Growing up spiritually III
1 Peter 5: 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
- Humble yourselves (like my hamster) that he may pick you up!
- Cast all your anxiety on him
- (because he cares)
- Be self controlled and alert!
- Self controlled:
- Not God controlled and not devil controlled, SELF!
- Sounds funny but God does not make us do anything, yet!
- Make the choices that you need to make and stop with the excuses.
- Your enemy the devil!
- It’s easy to forget who the real enemy is. We don’t want to sound like we are weird and in today’s society if you talk about the devil you sound strange.
Lions Are Never Tamed
Any lion trainer will tell you that there is no such thing as a tamed lion. The animal may be acting right today and be a wild our of control animal tomorrow. He may eat out of your hand, or permit you to put your head in his mouth, but tomorrow he may tear your arms off and kill you
- Devil I bind and resist you! Well that is taken care of. No way!
- Resist him, standing firm in the faith, (We are going to make it!)
- Because you know
- “That your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings” We are not the only ones going through difficult times, either personally or otherwise.
- After you have suffered a little while…
- We don’t like the thought of having to suffer!
- It looks like we don’t get out of the suffering because we cast our cares! I guess it is because it says we cast the cares not the problems and the sufferings!
- Are we all suffering?
- We are all suffering not being able to be all that we could be. The suffering that comes with living in a fallen world. Dark and evil hearts, attacks of sickness, weakness, fears, shame,
Romans 8: 18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
- restore you
- make you strong
- firm
- steadfast