BBD 10.24.06 Trained and Ready
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
Several devotional booklets are available for free download in PDF format at
the new site. Just click on the "Free Book Downloads" link.
Join the Burning Bush Prayer Group! Send and receive prayer requests and be
a part of a great ministry. More than 400 wonderful people make up this
group. To join send an email to: BBPG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Be a part of the Burning Bush Community! Share prayer requests,
inspirational material, find help for addictions, and help others. Find out
more at the Burning Bush Community webpage:
http://www.theburningbush.net/pages.asp?pageid=37647
The Burning Bush Devotional
Welcome to the 2,723 new subscribers since November 1, 2005!!
10.24.06
Trained and Ready
But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith,
longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened
to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra-what persecutions I endured. And out
of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in
Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow
worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the
things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you
have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy
Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith
which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and
is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for
every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:10-17.
Four would be muggers received a shock when they attacked an older man late
one night in Bielefeld, Germany. A retired 70-year-old British man now
living in Germany was the object of the would be muggers. Unknown to the
attackers the man they were attacking had been trained in martial arts while
he was in the military many years ago. Three of the young men confronted the
man while a fourth stuck up behind him. The 70-year-old man remembering his
training - took hold of the first attacker and flipped him over his
shoulder. One of the other men then tried to kick him and the retiree
grabbed the foot causing the man to fall down. All four of the attackers
then fled from the man who had unexpectedly stood up to them. A police
representative said, "Looks like he had everything under control." The man
who was attacked did have some light abrasions but was thankful that he had
remembered his training.
You may never be attacked by a mugger but you will experience spiritual
attacks in one form or another during your lifetime. It may come in the form
persecution, or afflictions as the apostle Paul experienced. The spiritual
attack could also come through those who would try to deceive you
spiritually. How will you respond when you are attacked? Will your early
training in the Word of God and spiritual disciplines be remembered? Will
you stand up and fight or will you become just another victim of your
spiritual attackers?
I hope that when the spiritual attack comes upon you something very
important will occur. What is that something? I hope that you will remember
your spiritual training and your attackers will be defeated. But what if you
never received any training? Then you are just a sitting duck for those who
would try to harm you spiritually. Without training, you are just someone
waiting to become a victim.
If you are reading this devotional it is not too late, you can still receive
spiritual training. If you have a Bible begin reading it (If you don't have
one I will try to send you one.), studying it, and memorizing it. Begin to
pray, talk to God in the Name of Jesus every day. Attend a Bible believing
church regularly because we are told in Hebrews 10:24-25 to, ".consider one
another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting
one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." Soon you
will be trained and ready for whatever may happen to you just as the apostle
Paul trained and ready. Then you will just need to remember your training.
Copyright © 2006. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
Prayer Requests: Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on
the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and
they will be forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group.
If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org
Streaming Videos of some of my sermons are posted at:
http://www.theburningbush.org/fbcswvideo.html
There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here
is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.
You can unsubscribe to the pure text version of the devotional by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email.
You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email.