2 Sides Of A Coin

Encouragementgive support, pluck up, to help give courage, urge, strengthen, "tell to take heart"; comforted, exhort, "of good cheer," emboldened

Warn To make aware in advance of actual or potential harm, danger, or evil.

Paul Warned The Fellowship Of Believers Because He Loved Them And Wanted There Best

To Protect and Teach

Like A Parent Does

Warn You Night And Day!!

Acts 20:26-3126 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood.29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

Enemies

World Flesh And Devil

We deal with indwelling sin, death, temptations and a world that is obviously not Eden, and the enemy of our souls, Satan and his demons

1 John 2:1616 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Even If An Angel Appears And Says Something Different Than In Gods Own Holy Word. . .

Gal 1:8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and different from that which we preached to you, let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!

Who Is My Enemy?SatanAngel of Light

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 2 Cor 11:14

Beautiful Serpent And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: Gen 3:14

False Prophets/Religious Phonies

Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Matt 7:15

Who Is My Enemy?

Anyone Who Says Something Different Than Gods Word

Anyone Who Tries To Get Me To Disobey ( or even question) Gods Commands

Anyone Who Tries To Destroy My Testimony

Who Is My Enemy?

Peter vividly describes them in 2 Peter 2

"those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority" (v. 10);

"unreasoning animals" (v. 12);

"stains and blemishes" (v. 13); "having eyes full of adultery . . . having a heart trained in greed . . . accursed children" (v. 14); "springs without water . . . mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved" (v. 17); "slaves of corruption" (v. 19); dogs returning to their own vomit and pigs wallowing in the mud (v. 22).

Praying for each other For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Col 1:9

Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: 1 Sam 12:23

Loving And Helping One Another Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Phil 2:3-5

They will know we are Christians by our . . .

SolutionsKeeping our Guard Up

We need to be watchmen on the wall (keep watch, guard, protect)

Vigilant as our adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1 Peter 5:8 usually the “weaker”

Be People Of The Word

And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. Acts 20:32

James says Look into the perfect law of liberty {word} like a man looks into a mirror and then makes “changes” this man shall be blessed in his deed

Jesus prayed for us in John 17I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine. 9

Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as We are. 11

that they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 13

I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 15 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 16 Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth. 17

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; 20 I in them, and Thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved Me. 23

The church in Acts lived in a constant atmosphere of prayerIt prayed when choosing Judas's successor (1:24),

when facing persecution (4:23-31; 16:25);

at the choosing of seven men to administer the church's relief efforts (6:6),

for Peter's release from prison (12:5,12),

at the sending of Paul and Barnabas to the mission field (13:2), when appointing elders in local churches (14:23),

In short, every aspect of the life of the early church was bathed in prayer.