Advent Heroes fighting for faith, hope, love and Joy:
God’s own coming and His armor.

Isaiah 9:1-3 there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress… 2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light… they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice…

Barbara realized that many small agreements with darkness can be made during the day by confessing things like: “I’m frustrated because I can’t get done what I want to do.” She said, as I was agreeing with frustration I would naturally feel more of it. How many little things are we speaking agreement with as we complain or think with familiarity and negativity? Being aware (discerning the spirits) and saying aloud, “I break that agreement with frustration,” doesn’t change circumstances but does detach me from being controlled by the feelings. I can choose to disagree and fight doubt and negativity and replace them with God’s words, thoughts, feelings and ways of hope, faith, love, joy and peace in Christ (the armor of God).
Ez 13:3-5 "woe to those following their own spirit [carnal and unsubmitted) and have seen nothing [not discerning bad spirits and agreements]. You have not gone up into the breaches (gaps) nor built the wall around the house... To stand in the day of battle." In other words they are just reacting and agreeing with strongholds of familiarity and negativity and leaving their houses (families, church) unprotected.
Ez 22:30 “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.
Joseph and Mary are not even mentioned, nor any New Testament persons, in the faith heroes’ chapter Hebrews 11. The names from New Testament times written in the history of the new covenant are to include yours and mine... Will we continue the fight of faith? We live under the encouraging eye of witnesses of the ages as well as Zechariah’s and Elizabeth’s hope, Joseph’s and Mary’s faith, John’s fire of the Spirit, Anna, Simeon and the New testament saints and Christian martyrs and saints through the ages.
We are the teenagers and dads and moms and workmen. We are Christ’s witnesses and missionaries. We stand in the gap and repair the breach by God’s own hope and faith in us.
Joseph and Mary had to fight against enemies within and without. They needed faith and hope. They received angels and dreams and messages from God and believed the Scriptures. They opened their spiritual eyes to see “out of the box” and see and hear what God was telling them to do.
We need faith and hope to combat familiarity and negativity. They needed courage and love to stand against the accuser and to stand in the gap so God could use them to bring salvation to all for all history. The world and people around us need us to stand in the gap and repair breaches, and to fight for their salvation and for the kingdom.
How does God want to use you? What do you see? Hear? Where are you engaged in the battle? For whom are you praying by name? For whom are you standing in the gap?
Give thanks. Worship and spend time in God's presence so you can stand and fight from God’s own presence and armor Sow and plant in the Spirit and reap restoration of individuals, nations, generations and the earth itself to the love and image of God-Faith, hope, love, joy and peace reflect the image of God.
You and I are God’s treasure in earthen vessels of weakness so we can show the glory of his grace. His presence and armor equips us to our calling to be Hebrews 11 Heroes of Faith. Agree with God. Disagree with demons.
I hope you find it helpful to read and use the Advent meditations, prayers and Scriptures at home.
First Candle: prepare in hope and lean hope against God to fight familiarity. Second Candle: Faith from prophecy fulfilled. Fight negativity with God’s Word (sword of the Spirit). Third Candle: Love and repentance in response to God’s mercy on us sinners. Fourth Candle: Choose and practice Joy while you look for Christ’s “comings” to each day.