Lesson 1: Fortifications

How to use the KLI: Online Worldview Training:

When you study the Holy Scriptures, how do you do it? First you research. You compare scripture to scripture, consult a concordance, dictionary, and a Bible commentary. Then you reason from the biblical truths and identify spiritual principles. Finally, you relate these truths and spiritual principles to your own life. Many people record their Bible studies. To help you develop a biblical worldview you will use the research, reason, relate, and record teaching method, popularly called the Principle Approach. To learn more about the Principle Approach for teaching and learning, visit the Foundation for American Christian Education.

Select and print the lesson below. There are 10 lessons, each one containing scriptures and words to define using the online Noah Webster 1828 Dictionary. The study questions are designed to help you develop a biblical worldview and the principles of godly leadership. The training is based on the book, The Kingdom Leadership Institute Manual: Raising Up Leaders a Time Like This Demands, by Rev. Rusty Lee Thomas.

Introduction:

Welcome to the Kingdom Leadership Institute’s online worldview training. In literature and lore, King Arthur symbolized justice and nobility and his knights’ courage, honor, and chivalry. In Arthurian legend, the Round Table was where King Arthur's Court gathered for justice and fellowship, where the knights learned to think and act principally. It is where men became kingdom leaders- kingdom leaders a time like that demanded. Our prayer is that the KLI's online worldview training will become your "Round Table," a place you gather to learn to think and act principally, biblically.

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”
Matthew 7:12

In keeping with this instruction from Matthew, and to inspire the long forgotten virtues of truth, nobility, honor, and courage, reflect on the charge given to knights by King Arthur:

God make you a good man and fail not of beauty. The Round Table was founded in patience, humility, and meekness. Thou art never to do outrageousity, nor murder, and always to flee treason, by no means to be cruel, and always to do ladies, damsels, and gentle women succour. Also, to take no battles in a wrongful quarrel for no law nor for no world's goods.

Thou shouldst be for all ladies and fight for their quarrels, and ever be courteous and never refuse mercy to him that asketh mercy, for a knight that is courteous and kind and gentle has favor in every place. Thou shouldst never hold a lady or gentle woman against her will.

Thou must keep thy word to all and not be feeble of good believeth and faith. Right must be defended against might and distress must be protected. Thou must know good from evil and the vain glory of the world, because great pride and bobauce maketh great sorrow. Should anyone require ye of any quest so that it is not to thy shame, thou shouldst fulfil the desire.

Ever it is a worshipful knights deed to help another worshipful knight when he seeth him a great danger, for ever a worshipful man should loath to see a worshipful man shamed, for it is only he that is of no worship and who faireth with cowardice that shall never show gentelness or no manner of goodness where he seeth a man in any danger, but always a good man will do another man as he would have done to himself.

It should never be said that a small brother has injured or slain another brother. Thou shouldst not fail in these things: charity, abstinence and truth. No knight shall win worship but if he be of worship himself and of good living and that loveth God and dreadeth God then else he geteth no worship here be ever so hardly.

An envious knight shall never win worship for and envious man wants to win worship he shall be dishonoured twice therefore without any, and for this cause all men of worship hate an envious man and will show him no favour.

Do not, nor slay not, anything that will in any way dishonour the fair name of Christian knighthood for only by stainless and honourable lives and not by prowess and courage shall the final goal be reached. Therefore be a good knight and so I pray to God so ye may be, and if ye be of prowess and of worthiness then ye shall be a Knight of the Table Round.

Fundamentally, the crisis of our time is one of leadership. We are losing our Christian nation. Although we are not the heroes or heroines of legend, as Christians our calling is as kingdom leaders, to influence and change the course of history to come under the full jurisdiction of Jesus Christ.

To know the will of our King of Kings, we must meet with him, know his character, obey his decrees, advance his kingdom, and study his Word. We are his men of the hour, his warriors. To serve the King of Kings heroically, a vision of victory is required. Life is not a playground. It is a war zone, a clash of ideas, philosophies, values, and worldviews. To be a kingdom man or woman, you must know and apply the Word of God to every area of life.

Lesson 1: Fortifications

With the noble image of kingdom leadership as our backdrop, let us proceed to the first worldview lesson. Much like a battering ram against a fortified wall of a castle, in this Kingdom Leadership teaching we will break down the strongholds of the enemy in our culture.

Fortifications are used by military forces to defend or strengthen a position. An example of this is seen in ancient castles. Castle is from the Latin word castellum, meaning a fortress. Castellum is from the word castrum, meaning "fortified place."

Look up the definition of the word “fortification” in the online Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary. Compare this definition to an encyclopedia

Write out the 5 definitions from Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary here.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Write out the modern definition here.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How are these definitions similar? How are the different?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Look up the word "fortify" in Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary. Write out the 4 definitions here.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Compare what the Bible says about fortified places. Look up the following scriptures, Deuteronomy 20:19-20; Psalm 48:12-14; Ecclesiastes 9:13-18; and Isaiah 26:1.

What does the Word of God say about the importance of bulwarks and fortifications?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reason from the scriptures and your word study. What are fortifications? How is wickedness fortified in our culture? Write down your thoughts below.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The loss of a biblical worldview, a misunderstanding of the character of God, and a general illiteracy regarding sound doctrine has caused immeasurable damage to the Church and our country. Satan has fortified himself in culture. Your calling is to lay seige on these fortifications and conquer for the cause of Christ, the True King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You are his spiritual warrior and ride under His banner of truth. But you cannot be affective without the Sword of the Spirit.

In order to see our nation restored to the God of our fathers, the covenant, and the godly principles that made our country great, we must return to a biblical worldview. To possess a bibilical worldview, you must study the Bible. And as you study, you must summon the courage to examine your thoughts, worldview, actions, and general lifestyle in the light of God's truth.

Take a moment to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and to prepare you to receive His engrafted Word. Has the enemy built a fortification around your heart? Is your heart open to the King of Kings and His righteous reign? Who is sitting on the thrown of your heart? Write down your thoughts below. Relate what you have learned to your own life.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Edward Bulwer-Lytton stated, "The pen is mightier than the sword." Traditionally, the sword was a symbol of combat, violence, or war, as Jesus' statement indicates, "Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword" (Matthew 26:52).

Nevertheless, the sword is more than an icon of warfare. Historically, it symbolized power, nobility, and status. The sword represented power, as in the sword of the state; nobility, as seen in our fairy tales of knights slaying dragons; and even prestige, for only the wealthy could afford one during the early medieval period.

In the Bible, the sword represents the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12 states, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." If we attach the above symbolism, we see the sword of the spirit as the source of not only a Christian's power in battle but a sign of his nobility (Revelation 5:10) through being born-again in the Spirit and of his privileged status in God's kingdom, since he is now a child of the King. Wielding the Word of God in our fallen, battle worn world is far more than a responsibility. If we have eyes to see it, it is an awesome honor.

As you prepare to take back the gates of the land and battle the fortifications of Satan, you must learn to wield the sword of the spirit with precision, strength, and control. To advance the kingdom of God, you must become a master swordsman. This means consistent, habitual training. Real swordsmen traditionally used wooden swords to hone their skill. To help you perfect your skill in the scriptures, find a daily Bible reading schedule. Be faithful each day to study God's Word.

Memorize Hebrews 4:12. __________ (completed).

Record the name of the daily Bible reading schedule.______________________

For a fuller treatise of the subject, read The Kingdom Leadership Institute Manual: Raising Up Leaders a Time Like This Demands.

Continue to lesson 2