F4S: Are you like.. running through life all suited up and ready, or more like one of those vulnerable spiritual streakers dashin' for the door?

Friday, June 20, 2014

Are you like.. running through life all suited up and ready, or more like one of those vulnerable spiritual streakers dashin' for the door?

Okay, this for sure dates me, but I went to high school back in the day when streakers would surprisingly zoom through the lunch area of our school's mall in so called daring and creative fashion. Did it help anyone? Nope, but it happened. 

Yeah, and I remember seein' a few of those bleached blond surf rats at Dana Hills High slip, hit the floor, and take some high speed spills ..all sprawled out spread eagle on the concrete with their beards in the wind and all in the buff. Ouch! It was like watching a contact sport. Didn't really look like much fun though.. sliding into those hard nearby fold-able tables or those laughing students they were trying to avoid. Not sure if any got caught by campus security or not, but did see em get chased out. 

So many people go through life and do this type of thing (a 'lil differently) today even, and some actually get hurt. Don't want that to ever happen to you, no no!.. so I've got a few contexts for ya to check out when you get some moments free. 

Go read in the Bible (Eph. 6:17), "And take the helmet of salvation (sure, there's nothing more important than that), and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.." 

Yup, God says we each need to take up the sword which is the Word of God (it's the word "rhema" in the original—this is our only offensive weapon for our most important battle we will face. Not sure when you will face it, but it's good to be ready. "For (though we might feel like it at times..) we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (v. 12 emph. mine). God wants us to recognize our real (ultimate) enemy who is Mr. Lu-Cifer, it's not really contentious people and guess what. He wants us to fight the good fight of faith..not really with people physically..and wants us to win. 

You were born to be a Bible-believing overcomer in this life, not some passive, out-of-shape soldier gone AWOL just when things heat up. So, how often do you fight the good fight of faith and pray for your lost or once lost loved ones? Listen, everyone of them is worth fighting for. 

You (and I) are to learn it, live it, apply it, and yes ..speak it, believer, in the most kind and fit way (depending on your specific situation). Too many use the Bible in a mean way to hurt people. Don't do that.  

The Gospel advances through prayerful one-on-one and one-on-more than one biblical evangelism. Be wise and tactful. I'm not sayin' go have extended communication with the enemy as too many believers seem to enjoy doing. That's so lame, but remember that sometimes the best defense is a good offense. 

Initiate believing prayer ..either alone or better yet with some others praying biblically too. Sometimes the best way to keep the devil and off of our own territory is to keep Lucy (as my friend calls him..) busy off on his own, just defending his kingdom from being plundered via our faith.. yes, from our bold attacks as we pray Christ-focused and simply share His Good News. Sure, many of our battles are fought in the sight of God alone, and they're all for His glory alone.

"The first step on the way to victory is to recognize the enemy." ~ Corrie Ten Boom

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.." 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:4-5

Now this'll sound kind of weird, but the Bible is basically full of swords. The Apostle Paul challenged us to take hold of the true sayings (plural) of God. And the word rhema means the individual true sayings of God found in the Bible, not really meaning the whole Bible here, though that Book is way good to read from cover to cover as long as you live.

And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the Bible becomes the Word of God when we believe it, or when we use it in a certain way.

It's a Book for committed soldiers that was literally breathed out of the nostrils of Godtheopneustos. And the Bible just is the written Word of God no matter what we feel on different occasions, no matter what we face, see, or how we use it—it can never not be the Word of God and Jesus Christ will never not be the Living Word of God. He is God, He never sinned, and He never spoke or lived anything contrary to the Bible. That why our attitude towards this soul-winning inerrant Book is such a good indicator of our attitude towards the living God directly.  

"Prayer plumes the wings of God's young eaglets so that they may learn to mount above the clouds. Prayer brings inner strength to God's warriors and sends them forth to spirit.ual battle with their muscles firm and their armor in place." ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7

"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Galatians 3:27

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds." 2 Corinthians 10:4

"Fight like a good soldier; and if thou sometimes fall through frailty, take again greater strength than before, trusting in my more abundant grace." ~ Thomas a Kempis

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8

None of us can afford to ignore God's Word or our times in biblical prayer, or even afford to speak dogmatically where the Bible remains silent. But where the Bible speaks clearly ..yeah, that's where we can speak boldly in love..speak confidently and clearly i.e., "Jesus answered and said to him (a Pharisees named Nicodemus), 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God'" (Jn. 3:3).. "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again'" (v. 7).  

If God has called you into the military for the sake of a just war to protect innocent people, you are of course called to fight physically. Please do prayerfully read these passages in their own contexts and in order to receive more challenging quotes about this stuff, just click like at: facebook.com/shareJesus