Posts Tagged ‘Bible Study’

Cooperating with the Holy Spirit

Posted: May 7, 2010 in Daily Motivation, Encourgement, Fellowship, Happiness, Inspiration, Money, Money Issue, Personal Growth, Uncategorized
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Let the Spirit change your way of thinking. Ephesians 4:23 by Rick Warren


Throughout the Bible we see an important truth illustrated over and over: the Holy Spirit releases his power the moment you take a step of faith.

When Joshua was faced with an impassible barrier, the floodwaters of the Jordan River receded only after the leaders stepped into the rushing current in obedience and faith. Obedience unlocks God’s power.

God waits for you to act first. Don’t wait to feel powerful or confident. Move ahead in your weakness, doing the right thing in spite of your fears and feelings. This is how you cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and it is how your character develops.

The Bible compares spiritual growth to a seed, a building, and a child growing up. Each metaphor requires active participation: seeds must be planted and cultivated, buildings must be built – they don’t just appear – and children must eat and exercise to grow.

While effort has nothing to do with your salvation, it has much to do with your spiritual growth. At least eight times in the New Testament we are told to “make every effort” in our growth toward becoming like Jesus. (Luke 13:24 NIV; Romans 14:19 NIV; Ephesians 4:3 NIV; 2 Timothy 2:15 NCV; Hebrews 4:11 NIV; Hebrews 12:14 NIV; 2 Peter 3:14 NIV)

You don’t just sit around and wait for it to happen.

Paul explains in Ephesians 4:22-24 our three responsibilities in becoming like Christ.

  • First, we must choose to let go of old ways of acting. “Everything . . . connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it!” (Ephesians 4:22 MSG)
  • Second, we must change the way we think. “Let the Spirit change your way of thinking.” (Ephesians 4:23 CEV) The Bible says we are “transformed” by the renewing of our minds. (Romans 12:2) The Greek word for transformed, metamorphosis (used in Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 3:18), is used today to describe the amazing change a caterpillar goes through in becoming a butterfly. It is a beautiful picture of what happens to us spiritually when we allow God to direct our thoughts: we are changed from the inside out, we become more beautiful, and we are set free to soar to new heights.

Third, we must put on the character of Christ by developing new, godly habits. Your character is essentially the sum of your habits; it is how you habitually act. The Bible says, “Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24 NIV)

God’s point of view

Posted: March 22, 2010 in Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Uncategorized
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Perspective: see from God’s point of view
by Rick Warren
Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. Hebrews 5:14 (NLT)

Perspective is understanding something because you see it from a larger frame of reference. It is the ability to perceive how things are interrelated and then judge their comparative importance.

And, for believers, it means seeing life from God’s point of view.  In the Bible, the words “understanding”, “wisdom”, and “discernment” all have to do with perspective. The opposite of perspective is “hardness of heart”, “blinded” and “dullness.”

Psalm 103:7 says, “He (God) made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel.”  The people of Israel got to see what God did, but Moses got to understand why God did it.  This is the difference between knowledge and perspective. Knowledge is learning what God has said and done. Perspective is understanding why God said it or did it.

Perspective answers the “Why?” questions of life.

The Bible says that unbelievers have no spiritual perspective (1 Corinthians 2:14). Likewise a lack of perspective is a mark of spiritual immaturity (1 Corinthians 3:1-2, 13:11, 14:20). God’s reoccurring complaint about the nation of Israel was that they lacked perspective. Many of the prophets rebuked this weakness (Isaiah 44:18, Jeremiah 4:22, Micah 4:12).

In contrast, having perspective is evidence of spiritual maturity and our ability to recognize the difference between right and wrong.

The Church Family

Posted: March 22, 2010 in Daily Motivation, Encourgement, Fellowship, Inspiration, Personal Growth, winning
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A church family is a laboratory for love
by Rick Warren
All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27 (NLT)

You are not the Body of Christ on your own. You need others to express that. Together, not separated, we are his Body.

A church family moves you out of self-centered isolation. The local church is the classroom for learning how to get along in God’s family. It is a lab for practicing unselfish, sympathetic love.

As a participating member you learn to care about others and share the experiences of others: “If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part of our body is honored, all the other parts share its honor.” (1 Corinthians 12:26 NCV)

Only in regular contact with ordinary, imperfect believers can we learn real fellowship and experience the New Testament truth of being connected and dependent on each other. (Ephesians 4:16, Romans 12:4-5, Colossians 2:19, 1 Corinthians 12:25)

Biblical fellowship is being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ. God expects us to give our lives for each other. Many Christians who know John 3:16 are unaware of 1 John 3:16: “Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (NIV)

This is the kind of sacrificial love God expects you to show other believers—a willingness to love them in the same way Jesus loves you.

Love your spiritual family

Posted: March 22, 2010 in Daily Motivation, Encourgement, Fellowship, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Uncategorized
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Love your spiritual family
by Rick Warren
Love your spiritual family. 1 Peter 2:17b (MSG)

As I mentioned yesterday, the church is a body, not a building; an organism, not an organization.

For the organs of your body to fulfill their purpose, they must be connected to your body. The same is true for you as a part of Christ’s Body. You were created for a specific role, but you will miss out on this if you’re not attached to a living, local church. You discover your role in life though your relationships with others.

The Bible tells us, “Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we?” (Romans 12:4-5 MSG)

If an organ is somehow severed from its body, it will shrivel and die. It cannot exist on its own, and neither can you. Disconnected and cut off from the lifeblood of a local body, your spiritual life will wither and eventually cease to exist. (Ephesians 4:16)

This is why the first symptom of spiritual decline is usually inconsistent attendance at worship services and other gatherings of believers. Whenever we become careless about fellowship, everything else begins to slide, too.

The Bible says, “Love your spiritual family.” (1 Peter 2:17b MSG)

Membership in the family of God is neither inconsequential nor something to be casually ignored. The church is God’s agenda for the world. Jesus said, “I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” (Matthew 16:18 NLT)

Demons Confess Jesus Christ

Posted: March 22, 2010 in Bible Study, Encourgement, Happiness, Inspiration, Uncategorized
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Rob Henry, Under Gods Command in the Army of Christ

Luke 4:40-41 When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.  Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.

(Whey didn’t Jesus want the demons to reveal who he was? (1) Jesus commanded them to remain silent to show his authority over them.  (2) Jesus wanted his listeners to believe he was the Messiah because of his words, not because of the demons’ words.  (3)  Jesus was going to reveal his identity according to God’s timetable, and he would not be pushed by Satan’s evil plans.  The demons called Jesus ‘Son of God’ or ‘the Holy one of God’ because they know he was the Christ.  But Jesus was going to show himself to be the suffering servant before he became the great King.  To reveal his identity as King too soon would stir up the crowds with the wrong expectations of what he had come to do.)

Jealous God

Posted: March 22, 2010 in Bible Study, Encourgement, Happiness, Inspiration, Job Opportunity, Money, Money Issue, Scripture Memory, Uncategorized
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Deuteronomy 4:23-24 Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden.  For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous GOD ( God is a consuming fire.  Because he is morally perfect, he hates sin and cannot accept those who practice it.  Moses’ sin kept him from entering the promised land, and no sacrifice could remove that judgment.  Sin kept us from entering God’s presence, but Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sin and removed God’s judgment forever by his death.  Trusting in Jesus Christ will save you from God’s anger and will allow you to begin a personal relationship with him.  Jealousy is  a demand  for someone else’s exclusive affection or loyalty.  Some jealousy is bad.  It is destructive for a person to get upset when his or her spouse talks to someone of the opposite sex.  But other jealousy is good.  It is right for a man to demand that his wife treat him, and only him, as her husband.  Usually we use the word jealousy only for the bad reaction.  But God’s kind of jealousy is appropriate and good.  He is defending his word and guarding his high honor.  He makes a strong, exclusive demand on us: We must treat only the Lord, and no one else in all the universe as God.)

Smoke Screen

Posted: March 16, 2010 in Bible Study, Encourgement, Happiness, Inspiration, Uncategorized
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15 March 2010

Written by Rob Henry, Army of Christ, and Under GODS Command

Smoke Screen

How many times do people used another issue to get to what is really on their mind.  Does the term Stop Beating Around the Bush mean anything?   Let’s take a look at the Bible, and we will see an example of people who argue over minor disagreements, leaving the real issue untouched.  Such was the case when Miriam and Aaron came to Moses with a complaint.

Numbers 12: 1-2,

  1. 1. Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite.  (It appears that they are concerned about his Cushite wife)
  2. 2. “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?” they asked “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the LORD heard this. (Now they jump from his Cushite wife to a sign of Jealousy against Moses)

People often argue over minor disagreements, leaving the real issue untouched.  The real issue was their growing jealousy of Moses position and influence.  Since they could not find fault with the way Moses was leading the people, they chose to criticize his wife.  Rather than face the problem squarely by dealing with their envy and pride, they chose to create a diversion from the real issue.  When you are in a disagreement, stop and ask yourself if you are arguing over the real issue or have you introduced a smoke screen by attacking someone’s character.  If you’re unjustly criticized, remember that your critics may be afraid to face the real problem.  Ask God to help you identify the real issue and deal with it

You can’t decide without a guide

Posted: March 4, 2010 in Bible Study, Encourgement, Happiness, Inspiration, Job Opportunity, Money, Money Issue, Scripture Memory, Uncategorized
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Thursday, March 04, 2010
You can’t decide without a guide
by Rick Warren
“He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” Psalm 25:9 (NIV)

The Bible says there are several things we need to do to receive guidance from God, but the very first thing is this:

I need to admit I need a guide!

Sheep, by nature, tend to wander off the path. The Prophet Isaiah says, “All of us like sheep have strayed away! We have left God’s paths to follow our own.” (Isaiah 53:6 NLT)

This is why we often don’t know God’s will. The truth is most of the time we don’t want to follow God or anybody else. We want to go our own way. We don’t want to admit we need direction or that we need a guide.

Another thing about sheep is that they have poor vision. They can’t see very far ahead. That’s why, on a path, they don’t know if it is heading toward a cliff, and that’s why they need a shepherd. We can’t see the future. We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, much less next year or ten years from now. We don’t even know what’s going to happen this afternoon.

God made you so that you would not be able to see into the future no matter how much you try. Even with all the gimmicks to predict the future, you don’t really know what’s going to happen. Why did God do this? He did it so you would depend on Him.

Because we can’t see into the future, we often stumble.  Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (NIV). We’ve all made decisions that at the time seemed right but later on turned out to be wrong. Some paths lead to dead ends and we end up off track. That’s why we need to admit, “God, I need help.”

Complimenting

Posted: March 4, 2010 in Bible Study, Encourgement, Happiness, Inspiration, Money, Money Issue, Uncategorized
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NUMBERS: 10: 29-32

Now Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law,
“We are setting out for the place about which the Lord said, ‘ I will give it to you.  Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”  He answered, “No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my on people.”  But Moes said, “Please do not leave us.   You know where we should camp in the desert,  and you can  be our eyes.    If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the Lord give us.”

By complimenting Hobab’s desert skills, Moses let him know he was needed.  People cannot know you appreciate them if you do not tell them they are important to you.  Complimenting those who deserve it builds lasting relationships and helps people know they are valued.  Think about those who have helped you this month.  What can you do to let them know how much you need and appreciate them?

Do What Matters

Posted: March 4, 2010 in Encourgement, Happiness, Inspiration, Job Opportunity, Money, Money Issue, Scripture Memory, Uncategorized
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“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”- Joshua 1:9

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Do what matters

Do what matters, not just what is convenient. Do what is fulfilling, not just what is easy.

Just being busy will not lead you to anything of value. Instead, challenge yourself to be effective in the service of a meaningful purpose.

Any particular stretch of your time can be infinitely valuable or it can be hopelessly worthless. Which will it be right now, on this very day?

See that every moment has the potential for soaring greatness. Let your words and actions, your thoughts and deeds express that potential in your own special way.

There are many skills that must be studied and developed, and you can choose the ones you wish to acquire. The skill of living, however, need only be allowed, for it is already within you.

Live with richness, with great fulfillment and joy and substance. Do what matters, what really matters, and delight in being the unique, beautiful person you are.

— Ralph Marston

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