. For the enemy to convince us to stray from the Lord, to doubt, to have unbelief, to make us afraid, he has to has to get our minds into agreement with that which then brings our hearts into that same agreement out of the will of Our Father in Heaven.

2 Timothy 1:7 Amplified Bible (AMP):

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control]. The helmet of salvation covers us so we can have a sound mind that can think with clarity and exhibits self control. If we have the mind of Christ, which we do, then those are attributes of that mindset. It becomes very difficult for the enemy to get into a sound mind and wreak havoc. The sound mind that has clarity, wisdom, knowledge from Almighty god becomes vigilant and wise to the tactics of the enemy and can identify and rebuke them when he begins his strike, neutralizing that attack. So the helmet of salvation covers, protects, and fortifies the mind so we can continue our course with wisdom, clarity, and stability of thought and action.

THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT THAT IS THE WORD OF GOD:

     The last and final piece of Armor is the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. The sword of the Roman Soldier was used to thrust.Thrust: a sudden or violent lunge with a pointed weapon. 

     Hebrews 4:12 Amplified Bible (AMP: For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. It is LIVING and ACTIVE because when you read it and speak it, it has the power to evoke change, to put the enemy on the run, to expose the plans of the enemy, to bring healing to penetrate into the deepest parts of ones soul and bring life where there once was death, bring peace where there once was chaos, bring boldness where there once was fear. It ACTIVATES and effectively brings forth change, breakthrough, victory, stability, it anchors you, it puts the enemy on the run!

     Swing at the enemy with the WORD, When jesus was in the wilderness in Matthew 4 and Luke 4 an at his weakest the devil showed up to attempt to capitalize Jesus utilized the sword of the Spirit the Word of God and it foced a retreat on the enemy’s part.The Word of God, Actively speaking it, covering your life in it, feeding it to your soul will actively cause a retreat on the part of the enemy.

     It also has the capability to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart, it exposes what is in our hearts, it helps us discern the intentions of others and the plans of the enemy. It opens us up to actively hear in the spirit, see in the spirit and receive information and instruction from the Holy Spirit.

     Swords are weapons, they are meant to be used as such. And when we effectively use the Word of God we are suddenly thrusting it into the enemy’s plans doing damage and causing a retreat. When we have the shield of faith up in front of us and then thrust with the sword of the Spirit it is a blow the enemy and his army cannot see coming. The enemy’s strategy is to attack all areas that the armor pieces coincide to at once to get you to PUT DOWN YOUR SWORD AND STOP SPEAKING THE WORD! DO NOT PUT DOWN YOUR SWORD!!

     The enemy first lies to you to get you out of the truth of God into his world of deception. He then convinces you to doubt that the Lord really doesn’t love you, that he doesn’t care about you, he simultaneously goes after your heart which the breastplate protects to get you to stop your love walk with the Lord, he then is able to disrupt the peace and get you out of the habit of preparation with the Word which causes you to lose your footing. He then gets you to stop having faith and put down your shield which leaves you wide open to be hit by the enemy. Which then completely messes with your mind wearies you, where the enemy convinces you to walk away from your covering, your salvation, and hand it over to him to be destroyed, and finally that causes you to put down your sword and abandon God’s word, now with no armor you completely unequipped against the enemy and it is open season for him as he destroys lives for sport.

     So you see everywhere the enemy goes after a piece of the armor of God is tied to it. If the enemy attempts to strike you when you are armored up, the armor of God protects you and the blow is not as effective, it does not cause the desired outcome the enemy had in mind through that particular strike.

     That is because the armor of God is anointed!!! The armor fortifies weak and vulnerable areas and makes us strong and powerful in the might of God!

     When I get up early in the morning this is what I say:

1.   I praise Him for another day, and I repent before the Lord(get specific)   asking Him to forgive me of my sins and cleanse me of all unrighteousness

2.   Lord, in the name of Jesus, I ask you put your WHOLE and COMPLETE armor on me this day I ask in Jesus name. I do this once every 24 hours

3.   Lord, in the name of Jesus I ask you fill me with your Grace for this day I ask in Jesus name.

Tuesday, June 6, 1944. D-Day: 

Just two days before, on Sunday, Chaplain George Russell Barber held services on eleven different ships in Weymouth Harbor for thousands and thousands of soldiers. During those services, Chaplain Barber distributed many Service Testaments provided by The Gideons International.

One of the men in attendance at his services that day was the famous Stars and Stripes news correspondent, Ernie Pyle. “Chaplain, I will see you on the beach,” said Pyle.

“We’re on His side and we’re going to win. Jesus gave his life for us and we may have to give our lives for Him and for our country. He knows all about it and He’s with us here,” Barber told the troops. Standing on the bridge of the ship, he prayed for everyone on the ship through the PA system. General Eisenhower also prayed with his Chaplain. Then orders were given for the troops to deploy.

“When we got closer to the shore there were lots of Higgins boats around us. One about forty meters from us had hit a mine and blew up. Killed everybody. The bodies were floating in the water with pocket Bibles bobbing.”

“They were shooting at us all around,” he said. Unlike all the men around him, the Chaplain was entering into the crossfire with no weapon other than the Word of God.

“Men were being killed all around me. We were all trying to dodge the bullets… Men were crying and praying and helping each other. Our men were shooting and throwing hand grenades. German soldiers were firing at them all up and down the beach.”

Barber made his way to his men who had fallen. “I talked to as many as I could and prayed with them. I said, ‘Trust in God.’” As men died in his arms, the Chaplain quoted Jesus’ words from John 14 verses 1 and 2, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions…”

However, within 24 hours, 50,000 troops were across the beaches and moved in to eventually defeat Hitler. None of the four chaplains landing on the Normandy beaches that day were killed, according to Barber.

Troops prepare to invade one of the Normandy beaches on D-Day. Photo: U.S. Coast Guard

Barber dug a foxhole where he spent that night staring up at tracer bullets as they lit up the sky and praying. “I prayed as if everything depended on the Lord, and I dug as if everything depended on me,” he said.

Just months after D-Day, Barber would go on to survive the bloody Battle of the Bulge, even after having his Jeep torn apart by a German artillery shell. Later in Czechoslovakia, he rescued several European ministers, nuns and priests from the Russians. He also served for two years as a chaplain in Japan and Korea in the Korean War, during which Chaplain Barber would assist Bob Pierce in rescuing 100,000 orphans. This would lead Pierce to found World Vision.

Chaplain Barber went on to pastor two churches in Southern California over the next 45 years until he retired in 1981. (blog.gideons.org).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov3Fi5QXpEk