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WayneB

Worthy Ministers
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About WayneB

  • Birthday 12/19/1959

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    https://www.facebook.com/WayneSmith1959

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  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    Mississippi USA
  • Interests
    Family, Ministry and Retirement... with more time to ride my Harley!

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  1. By the way Whyme, I ordered the book you recommended.and noticed endorsements by both Lee Strobel and Josh McDowell. "Cold-Case Christianity is a fantastic book. I wish I had this resource when I first examined the Christian faith. It would have answered many of my questions and helped set me on the track to truth." (Josh McDowell, Speaker and author of Evidence that Demands A Verdict) "It's a fascinating process, with Jim drawing on his quarter century of police experience to explain how and why the evidence of history decisively tips the scales in favor of Christianity." (Lee Strobel, Author of The Case for Christ and The Case For Faith) When you commented, you hadn’t seen the 17 page teaching / discipleship training outline. When I was active in the ministry years ago, we could upload PDFs. If you were able read through it, you’ll see I did address the importance of proper training in the art of apologetics. once again, thank you for your comments and book recommendation. ?
  2. It’s their testimonies. Lee Strobel set out to prove his wife was taken in by a fantasy when she became a Christian. The evidence led him in a direction he didn’t want to go. Regardless, read their books if you’re truly interested. I’ll order Cold Case Christianity. Looks interesting.
  3. Thank you for the book recommendation. It sounds much like Lee Strobel's book, The Case for Christ. Josh McDowell also wrote a short but good book, More than a Carpenter. Then of coarse is C.S. Lewis' book, Mere Christianity. ALL great books written by former atheists that includes their personal testimonies on what drew them to Jesus Christ.
  4. Thanks for letting me know OneLight. I'd be happy to share it with you anytime. Just send me an email and I'll send it back to you in pdf format. My email is waynesmith@cableone.net. I've been gone from the boards for so long, I'm sure there are new rules and limitations and rightfully so. George is very protective of the forums, chat rooms and on-line ministry. I appreciate him for being prudent and careful. Funny thing is I still get moderator notices... 2,727 actually! :-) I'll ask George about the rules next time I speak to him. In the meantime, be blessed my friend!
  5. All good questions... but I don’t think the passage is just about “trained” soldiers but rather about relying on God for our protection by keeping His Armor firmly in place. It is His Armor and His peace, not ours or the world’s, which protects our hearts and minds. How does the local church train believers for spiritual battle? We train disciples, following the example that Jesus set, but most importantly, we rely on the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. We don’t go where we aren’t called to go. I was called into jails and prisons but not into foreign missions. We prepare and go where we are sent. Jesus spent time with His disciples, preparing them before He sent them out. When He did send them, He gave them clear instruction where to go and where not to go. There were being trained. “These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them, saying, “Do not go on a road to Gentiles, and do not enter a city of Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 10:5-6 Luke chapter 10 records Jesus sending out the 72 in pairs, going ahead of Him to every city and place He was going to visit... with much success. “Now the seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name!” Luke 10:17 what was the key to their success? They did what they were told, didn’t go places where they weren’t supposed to And most importantly, realized it was by His power they were able to do what they did.
  6. Hi OneLight! I remember you from many years ago when I used to moderate the boards. It’s nice to recognize a familiar person! I haven’t been around for many years but plan on checking in more often now that I’m retired. The pdf was uploaded and attached to the original post. It was downloaded by a couple of folks. I uploaded a copy into this post. The Armor of God.pdf
  7. Recently, I finished a study outline and have been teaching from it over the past 7 weeks during our Church’s Discipleship Training Hour held weekly. It is an in-depth study of the Armor of God starting with the Belt of Truth and ending with Praying in the Spirit. I uploaded the pdf so you can print it out, if you prefer. Feel free to share your own thoughts on any portion of the study. My Pastor asked for the topic to be taught considering the spiritual warfare that is going on around us today and in recent years. There is a spiritual battle taking place and believers are under attack! Why? Satan hates Jesus and the best way to hurt Jesus is to go after His sheep! We all need to be suited up in God’s Armor! Please feel free to comment on a specific part of the study or make a general comment. Your criticisms are always welcome. I realize it’s a long study but breaking it up in multiple posts seemed to be too drawn out. I’ll check back every so often and try to respond to your comments and questions. In the meantime, I hope it helps you focus on preparing what is most definitely coming our way. The question is... are you ready for battle? I inserted a testimony from a friend of mine, a pastor in Uganda. When you read it, ask yourself... is your faith strong enough to endure persecution to physical death and/or torture? Be blessed! “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints, and pray in my behalf, that speech may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” — Ephesians 6:10-20 NASB The Armor of God.pdf
  8. Study outline posted in pdf format for Willa. Know Your Enemy.pdf
  9. Absolutely...which is why the study started with "First and foremost, Know who you serve" and ended with "Submit to God" which requires us to... 1) Be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1); 2) Walk in Christ (Colossians 2:6-9); 3) and by the Spirit (Galatians 5:1, 16, 22-25); 4) and lastly, abide in Christ (John 15:1-7). Know Your Enemy.doc
  10. No argument here brother; Scripture doesn't say one way or the other. Unlike when Phillip was sent to the exact place at the exact time to witness to the Ethiopean (Acts 8:26), there is no mention of the viper being anything other than a chance happening. Could it have been as you say? Sure...but the Word just isn't clear on it. It is clear that Paul testified to his shipmates that an angel of the Lord spoke to him during the storm at sea and told him to not fear, that there would be no loss of life and that he would stand before Caesar (Acts 27:23,24). So yes...Paul was on a divine mission and a viper would not stand in the way. My approach to understanding Scripture is to keep it in context (as you have) to the culture and events before and after and look for the deeper, spiritual meaning but I am careful to not base any conclusions on perception or assumption. I do believe that God is sovereign in all things, omniscient and omnipresent, and that His Holy Spirit dwells in every believer, bringing us comfort, understanding and directing our steps. We just need to listen and not let our flesh filter His truth.
  11. All true... I will add to your 4th point that there is always a purpose in our suffering, which is why we as followers of Christ are to give thanks for everything. Through his suffering, Job came to realize that he needed a mediator between him and God, that he had a witness in heaven, an advocate on high (Job 16:19) and even more importantly... Job 19:25-27 “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed,Yet from my flesh I shall see God; Whom I myself shall behold,And whom my eyes will see and not another.My heart faints within me!"
  12. Thank you for your encouragement. You did ask a good question though. I don't know the answer. Paul knew the Enemy; he warned us of him in his letters. Did he see every trap though during his ministry? His letter to the Romans would seem to imply that Paul struggled just like we do. I do know that too often, all of us, at one time or another, can walk into a trap set by the Enemy...which is why we need to be vigilant...and the purpose of this study. Not fearful...just aware of the importance of wearing God's Armor!
  13. That's great to hear brother!! I'm glad and encouraged to read that his ministry made a difference in your life!
  14. Not at all. I am only suggesting that the viper is symbolic of the Enemy and that when the Enemy attempts to latch onto us we need to do as Paul did with the viper and "shake it off". James emphasized this in his letter when he wrote, "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." How do we resist the devil? We do so by never giving him a foothold. Sorry for my late response...
  15. The currency numbers I reference are a bit different but the message is the same. I went one extra step...to put it in terms of time. Matthew 20 verse 2 indicates that one denarius is equal to a day's wage. Therefore, using your currency rates, the 10,000 talents is equal to 100 million years or 1.4 million lifetimes!!! ...a lot more than 7 x 70 years!!! Forgiveness is emphasized in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. We cannot have a relationship with Him if we refuse to forgive and love our enemies. A child of God has had ALL sins forgiven by FAITH in Jesus Christ. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” [Romans 5:8] Therefore, whenever anyone sins against us, we must be willing to forgive them from the heart, NOT just with words, no matter how many times they offend! The Greek word "aphesis" means forgiveness but it is used to translate both deliverance (freedom) and liberty (release). The point is we find deliverance and liberty when we willingly forgive others! You can't place a limit on that!
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