STANDING ON GUARD FOR THEE

PRAY WITH ME FOR AFRICA: Leadership and theological training must become the top priority in the church in Tanzania. Many Pastors have multiple congregations to care for. Training Leaders International is working to establish a Bible school, TEE, and other training programs are available but are dwarfed by the need. Pray for leadership development. Pray also for unity in the church and also in this country of mixed people and religion.

Part of our great national anthem (I love to sing it and hear it and am emotionally moved every time, knowing that I am so privileged to be a Canadian, knowing also my responsibility to God to serve others because of this privilege, knowing that we still honor God in our anthem) says, "we stand on guard for thee".
While reading the book of Numbers this week (ESV) I was surprised to read that the ministry of the Levites (Gershon, Kohath, Merari, Aaron) in their care of the Tabernacle was described as "guard duty" Numbers 3.25,30,36,38; 4.28; 8.26; 18.3,4,5,7; 31.47. Other translations use service, charge, duties, responsible for the care of, to describe the ministry of the Levites. The Levites were to properly handle the holy things of the Tabernacle and offer the sacrifices as God commanded. Their duty was also to keep unauthorized people from the Tabernacle lest they encounter the wrath of God. The Levites surrounded the Tabernacle when Israel camped to prevent an unholy approach to the Tabernacle. They were standing on guard for God's glory.
As believers were are a nation of priests standing on guard for the glory of God. We are to know and defend the truth of God's Word and the glorious Gospel of Grace in this new covenant age. Approach to God can only be through Jesus Christ and His cross.
1 Corinthians 10.4-6 teaches, "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete." Ephesians 6.10-20 views believers as soldiers standing against the schemes of the devil.

 Let me close this week by quoting Martyn Lloyd Jones. "The main trouble with the Christian Church today is that she is too much like a clinic, too much like a hospital; that is why the great world is going to hell outside! 'We are all suffering' - to quote Charles Lamb,'with the mumps and measles of the soul' and feeling our own pulses and talking about ourselves, and our moods and subjective states. We have lost the concept of the army of God, and the King of righteousness in this fight against the kingdom of evil.... Forget yourself and your temporary troubles and ills for the moment: fight in the army. It is not a clinic you need; you must realize that we in a barracks and that we are involved in a mighty campaign."
"We stand on guard for THEE in the name of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Word. Amen".

God articles this week:
Jordan Peterson on Christians Standing UP
Work of Training Leaders International