Refresh Your Memory 7/28-31/20

28-31 July 2020 – Refresh Your Memory  

Manna by Dorothy & Tony Callies

Theme: Refresh Our Spiritual Weapons

0.  Introducing 12 Series on Spiritual weapons.

1.   Warfare with our Spiritual Weapons – 1

2.   Mind is a battleground - 2

3.   Nothing is hidden from God – 3

4.   Commitment to the Truth - 4

5.   Life of righteousness – 5

6.   Life of righteousness is in Christ – 6

7.   Proclamation of the Gospel – 7

8.   Faith in Christ – 8

9.   Love – 9

10. Hope of Salvation – 10

11. The Word of God – 11

12. Persevering prayer - 12

0.  Refresh Your Spiritual Weapons

Dorothy: It is good to be refreshed what our Spiritual weapons are. I pray that God helps us put on the whole armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) so that we would be able to fight against the wiles of the devil.  Wiles of the devil means his clever tricks to fight against us. 

What are the tricks that we should be alert and watch for?

1. Our spiritual weapons have power from God that destroy the enemy’s strong places. People’s arguments and every proud thing…. the carnal (flesh) or worldly warfare.
Satan’s trick: “How can you call yourself a Christian and still think wrong thoughts?”

2. Wrongly judged this man I didn’t even know who he was. “Judge not” (Matt.7:1).

Satan’s trick: “How can a man of God be so extra lovable to his wife?”

3. Nothing is hidden from God. God sees my secret thought of wrong judgment.

Satan’s trick: “God will not notice your wrong action. No one will know about it.”

4.  Paul tells us to make sure that God’s Word stays the same, no changes.

Satan’s trick: “God always changes His mind about things. Look what happened!”

5. God accepts their faith, and that makes them right with HIM” (Rom. 4:4-5).
Satan’s trick: “You cannot be righteous because you make so many mistakes.”

6. Hold on to this spiritual weapon, “our life of righteousness is in Christ” (Rom.3:22).

Satan’s trick: “You can change God’s Word to suit your needs, your own rights.”

7. Paul encouraged us to stay in one Gospel Truth which is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Satan’s trick: “There’s another gospel that are doing so much better!”

8. God spoke to Martin Luther, “The just (Christians) shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17).

Satan’s trick: “Join a church to save your soul.  Punish yourself to get saved.”

9. Being a Christian, we are to love one another.  Without love, we are nothing.

Satan’s trick: “This person is strange and different. Why should you love him or her?”

10. Our lively hope is that Jesus Christ arose from the grave and He is coming back!

Satan’s trick: “There is no heaven and hell. There’s no resurrection of Christ.”   

11. Our faith and love for Christ will keep us strong with Holy Spirit’s help.

Satan’s trick: “God’s Word cannot help you. Temptations are good to meet your needs.”

12. Paul never gave up in continuing his prayer for others and God helped him through.

Satan’s trick: Why waste your time pray for others? Many fall away from God anyway.”

Word of encouragement:  Paul’s persevering prayer was mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds against Satan so Paul could spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ has been proclaimed for 2,000 years. Thanks to Paul’s prayer that the Gospel of Jesus Christ are still around.

May the Lord strengthen you!

Dorothy

Song: Fight the Good Fight

Fight the good fight with all thy might!

Christ is thy strength, and Christ thy right.

Lay hold on life, and it shall be

Thy joy and crown eternally.

(John Samuel Bewley Monsell, Sing His Praise)

Spiritual Weapon 12 - 7/26-27/20

26-27 July 2020 – Spiritual Weapons of our Warfare 12

Manna revised from 2010 by Dorothy and Tony Callies

Spiritual Weapon:  “Persevering prayer”

“We fight with weapons that are different from those the world uses. Our weapons have power from God that can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s argument and every proud thing that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.” 2 Cor. 10:4-5 ncv

The King James Version says: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (2Cor. 10:4). One of Paul’s final weapon is “persevering prayer.”

The word, persevere means continue steadily in doing something hard; persist. The word, persist means continue firmly; refuse to stop; say again and again; maintain means keep on. Persevering emphasizes refusing to be discouraged by obstacles or difficulties, but continuing steadily with courage and patience. Example: Perseverance leads to success.

Paul shared that his suffering and persevering prayer came together (2 Cor. 11:23-30). As Paul was praying for his churches that he had planted, his heart was grieved with tears. During that time, the churches were going through rough times. Some of the people were trying to change the teachings of the gospel.

Paul never gave up in continuing his prayer for others and for God to help him through all his suffering. Paul’s persevering prayer was mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds against Satan so he could spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul gave an example how to prepare us for the battle with the enemy. We may be familiar with Ephesians 6:10-18. This is a part of persevering prayer. Paul’s example inspired us to understand the important part of suffering that comes with prayers.

By using this weapon, “the persevering prayer,” against the enemy, we, the born-again believers will be able to see great things of God.  If we forget why we are saved, remember Calvary. Take communion (bread & juice) because Jesus said, “Do this often in remembrance of Me.” (1Cor.11:25)

May the Lord bless you!

Dorothy

Song: Lead Me to Calvary

King of my life I crown Thee now

Thine shall the glory be.

Lest (if) I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow

Lead me to Calvary.

*If I forget Gethsemane;

*If I forget Thine agony;

*If I forget Thy love for me,

Lead me to Calvary.

(Jennie Evelyn Hussey, Sing His Praise)
(*Lest translate to ASL *if)

Spiritual Weapon 11 - 7/24-25/20

24-25 July 2020 – Spiritual Weapon of our Warfare 11

Manna revised by Dorothy and Tony Callies

Spiritual Weapon: The Word of God

“We fight with weapons that are different from those the world uses. Our weapons have power from God that can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s argument and every proud thing that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ” 2 Cor. 10:4-5 NCV.

The King James Version says: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (2Cor. 10:4).  One of Paul’s spiritual weapon is “the Word of God.” Question: Why is it important to know this spiritual weapon? Jesus said, “Take heed that no men deceive you” (Matt.24:4). Jesus exposed the sins of the Pharisees in the whole chapter of Matthew 23rd. Why? Because He wants us to identify (take notice) the character of a deceiving person who does not follow the Word of God closely.

Question: How do we protect ourselves against “many false prophets shall rise and deceive many” (Matt.25:11)? The only protection against being deceived is found in an enduring faith and love for Christ, in a commitment to the absolute authority of His Word, and in a thorough knowledge of that Word (Matthew 24:13).

Question: How do we keep ourselves from being deceived from someone? 1Timothy 4:16 says “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”

The key answer is “continue in them.” Study the Word of God. Stay with God’s Word. Know the doctrine of Christ well enough that you would not be deceived by others. Our faith and love for Christ will keep us strong with Holy Spirit’s help alongside with us. Study Matthew 23rd several times before we are able to identify (take notice) the character of a person and not be easily deceived and not allow this to destroy our faith, and our union with Christ.  [See reference below]

By using this spiritual weapon, “the Word of God,” against the enemy, we, the born-again believers will come forth victorious. That is, the presence of God’s Word and the kingdom of God inside of us will be powerfully manifested so that the world may know that Jesus Christ is Lord of all.

May God bless you!

 Dorothy

Song: He is Lord

He is Lord.  He is Lord.

He is risen from the grave

   and He is Lord.

Every knee shall bow,

   every tongue (language) confess

That Jesus Christ is Lord.

(Inspiring Choruses)

Reference: Jesus said: “Tree is known by his fruit” (Matt.12:33). How do we know that? Jesus said, “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.” NCV: “If you want good fruit, you must make the tree good.  If your tree is not good, it will have bad fruit.  A tree is known by the kind of fruit it produces.” Produce=bring something out to see.

The key word is produce.  What is the person made of?  How do we identify the person who tried to deceive us?  Compare their words with the Word of God.  Learn God’s Word and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit who will reveal to you clearly if they are on God’s side or if they tried to destroy you. Jesus said, “Take heed” meaning pay attention and take notice of. So let the Holy Spirit help us to take notice and guard our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.