Engaging In The Battle

Benham Brothers

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Engaging In The Battle

A two-fold battle plan to win the war we face

September 18, 2016 • Benham Brothers

* Paul taught on the "new covenant" but many wanted to remain in the old.
* Paul had more opposition from false teachers in Corinth than anywhere else.
* Imagine people trying to constantly undermine the thing God called you to do.

vs 1-2 - They said Paul:

* 1) was a timid speaker - they were eloquent, but Paul wasn't.
They judged Paul by outward appearance - they didn’t see his internal power.
* 2) walked according to the flesh - they couldn't accept the new covenant.
Paul was talking relationship - these men wanted religion (Isaiah 29:10-13).

vs 3 - Paul didn’t rely on eloquence or powers of oratory in his teaching.

* He knew two things:
* 1) We’re in a war here on this earth - a great spiritual battle.
All relationships require a fight - those in “right relationship” w/God vs Satan.
* 2) You can’t fight spiritual battles with worldly weapons - trying to be a “cool."
2 Cor 7:1 - holiness = Chocolate Chip!

vs 4 - Our weapon is truth and it's POWERFUL to take down STRONGHOLDS.

* POWER - David’s weapons were greater than Goliath’s.
* God’s truth is like David's stones. Goliath's armor and ability was his stronghold.
* STRONGHOLD - “a place that has been fortified so as to protect it against attack.”
* A stronghold is two-fold:
* 1) Personally - it’s where you place your trust - Proverbs 21:22. CLOTHES!
Our trust should be placed in a WHO - this is true for temptations & security.
* 2) Culturally - where Satan takes control & tells Christians to stay out - Gates of Hell.
* How do we take down Strongholds?

vs 5 - Two-fold plan of attack:

* 1)DEMOLISH arguments/pretensions with TRUTH:
* Argument is “a reason given with the aim of persuading”
* Pretension is “a claim or an assertion of a claim to something.”
* Arguments & Pretensions are “thoughts in action” - they are being lived out.

* 2) Take thoughts CAPTIVE with TRUTH - a captive is a prisoner who’s under new authority - he can’t leave, but he’s still alive.
* Kings take captives and often make them servants.
* Our flesh is still alive and will give us bad thoughts - we remind them of their captivity and keep them locked up. How? Renewal.

More from Building a Spiritual Foundation

Why Genesis?

January 6, 2019 • Benham Brothers

NEW BEGINNINGS - a message of encouragement from God to His kids (the Jews and Jesus) about the new phase of life in which they were about to embark * God to the Israelites: * The Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land. * What message would God have for them? * God downloaded five books into Moses, one of them went back to the beginning - Genesis. * The Jews needed this book to create a solid foundation for their new life. * Many scholars believe that the Israelites fled Egypt around 1450-1440 BC. * They also believe Moses wrote Genesis around 1400 BC. * KEY - Whatever God forms He fills. * But there’s an order to how He does it: * Illumination - Separation - Habitation. * He did this with all of creation - the earth first and then mankind. * Gen 1:1-2 - He created the heavens and the earth. * But the earth was FORMLESS - God needed to FORM it. * The earth was VOID - He needed to FILL it. * The Six Days of Creation are all about Him forming and filling. * 1) ILLUMINATION: Gen 1:3 * 2) SEPARATION: Gen 1:4-9 * * light from darkness * * waters below from waters above * * land from water * Illumination and separation prepared the way for habitation. * 3) HABITATION: * vs 10-31 - Vegetation, Animals, Humans. Day 1 - Heavens and the earth (nothing but water) - He lit it up and split it up! Day 2 - Sky - He separated the waters above and below Day 3 - Land - He separated the water from the dirt - vegetation was a part of this Day 4 - Stars - Gen 1:14-18 - Before habitation he had to create government so people could keep things separate. Day 5 - Fish Day 6 - Animals & Man * EXAMPLE - ADAM: God did with Adam what He did with the earth. * vs 2:19-20 - ILLUMINATION - no helper was “found” - he was looking. * vs 2:21 - SEPARATION - feminine was removed from masculine. * vs 2:22-25 - HABITATION - and they lived happily ever after. * FLOOD - when God brought the flood He set the earth back to its original form (full of water) - He removed Separation. (Genesis 7:21) * APPLICATION: Illumination - Separation - Habitation * 1) Walk in the light. Spend time with God in prayer and the Word. * 2) Stay separate from the world. “Be holy for I am holy.” * 3) When we walk in the light and remain separate we live in God and He lives in us.

Matthew 16:17-19 (2/4/16)

February 4, 2016 • Benham Brothers

• The disciples were expecting Christ to establish a new kingdom. • But He let them in on His plan - it was to build a church. • They knew what "ekklesia" meant: • 1) an assembly of Greek citizens that governed a city or district. • 2) the congregation of Israel when gathered for religious activity. • He didn't stop there - He let them in on the entire role of the church: • WHO - anyone who made the same claim as Peter. • WHERE - the "gates" represented power and authority - City Hall. • Gates of Hell represented the places where Satan exercised power and authority. • WHAT - keys represent access to authority. • The church would get access to God's authority. • The church could bind what was free (evil), and free what was bound (good). • CHURCH - "a religious governing body made up of Christians who exercise God's ruling authority on the earth." • This means there will always be a fight.

Mark 16:15-18 (3/15/18)

March 15, 2018 • Benham Brothers

* Christ’s last words on earth were a commission for believers to be Kingdom Advancers in this world. * vs 16 - it starts with belief. To believe is to “commit.” * vs 17-18 - Just as Moses had signs that accompanied him as well as the apostles in Acts, so will we as believers. * Signs represent to the outside what is true on the inside (like a skin disease). * Signs make the invisible visible. * Here are the signs that will accompany believers to show the POWER that’s inside them: * 1) We WILL cast out demons - this is a matter of AUTHORITY (the “right to use power”). * The power of God in us will overcome the power of Satan in others. * 2) We WILL speak in new tongues - this is a matter of CLARITY. * A believer will talk differently - it will be in a way others can understand. * We can also speak in prayer tongues if we’re open to the Spirit’s leading. * 3) We WILL pick up serpents with our hands - this is a matter of BRAVERY. * We won’t walk in fear - what others fear won’t affect us (there’s no mention of snake bite). * 4) IF we drink poison, it won’t affect us - this is a matter of IMMUNITY. * The things that are meant to harm us won’t because of the power inside us. * ** Persecution - when others want to harm us it won’t. * ** Purity - the stuff of the world won’t affect us on the inside (like a hose that’s on inside a mud hole). * 5) We WILL lay our hands on the sick and they will recover - this is about COMMUNITY. * Believers will be conduits through which God brings healing to others. * We not only have the power to do it but also the desire.