May 18, 2016 | Scoping Out Your Environment

 Last week I was out of town visiting my grandfather and had to miss the Wednesday study. This is tonight's message from Dr. Anthony George's Wednesday Bible study. Here's the link to the audio message from FBA's website. My notes are only meant to be a guide to assist in your Bible study. Enjoy! :)

Acts 16:16-24 How do we get a feel on how to respond to what others say? 

1. Look for the spiritual forces at work.
   • The slave girl had a spirit, a demon spirit of divination, possessing her. This allowed her to be prophetic, and read people's fortunes. She made money from this. We must be cautious of people like this.
   • Even if someone isn't possessed, it is possible for someone to have a demonic stronghold--places in people's life full of sin, perhaps generational sin. 
   • How do we identify whether there is a spiritual force at work?
     • Sinfulness
     • Access people's mindset
     • Look at the seeds being sown into the environment: words and actions
     • How does being around these people affect my spirit? Am I at peace or in turmoil?
   • 1 Samuel 15:23 KJV
   • Being aware of the spiritual forces at work doesn't mean your story will turn out like this one, but it does mean that you can prepare to react wisely to them.
   • Matthew 10:16
   • Being a Christian doesn't mean that you can be stupid. 
2. Observe how people are being treated.
   • The girl was labeled as a slave. And she brought her masters a lot of profit. So not only was she owned, but she was owned by multiple people and those people were making money off of her. Paul saw that and called out about it.
   • There will always be users. People who use other people. It was true in Acts 16, it's true in 2016.
   • We are called to care for the people for whom we serve. 
   • Seeing people as useful isn't the same thing as using someone. Whether one cares for another is the key factor to determining the difference of being useful and being used. 
   • Exploitation is exploitation no matter how severe it is.
   • Don't be a user, but spot the people who are. You might not be able to change it, but you can operate more wisely. 
3. Identify the deception of flattery. 
   • Flattery can be when someone says the right words at the wrong time.
   • What the servant girl was saying 
   • Just because someone is saying something true doesn't mean its from God
   • Flattery causes ruin. Proverbs 20:28 NLT
   • Flattery sets a trap. Proverbs 29:5
     • Like the witch in Snow White, flattery can become an addiction.
     • The recipient may eventually believe it. 
     • Grows into narcissism. 
   • Flattery is two faced. Psalm 12:1-2
     • Embellishes a truth and brings it out of proportion.
     • Deception from false compliments.
     • Those who do this turn around and say something completely different to their confidant 
   • Spiritual attracts spiritual. People who are spiritually vexed will often be drawn towards spiritual people. Evil spirits manifest around Holy Spirit.
     • The greater the spiritual exposure, the greater the spiritual attraction.
4. Analyze the cycles of repetition.
   • The girl with the spirit continued for many days.
   • God wants us to analyze things that keep on happening. 
   • We must realize cycles that are unhealthy. Don't just sit there and be a victim of the cycle, but 
     1. Become aware. 
     2. Call it what it is. Do something about it.
5. Choose wisely how to exercise spiritual authority.
   • We are sealed in Christ. We are indwelled with the Holy Spirit. Our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. We have the authority to cast out demons In Jesus Name.
   • How do we exercise this authority? When do I need to speak up and do something about the situation? When do I just surrender this to God?  This is the biggest challenge. 
     • "Enough is enough"
     • Whether or not we take on the situation overtly, we can tackle it spiritually. Luke 10:19 
     • In the moment you need to, the Holy Spirit will take over and fight for you.

How do we take on our environment?

1. Be sure you are submitted to God, yielded to His authority.
2. Identify warfare scriptures. When you are going though tough environments. Get specific scriptures that lift you up through your specific environment. What is is God teaching you? To fight with the sword of His promises. 
3. Fight with prayer. You can take down your obstacles through prayer and keep a smile on your face.
4. Expect opportunities in adversity. Acts 16:20
   • We are troublemakers, with hard work ethics, who pay taxes, have compassion, help those in crisis, teach children to obey their parents, respect authority.
   • Adversity is usually linked to people.
   • When you are going though adversity because of people, those people are preparing you. They're Holy sand paper. 
   • The adversity you go though with people, those people are tools God uses to reveal wickedness in your own life.
   • We must look for opportunities in the midst of our adversities.

The ending of this Bible story is the sweetest: the jailer and his family became believers!