Temptations of a Christian – Recap II: Suited Up and Ready to Go!
It helps to know that Christians do not have to face the temptations along the road to heaven unarmed.
In our lessons earlier in the series, we read in Ephesians 6:10-17 a description of the The Armor of God that we can don to help protect us during the temptations, but we also learned that the Armor does not prevent the temptations from coming.
During this recap of the series, we are cautioned to be alert to false prophets, to incorporate the spiritual disciplines into our daily lives so we can be prepared emotionally, physically and spiritually. We are be salt and light. Regardless of our ages, we are be prisms through which the Spirit of God can be manifest as we interact with others at home, at school, a play. Quite a challenge!
We viewed the final scenes of the Sermon on the Mount from the video, THE VISUAL BIBLE: Matthew, and during the dramatization, we heard these words:
The Wise and Foolish Builders
24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Finally, our Scripture passage assured us that if we are wise, we’ll put on the Armor of God and we will be able to stand.
Having seen or heard in the news about the earthquakes and hurricanes experienced around the world in 2010, this passage becomes more than mere words in the Bible. Looking out my own window this week, I watched trees bend nearly 90 degrees in the strong winds in my town. On the one hand, the trees seemed to bowed to the majesty and authority of God, the Creator! However, seeing the power of the wind made me think of the power of the Evil One who can batter us about, but like the trees which withstood the gales, we, too, can withstand the powers that work against us as Children of the Most High God!
Our study concluded wit
h the call to be wise not foolish Christians. We are to be those who follow the teachings of our Lord, confident that His Holy Spirit is in us and with us along the way; that Christ our Savior speaks to the Father, God, on our behalf; and that soon, and maybe sooner than we think, we’ll be joining Them in the Celestial City. Perhaps the meeting will like that of Christian as we viewed in the video clips of John Bunyan’s hero, Christian, in that classic novel Pilgrim’s Progress.
The Fall season begins soon for those of us who live above the Equator. We will be faced with inclement weather. The rains, snows, and winds will come, but if our physical houses are built on firm foundations, we should be able to emerge into Spring with the joy of survivors. With this same thought in mind, let’s take what we’ve learned in this series of lessons. Let’s use the concepts from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount as a blueprint to build a firm spiritual foundation. Let’s re-read Paul’s letter to the Ephesus and put on the Armor of God. Let’s learn the lyrics to the hymns, step out to trust and obey the Word and learn to lean on the Strength of the Lord.
We’re together in the journey and as we travel along together, praying daily for the strength the avoid the pitfalls along the way, let’s be courageous and assist others as the Spirit leads to become salt and light. We can arrive victors, welcomed by God into our eternal home as men and women who recognized and overcame the Temptations of a Christian.
- Link to PowerPoint Slides for Week 26 –Week 26 – Suited Up and Ready to Go! (in .pdf)
- Link to Handout for Week 26 – The Sacred Romance – (in pdf)
- Link to Music for Week 26 – “Trust and Obey” (H. Sammis. Music: Daniel B. Towner (midi) “Learning to Lean” Words and Music by John Stallings, midiand The Blackwood Brothers (CW), Willie Norwood (Gospel) The EvereadysPiano (youtube), The Sensational Nightingales
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