Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Stand Firm

The Christian Community Comes Alive
Giving Bold Testimony


The Spirit Is Not for Sale

Ephesians 6:14-18  The Message

13-18 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
For Reflection 
The lie of false prophets has the ring of truth to the uninformed. It is a mixture of credible references to "common understandings" and isolated scriptural passages.  The lies prey on fear and are powerful to those who have little trust in the Lord.  The false prophets distort the meanings of truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation so that their own agenda is justified. God's word is weapon in the hands of those who pervert the faith.

What can you gather to prepare yourself for testifying to the authentic Jesus?  Read. Seek authentic scriptural understandings of God and God's intentions as exemplified in the life of Jesus and the only necessary commandment, the eleventh one -- do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Test all interpretations by the rule of love.  Invest in the fellowship of informed brothers and sisters in Christ.  Pray.  Pray long and hard.  Be prepared to be the odd one out on the side of compassion, justice and forgiveness.  Be humble.  False prophets rely on fear.  Authentic prophets rely on God's love.

Pray
that you will find the time to read and discuss the life of Christ.  Pray that you will find peace in the fellowship of believers in the truth as expressed in the love exhibited by Christ.  Pray that you will have the courage to bear witness to the life lived in the hollow of God's hand and uncover the folly of self-righteousness.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please post comments here.