Fight Or Flight Series

FIGHT OR FLIGHT? (EPHESIANS 6)

Intelligence experts had initially anticipated that Russia would take Kyiv within days of its attack on Ukraine, but more than a month into Russia's invasion then in February 2022, the Ukrainian with its smaller size, budget and number of munitions, manage to reclaim a town in the northeast, while Russian ground forces have stalled around the capital.

Within days of its invasion, Russia was struggling with fuel and logistics supplies, and verified images and videos of destroyed Russian military vehicles and tanks circulated online.

The U.S. and NATO supplied Ukraine with more than 17,000 anti-tank weapons, including Javelin missiles, in less than a week, the New York Times reported in early March. The anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons such as the Javelin on the ground and Stinger systems in the air against drones can be fired by just one or two people.

The shoulder-mounted Javelin in particular has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance. Known as a "fire and forget" weapon, the Javelin uses an infrared guidance system to travel toward a target, allowing the gunner to fire and then immediately take cover. The missile system can destroy tanks and other armored vehicles. The shoulder-fired Stinger missiles target low-flying aircraft.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/key-lessons-ukraine-conflict-conventional-warfare/story?id=83746590

The book of Ephesians in a glance:

1 2 3 4 5 6

Father Friend Face Fellowship Family Foe

Pay the Price Patch the Hole Pass the Torch Play the Part Please the Master Pack the weapons

What is the spiritual warfare that we must not let down our guard? What are the spiritual weapons and warfighting tactics God has supplied to us? The chapter begins with one’s inner circle of the family to the outer circle of foes.

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1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honor your father and mother"-which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

A magazine asks some young people what they think of the word “parents.” Here is the response:

“Shut up and eat.”

“Don't bother me now!”

“If you break a leg, don't come running to me.”

“Because I said so.”

“This is going to hurt me a lot more than it's going to hurt you.”

“If Johnny jumped off a bridge, would you?”

“When I was your age, I walked twenty-six miles to school one way through blizzards, hail storms and 110 degree heat.”

Paul fairly dropped two imperatives to both children and parents – obey and honor for children and exasperate and bring up for adults.

What is to obey? Basically, obey is hear and heed. The Greek word is “hupakouo,” or “under-HEAR” – to listen under a parent’s care.

I do not have kids of my own but I have two spiritual sons from China who stayed with me during the weekends. I clean the floors, buy them breakfast and wash their clothes for them to wear next week! Reciprocating with attention, action, availability and affection is a good bargain to them!

Honor, on the other hand, is recognition and respect. What is the difference between obey and honor?

Quotes:

“It is possible to obey without honoring, but impossible to truly honor without obeying.”

“Honor respects another person and attributes value to them.”

The given reason (gar) for honoring parents is that it may go “well” (eu) with children. Well means God’s grace, goodness and guidance in your life.

Parents, on the other hand, are commanded not to exasperate/”provoke anger” in their children. Provoke anger is to discount or dismiss their opinions, disparage or demean them, and deflate and or dampen their feelings.

Bring up (v 4 KJV) occurs in the book of Ephesians only, the other time being husbands not hating their own flesh but to feed/nurture it (Eph 5:29). Training/nurture means to teach, train and treasure them. Training (paideia = child training) and instruction (nouthesia = mind placing) are different as in tender and tough, heart versus head, kindness and knowledge.

Below are the differences between a negative and a positive PARENT:

Negative Parenting Positive Parenting

Pessimistic Positive

Angry Affectionate

Repressive Respectful

Embarrassing Engaging

Nagging Nurturing

Threatening Trusting

Sanctify Service

5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. 9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.