Spiritual War, 9of20

~ Spiritual War: Communications ~

#1 Keep In Touch With God (spend time in the Word of God and in Prayer) ~  “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” (Ephesians 6:18, niv). 

Successful soldiers know that they must keep in constant communication with their leaders.  If the message from the Commander in Chief is distorted or lost, the battle will end in defeat.  Our Supreme Leader has given clear orders in His written Word and He gives us specific directions while in the trenches of warfare through His Spirit.  Our enemy hates it when we apply the Word of God and pray.  Keep in touch with all three members of the Trinity. 

Fellowship with the Father  ~  “That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father…” (1 John 1:3).

Fellowship of the Son  ~  “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9). “That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3).

Fellowship of the Spirit  ~  “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy” (Philippians 2:1). “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).

#2 Keep In Touch With Your Fellow Soldiers (have R&R with fellow warriors) ~  “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).  The early disciples and the early church exhibited true unity.  

United in Prayer  ~  “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers” (Acts 1:14). “So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: ‘Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them’” (Acts 4:24).

United in the Word of God  ~  “Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did” (Acts 8:4-6).

United in Gathering Together for Fellowship  ~  “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart” (Acts 2:46).

United in Witness and Action  ~  “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:46-47). “And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch” (Acts 5:12). 

United in Peace and Existing in True Unity  ~  “It seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth” (Acts 15:25-27). 

The Bottom Line  ~  Scripture does not allow for “Lone Ranger Christians.”

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Temptation, 2of13

~ A Brief Overview of Temptation ~

Adam & Eve (the first temptation)  ~  “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.  And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, “You shall not eat of every tree of the garden”?’  …   So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.  She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.  …  And the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’  The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’ …  To the woman God said: ‘I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.’  Then to Adam He said, ‘Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, “You shall not eat of it”: cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.  Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field.  In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.’  And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:1, 6, 13, 16-20).

Samson & Delilah  ~  “Afterward it happened that Samson loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.  And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, ‘Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.’  So Delilah said to Samson, ‘Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict you.’  …  Then Delilah said to Samson, ‘Look, you have mocked me and told me lies.  Now, please tell me what you may be bound with.’  So he said to her, ‘If they bind me securely with new ropes that have never been used, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man.’  …  Delilah said to Samson, ‘Until now you have mocked me and told me lies.  Tell me what you may be bound with.’  And he said to her, ‘If you weave the seven locks of my head into the web of the loom’ — So she wove it tightly with the batten of the loom, and said to him, ‘The Philistines are upon you, Samson!’  But he awoke from his sleep, and pulled out the batten and the web from the loom.  Then she said to him, ‘How can you say, “I love you,” when your heart is not with me?  You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great strength lies.’  And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death, that he told her all his heart, and said to her, ‘No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb.  If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.’  When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, ‘Come up once more, for he has told me all his heart.’  So the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hand.  Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head.  Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him.  And she said, ‘The Philistines are upon you, Samson!’  So he awoke from his sleep, and said, ‘I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!’  But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him” (Judges 16: 4-6, 10-11, 13-20).

Peter, the Apostle  ~  “Having arrested Jesus Christ, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, ‘This man was also with Him.’   But he denied Him, saying, ‘Woman, I do not know Him.’  And after a little while another saw him and said, ‘You also are of them.’  But Peter said, ‘Man, I am not!’  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, ‘Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.’  But Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are saying!’  Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’  So Peter went out and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:54-62). 

Ananias & Saphira  ~  “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.  And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.  But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?  While it remained, was it not your own?  And after it was sold, was it not in your own control?  Why have you conceived this thing in your heart?  You have not lied to men but to God.’  Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last.  So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.  And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.  Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.  And Peter answered her, ‘Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?’  She said, ‘Yes, for so much.’  Then Peter said to her, ‘How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord?  Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.’  Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last.  And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband.  So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things” (Acts 5:1-11). 

The Divine Temptation (Jesus is tempted of Satan)  ~   “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.  Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’  But He answered and said, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”.’  Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down.  For it is written: “He shall give His angels charge over you,” and, “In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone”.’  Jesus said to him, ‘It is written again, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God”.’  Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’  Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan!  For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve”.’  Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him” (Matthew 4:1-11). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Easter & The Trinity

~ The Resurrection of Jesus Christ ~

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ Was Attributed To God The Father  ~  “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

“In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead” (Colossians 2:11-13).

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ Was Attributed To Jesus Christ The Son  ~  Jesus Christ said, “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.  No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.  I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.  This command I have received from My Father” (John 10:17-18).

“Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen!  Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again”’” (Luke 24:5-7). 

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ Was Attributed To The Spirit of God  ~  “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18).

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .