Radio Broadcast Tuesday 02/21/2023

Classic Christianity – The Book of John P08 (02-21-23)

Put on The Full Armor of God!

~ “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” ^{Ephesians 6:10,11}

~ “God tells us you might want to turn with me to the book of Ephesians six. And God tells us in Ephesians, six, beginning in verse 10. Finally he says, Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, not just one piece of it, but the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil schemes. Folks, we are in a spiritual warfare. These wars we’re fighting, it’s a spiritual warfare. People say it’s not a religious nonsense. It’s a spiritual warfare of evil fighting good. The devil has schemes for our nation and he has schemes for you and for me. He has one desire for you and me, kill you, destroy, kill, steal and destroy. That is his goal for you. Steal your marriage, destroy you. And he’s got clever schemes to do so. Does he not? And I got also news for you and me, we are no match for him. We may think that we’re brilliant. We are no match for Satan. There is only one person that can adequately fight Satan. That’s Jesus. That’s why you better yield to him. If you’re going to battle Satan. Don’t go out there with your own stones, count on David to throw the stone. Because you’ll probably hit one of your own. Our struggle we’re told is not against flesh and blood. We look at our struggle is against one another. We offend each other, we hurt each other. We all have them against one another. He says that isn’t the battle. God just using you as a tool. Your struggle is not against flesh and blood. It’s a spiritual warfare that you’re in God, all Satan does is just use you a body and a mind to carry out his plan. But Satan’s behind every evil thing that has ever happened to you and to me, Are we together on that? But do we blame him? He never gets blamed? It’s just we get blamed. It never goes back and says it was Satan who initiated or got this person all messed up. Never does he get blamed. It seems like we just blame one another. Jesus said I didn’t come to condemn the world, did he not? I didn’t come to condemn you. But I came to save you. I asked people a question. How many of you really believe that it’s more important to get somebody saved than it is to get Bush re-elected or Kerry elected? And I’ll guarantee you money is spent like crazy. Millions of dollars raised to get a guy elected for four years. How many think it’s more important to get a person saved than it is to get a man elected? I mean, do we really believe it? I don’t think we do. I think some do. But where’s your attention? Because I want to tell you I’m gonna survive regardless who gets elected, if I will give I survived Jimmy Carter, I can survive anybody. We’re gonna make it one way or the other. I may have a preference. But I want to tell you guys outside of going and voting and maybe talking to a few people. I’m not spending a dime to get a man elected. But I’ll give everything I got to get a man saved. But we get our priorities so much connected on to elections and people. We get it off of Jesus nine times out of 10. It shows you where your heart is. Is your heart here on His earth? Or is your heart wanting to fulfill the plan of God? Do you want to fulfill man’s plan or God’s plan? You’re not fighting against flesh and blood guys. We’re fighting here’s who we’re fighting against the rulers, against the authorities and against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms. Did you know there were spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms and guess who they play with? us. Where’s their playground? On this earth. Therefore, he says Put on the full armor of God. He didn’t say put on just one thing put on the full armor guys. Because if you don’t put the full armor, believe me, Satan knows where to kill you. So when this day of evil comes, you’ll be able to stand your ground.”

Listen in to today’s lesson with more in-depth teaching, from Bob George teaching from The Gospel of John available for purchase from our online Bob George Ministries ecommerce store.

Also available for download too. The Book of John 40 Lessons – Zipped MP3 Audio Files Download

Always looking for a new experience or idea, both Christians and the lost are missing the might of Jesus’ simple proclamation: “I am the way, the truth and the LIFE….”

Join Bob George in this chapter by chapter exposition of the gospel of John. Realize why Christ, Himself, is REAL LIFE and how He personally offers hope in daily living that you may:

Discover an abundant and meaningful life as a Christian.
Overcome fear with His assurance that you have His eternal life.
Experience joy during adversity.
Apply God’s wisdom in decision making, no matter how big or small.
Experience freedom as you walk by faith in His love and acceptance.

Purchase Online at Shop.BobGeorge.net

Announcer 0:12
Welcome to Classic Christianity Radio with Bob George Bob’s clear, timeless teachings on the complete forgiveness and unconditional love of Jesus Christ will transform your life as you learn about God’s amazing grace. Let’s join Bob as he teaches us from God’s Word.

Bob George 0:29
You see my friends, we have to understand that Christianity is not a crisis relationship, but it’s a relationship based on preparation. We look at God as someone you go to when you’re in a crisis. It’s too late. It’s not that he cannot calm you in the crisis. But the problem is you’re not prepared for the crisis. It is not a relationship with Jesus so that you draw upon him when you need him. You need Him every day of your life you need him every hour of your life, as a matter of fact you can’t live without him. Apart from him we can do nothing. But many times we have this attitude that don’t let me get beyond the surface. I’m skin deep. I just got a little bit a little dab will do me And that’s all I need. I don’t need to go and let my roots go deeply into the Son of God. I want to just sing praise songs and get goosebumps. But don’t tell me a lot about this Jesus. Don’t challenge my mind. Just let me keep doing what I’m doing. But don’t ask me to change my mind or change my actions, or change my attitudes. Don’t ask me to live sacrificially to give sacrificially. So you don’t ask me to do that. In fact, I’ll get out of here. If you start doing that. We just learn to live on the surface. Just come for an hour or so and say, goodbye, Bill. Hi, Bob. By God, see you next week. Are you prepared? Or are we scared? Folks, we have to understand this, that this is truth. This isn’t pie in the sky stuff in this world, you are going to have tribulation. How many of you found that to be true already? Because see, that’s all of us. In this world, you’re going to have tribulation. Are you prepared? There’s the issue. Or are you scared?

Now folks there’s only one thing that’s going to keep you away from being scared. And that’s the love of God. That perfect love casts away, how much? all fear because fear has to do with punishment, and a man who fears cannot be perfected in love. What’s one of the first things when you’re not prepared that you think or camp on when you go through a tribulation? What’s one of the first things you think? God’s punishing me. What’d I do wrong? I’m sorry, God, I’ll never do it again. Am I right or wrong? It’s only the perfect love of God, where you realize, hold on a minute, God is not punishing me. The punishment for my sins went upon my Lord, at the cross, 2000 years ago were there. He who knew sin, did or knew no sin, became sin for me. That’s where God’s punishment went on him. And all of it went on him. That’s why there’s none left for me. But there’s this thing called discipline. And people confuse punishment with discipline. You should not fear the discipline of God. Discipline is training. Discipline is the training program at Armstrong. Discipline is running people around the track and getting them in shape prepared for the ballgame. Discipline is that years and years and the costs of medical school so that you can become a doctor. Discipline is boot camp and the training you get in the army. That’s what discipline is. It’s called discipleship. It’s called training. And we should not fear the training of God, we should welcome the training of God. Every time you pick this book up, God is disciplining your mind. That’s what this book is, is a book of discipleship. It’s showing me what truth is. And immediately I’m looking at that and saying, I haven’t been thinking that. And it changes my mind. It shows me truth, that I can change my mind as to the error that I’ve been thinking and move into truth and be set free with that truth.

God tells us you might want to turn with me to the book of Ephesians six. And God tells us in Ephesians, six, beginning in verse 10. Finally he says, Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, not just one piece of it, but the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil schemes. Folks, we are in a spiritual warfare. These wars we’re fighting, it’s a spiritual warfare. People say it’s not a religious nonsense. It’s a spiritual warfare of evil fighting good. The devil has schemes for our nation and he has schemes for you and for me. He has one desire for you and me, kill you, destroy, kill, steal and destroy. That is his goal for you. Steal your marriage, destroy you. And he’s got clever schemes to do so. Does he not? And I got also news for you and me, we are no match for him. We may think that we’re brilliant. We are no match for Satan. There is only one person that can adequately fight Satan. That’s Jesus. That’s why you better yield to him. If you’re going to battle Satan. Don’t go out there with your own stones, count on David to throw the stone. Because you’ll probably hit one of your own. Our struggle we’re told is not against flesh and blood. We look at our struggle is against one another. We offend each other, we hurt each other. We all have them against one another. He says that isn’t the battle. God just using you as a tool. Your struggle is not against flesh and blood. It’s a spiritual warfare that you’re in God, all Satan does is just use you a body and a mind to carry out his plan. But Satan’s behind every evil thing that has ever happened to you and to me, Are we together on that? But do we blame him? He never gets blamed? It’s just we get blamed. It never goes back and says it was Satan who initiated or got this person all messed up. Never does he get blamed. It seems like we just blame one another. Jesus said I didn’t come to condemn the world, did he not? I didn’t come to condemn you. But I came to save you. I asked people a question. How many of you really believe that it’s more important to get somebody saved than it is to get Bush re-elected or Kerry elected? And I’ll guarantee you money is spent like crazy. Millions of dollars raised to get a guy elected for four years. How many think it’s more important to get a person saved than it is to get a man elected? I mean, do we really believe it? I don’t think we do. I think some do. But where’s your attention? Because I want to tell you I’m gonna survive regardless who gets elected, if I will give I survived Jimmy Carter, I can survive anybody. We’re gonna make it one way or the other. I may have a preference. But I want to tell you guys outside of going and voting and maybe talking to a few people. I’m not spending a dime to get a man elected. But I’ll give everything I got to get a man saved. But we get our priorities so much connected on to elections and people. We get it off of Jesus nine times out of 10. It shows you where your heart is. Is your heart here on His earth? Or is your heart wanting to fulfill the plan of God? Do you want to fulfill man’s plan or God’s plan? You’re not fighting against flesh and blood guys. We’re fighting here’s who we’re fighting against the rulers, against the authorities and against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms. Did you know there were spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms and guess who they play with? us. Where’s their playground? On this earth. Therefore, he says Put on the full armor of God. He didn’t say put on just one thing put on the full armor guys. Because if you don’t put the full armor, believe me, Satan knows where to kill you. So when this day of evil comes, you’ll be able to stand your ground.

And after you’ve done everything to stand stand firm, then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist. The belt was what held the weapons. And he said put on the belt of truth. Truth is the only thing that is going to save you and me against error. Error is what takes us down and kills us. And it’s always dressed up with nice sounding things isn’t it? Always comes with your tie and suit on. Dress nicely talk nicely. It’s always there dressed up and also dresses itself up with some godly Words, godly words, might even mentioned Jesus. Don’t know who he is, my Imagine if it were benefited me. He said, Put truth on, and the breastplate of righteousness in place. What’s the breastplate of righteousness? What protects this whole area? And whose righteousness do you put on yours or his? his. That means if you’ve got a breastplate of your own righteousness on brother, he’s gonna crack that thing in a New York minute. But he cannot crack Jesus righteousness. You can come up and say all I’m righteous, he’ll just crack that immediately if you think you’re righteous in your own flesh, when you say that I stand clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, you just let him try to crack that one. He says, Your feet fitted with ready to set comes from the gospel of peace. Folks, there’s all kinds of peace in this world. You can get peace going up in the mountains and going out by a mountain stream and fishing and all those things can bring temporary peace. But you know what, guys, the minute you get in your car and drive home, that peace is gone. You can get some peace, taking drugs, get your mind all bombed out when the drugs were off, you do not have peace. So there’s all kinds of temporary peace in this world. But it’s not the peace of God that passes understanding is it? Because the peace of God that passes understanding doesn’t come and go. It’s something you live with a constant, as Jesus said, like as a river of flowing water, that just keep flowing and flowing. Says take up the shield of faith. That’s a shield you hold in front of you to stop the arrows and what stops it’s your faith, faith in who you? No, faith in Jesus. So you can extinguish these flaming arrows of the evil one so that you know something, the evil one is shooting arrows at you and I don’t mean literal. But he’s shooting things at your head all the time. And we are constantly being bombarded by things that are not true.

Click to Donate to Bob George Ministries

If you’re enjoying the Book of John, check out our website, Shop.BobGeorge.net. There, you’ll find a whole collection of messages from the book of John, as well as other DVDs, CDs and Bible studies available for purchase. That’s Shop.BobGeorge.net. Let’s join Bob. Now as he continues the radio program.

Bob George 13:55
Put on the helmet of salvation. Where’s the helmet go? on your head. In other words, put that helmet on and keep it on. Another word of saying that, don’t ever let someone put a doubt in your mind as to your salvation in Christ Jesus, if you’re in Christ Jesus brother, you are in Him for ever. And that’s one thing that Satan tries to shoot the arrows. Oh no, it’s temporary. You can lose it, you better watch your P’s and Q’s because you can lose it. And then he says the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. That’s the only offensive weapon in this lineup. Everything else is defensive. The sword the Word of God is the sword. And like if I held a sword in my hand and I said this thing is sharp and you say that ain’t sharp. You got sit there and argue with him or poky with it. Use the word but you can’t use the word if you don’t know the Word. That’s why I want you to be equipped for the work of ministry. That’s why he wants us to know what the word of God says. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist folks to know what the word of God says. I know people that can’t even read and write that know what the word of God says. Why? Because they’ve listened to it and studied it, and meditate upon it, and brought it into memory. I’ll guarantee you I had most everything in Armstrong taught me in memory. I would not have been promoted as a salesman. Discipline, discipleship, God wants us to be disciplined. There’s a certain discipline that God wants us to get involved in the discipline of being a child of God, the discipline of giving to the work of the ministry, the discipline of studying the Word of God, the discipline of sharing your cares with one another fellowshipping with one another. Not just now and then hit and miss. But the discipline of saying, I’m going to grow in the Lord. And here’s how I’m gonna grow. Folks, when we open up our hearts, and finally make a decision in our lives, what does it take to get hired with Armstrong? an offer and an acceptance, does it not. What’s to take to get hired as a pro athlete? an offer and acceptance. What does it take to become a child of God? An offer and an acceptance. What does it take to accept the challenge to grow? an offer of God to grow in your knowledge of the Word of God. And an acceptance to say, Okay, Lord, I’m willing to do that. I’m no longer going to look at this as a nice maroon book. It’s got pages in it. And I’m going to spend more time looking at the pages that at the color cover. Get a discipline of studying the Word of God. I’m not saying when. Because then you get prideful as to when you do it. So I people use go around, said, did you have your quiet time this morning, Jim. And then Jim disappoints me by saying yes. What time? Six? I had mine at five. And there we go. Not saying when I’m just saying. You don’t want to go all day without eating. I can tell that. Why do you want to go all day without eating and feeding on the Word of God? So I don’t have time nonsense. We don’t have time, we got time to do anything we want to do. You got the same amount of time to do what you do as a president United States has to run this country. It’s not that we don’t have time, it’s that we don’t take time. Get a discipline in our lives. Get a policy in your lives. And I’m going to study I’m going to spend so much time I don’t care what the time is five minutes will do you wonders. I’m going to take some time to study the Word of God. You know how long it takes to read through the book of Ephesians, 10 minutes. That’s all. Why not just read the book of Ephesians. Then the next day, read the book of Ephesians. The next day, read the book of Ephesians. And then you’ll be like me, you’ll teach how the book of Ephesians For nine years you get a discipline. Where does it start? Where does all this start? It starts with the formation of a relationship. It starts right here in John three. That’s where it all starts an offer and an acceptance.

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus he was a member of the Hebrew ruling council. He was high up very, very well respected man. In Jesus time, he came to Jesus and it’s recorded he came at night which I think is very telling as to what the situation was. He didn’t come in the day where he could be spotted and seen because he didn’t want to be spotted and seen remember what killed Jesus? If we let this man continue before long the whole world is going to follow Him and we will lose our place and our position. Job security plagued Nicodemus, he was a member of the ruling council certainly didn’t want to be thought of as a some renegade gets over there following this man, Jesus. So he came at night, but he still saw something in this man Jesus, that He did not see in anyone else that he had ever known in his entire life. And so he came to him at night and he said, Rabbi, I don’t think he wanted to say that. I know it’s kind of we know that what he meant was, I know, I know that you’re a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs that you’re doing. If God were not with him. In other words, I’ve seen your miracles. Now what did Jesus think about that if people who followed him because he saw miracles, same thing he thought of when they followed him because they got their belly full? Is the reason you’re following me right now. It’s because I fed the 5000 over there. I know, man, remember the passage right before him. I know man. And I do not need the testimony about man concerning man, I know you. I know what your heart is. I know why you’re following me. You’re not in church, because you want to learn you’re in church, because you want to make acquaintances so your business will grow. So I got so many people in some of these mega churches, great place for business. If that’s what you’re after, that’s the place I’d go. I know your heart. You’re not fooling me, might fool others, but you’re not fooling me. Jesus knows why every one of you are here. He knows that. He knows whether you’re here, because you’re seeking to know God better and seeking to know the Word of God. And the seeking to be taught the Word of God. Because I’ll guarantee you, even though I don’t know you, I’ll guarantee you’re not here for all the big hoopla. And you’re not here because we’ve got a beautiful podium. I have to assume you’re here for some pretty honorable motives. And that is to get to know Jesus. He says, I know you. But Nicodemus is saying, I know that you’ve come from God, you couldn’t be doing these miracles that you do if you didn’t come from God. Isn’t it interesting that Jesus didn’t even honor that? It seems like you’d say, well, you’re right, Nikki. I do. I’ve done some miracles and that for sure is proof that who I am, he didn’t even touch that. He said, I tell you the truth Nicodemus, no one can see the kingdom of God. Unless he’s born from above or born again or born from above. He just ignored the flattery. Don’t get me this miracle stuff that you know I’m from God because of the miracle. You oughta know, I’m from God, because I’m God. Nicodemus, I think was taken aback unbelievably, by that statement, because I think he wanted Jesus to respond to his statement. He didn’t respond to it. He declared something new to him. You got to be born from above. Nicodemus came back kind of with I think, kind of a little wise deal, I’d probably done the same thing having a man be born with his old Surely you can’t enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born. And Jesus said, I tell you the truth Nicodemus, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he’s born of water and the Spirit. And then tells us exactly what that means. That does not mean baptized. It does not mean sprinkled, it means physical birth, he explains it. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but Spirit gives birth to spirit. There’s two births, natural birth, spiritual birth, you gotta be born a mom and dad before you can be born of God. Just explained it, no problem at all.

You shouldn’t be surprised, am I saying that you must be born from above. Born again. The wind blows wherever it pleases. He said you can hear it sound but you can’t tell where it comes from or where it’s going. And so it is with everyone born of the Spirit. How can this be Nicodemus asked? I don’t know what you’re talking about. How can this be we be born from above? How can this be? I’m a Hebrew that that does it doesn’t. And no you’re born a hebrew of your mom and dad. Now you need to be born by God. And he said, Are you Israel’s teacher? And that’s what Nicodemus known from the teacher are you Israel’s teacher. And you do not understand these things. Probably a little insulting to Nicodemus. I tell you the truth. He said, we speak of what we know. And we testify to what we have seen but still, you people do not accept our testimony. I’ve spoken to you of earthly things and you don’t believe, How then are you going to believe if I speak of heavenly things, you don’t even believe in the earthly things I’m talking about. No one has ever gone to heaven, He said to Nicodemus, except the one who came from heaven, the Son of Man. No one has ever gone into heaven, except the one who came from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up. That’s the cross, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life, For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him, and whoever believes in Him is not condemned. But whoever does not believe, stands condemned already. Why? Because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. How are you born from above? When you believe the testimony of God concerning his Son, that God has given us eternal life and this life is in his Son, and he has the Son has life. And he was does not have the Son of God does not have life, he stands condemned. And these things I’ve written unto You who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know not hope so not sit around. Well, I think so. But I know that you are a child of the living God. You’ve got to be born from above. You’ve already been born naturally. Now you must be born from above, if you’re ever going to go above, because no man has ever gone into heaven except the Son of man who came from heaven. And you and I are not going to go there until we go with him. The Son of Man.

Thank you so much for tuning in to Classic Christianity, with Bob George. We hope you’ve enjoyed today’s program. We truly hope that today’s message has inspired you to walk a life of faith in the Lord, find more information online at shop.BobGeorge.net. There you’ll also find available CDs, DVDs, and bible studies available for purchase. It’s through your help that we are able to spread the good word of Jesus Christ. Until next time, walk in faith, be good to one another and praise the Lord. Amen.