Posts Tagged ‘spirituality’

Spiritual Training 15 June 2012

Posted: June 15, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command
Gideon
Judges 6:23 But the LORD said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid.  You are not going to die.”

 Judges 25-30 That same night the LORD said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old.  Tear down your father’s altar to Ball and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.  Then build a proper kind of altar to the LORD your God on the top of this height.  Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering.” So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him.  But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.  In the morning when the men of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! They asked each other, “Who did this?” When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.” The men of the town demanded of Joash, “ Bring out your son.  He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.” 

 After god called Gideon to be Israel’s deliverer, he immediately asked him to tear down the altar of the pagan god, Baal-an act that would test Gideon’s faith and commitment.  Canaanite religion was very political, so an attack on god was often seen as an attack on the local government supporting that god.  If caught, Gideon would face serious social problems and probable physical attack.

Gideon took a real risk by following God’s higher law, which specifically forbids idol worship (Exodus 20:1-5). After learning what Gideon has done, the townspeople wanted to kill him.  Many of those people were fellow Israelites.  This shows how immoral God’s people had become.  God said in Deuteronomy 13:6-11 that idolaters must be stone to death, but these Israelites wanted to stone Gideon for tearing down an idol and worshiping God!

Lets bring it home: When you begin to accomplish something for God, the very people who should support you may criticize you. 


Spiritual Training 14 June 2012

Posted: June 14, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Judges, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command
Gideon 

Judges 6:14-16 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand.  Am I not sending you?”  “But Lord, “Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.” 

“I will be with you,” God told Gideon, and God promised to give him the strength he needed to overcome the opposition.  In spite of this clear promise for strength, Gideon made excuses.  Seeing only his limitations and weaknesses, he failed to see how God could work through him.

Lets bring it home: Like Gideon, we are called to serve God in specific ways, Although God promises us the tools and strength we need, we often make excuses.  But reminding God of our limitations only implies that he does not know all about us or that he has made a mistake in evaluation our character.  Don’t spend time making excuses.  Instead spend it doing what God wants. 

Spiritual Training 13 June 2012

Posted: June 13, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Judges, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Gideon 

Judges 6:11-13 The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezirte, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites.  When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.” But sir, “Gideon replied, “If the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us?  Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?  But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.” 

Gideon questioned God about the problems he and his nation faced and about God’s apparent lack of help.  What he didn’t acknowledge was the fact that the people had brought calamity upon themselves when they decided to disobey and neglect God.  How easy it is to overlook personal accountability and blame our problems on God and others.  Unfortunately this does not solve our problems.  It brings us no closer to God, and it escorts us to the very edge of rebellion and backsliding.

Lets bring it home: When problems come, the first place to look is within. Our immediate response should be confession to God of sins that may have created our problems.

Proverbs 12:16 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: June 12, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command 
Proverbs 12:16 A fool show his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.  

When someone annoys or insults you, it is natural to retaliate.  But this solves nothing and only encourages trouble.  Instead, answer slowly and quietly.  Your positive response will achieve positive results.  Remember Proverbs 15:01: A gentle answer turns away wrath.

Spiritual Training 08 June 2012

Posted: June 8, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Judges, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command 
Judges 5 The Song of Deborah
(Read Entire Chapter)

Music and singing were a cherished part of Israel’s culture.  Chapter 5 is a song, possibly composed and sung by Deborah and Barak.  It sets to music the story of Israel’s great victory recounted in Chapter 4. This victory song was accompanied by joyous celebration.  It proclaimed God’s greatness by giving him credit for the victory.  It was an excellent way to preserve and retell this wonderful story from generation to generation.

In Victory, Barak and Deborah sang praises to God.  Songs of praise focus our attention on God, give us an outlet for spiritual celebration, and remind us of God’s faithfulness and character.  Whether you are experiencing a great victory or a major dilemma, singing praises to God can have a positive effect on your attitude.

Proverbs 05:18-20 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: June 5, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 05:18-20 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.  A loving doe, a graceful deer-may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love.  Why be captivated, my son, by an adulterous? Why embrace the bosom of another man’s wife?    

God does not intend faithfulness in marriage to be boring, lifeless, pleasure less, and dull. Sex is a gift God gives to married people for their mutual enjoyment.  Real happiness comes when we decide to find pleasure in the relationship God has given or will give us and to commit ourselves to making it pleasurable for our spouse.  The real danger is in doubting that God knows and cares for us.  We then may resent his timing and carelessly pursue sexual pleasure without his blessing.

Many temptations entice husbands and wives when marriage becomes dull in order to find excitement and pleasures elsewhere.  But God designed marriage and sanctified it, and only within this covenant relationship can we find real love and fulfillment.  Don’t let God’s best for you be wasted on the illusion of greener pastures somewhere else.  Instead, rejoice with your spouse as you give yourselves to God and to each other.

Spiritual Training 05 June 2012

Posted: June 5, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Judges, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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UNDER GODS COMMAND

Judges 5.8 – When they chose new gods, war came to the city gates, and not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel. 

War was the inevitable result when Israel chose to follow false gods.  Although God had given Israel clear directions, the people failed to put his words into practice.  Without God at the center of their national life, pressure from the outside soon became greater than power from within, and they were an easy prey for their enemies.

Lets bring it home: If you are letting a desire for recognition, craving for power, or love of money rule your life, you may find yourself besieged by enemies-stress, anxiety, illness, fatigue.  Keep God at the center of your life, and you will have the power you need to fight these destroyers.

Spiritual Training 04 June 2012

Posted: June 4, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Judges, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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UNDER GODS COMMAND Deborah (Judges 4-5) 

Key verse: “Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading  Israel at that time ” (Judges 4:4)

Wise Leaders are rare.  They accomplish great amounts of work without direct involvement because they know how to work through other people.  They are able to see the big picture that often escapes those directly involved, so they make good mediators, advisers, and planners.  Deborah fit this description perfectly.  She had all these leadership skills, and she had a remarkable relationship with God.  The insight and confidence God gave this woman placed her in a unique position in the Old Testament.  Deborah is among the outstanding women of history.  Her story shows that use was not power hungry.  She wanted to serve God.  Whenever praise came her way, she gave God the credit.  She didn’t deny or resist her position in the culture as a woman and wife, but she never allowed herself to be hindered by it either.  Her story show Great God can accomplish great things through people who are willing to be led by him.  Deborah’s life challenges us in several ways.  She reminds us of the need to be available both to God and to others.  She encourages us to spend our efforts on what we can do rather than on worrying about what we can’t do.  Deborah challenges us to be wise leaders.  She demonstrates what a person can accomplish when God isn in control.  

STRENGTHS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

  • FOURTH AND ONLY FEMALE  JUDGE OVER ISRAEL
  • SPECIAL ABILITIES AS A MEDIATOR, ADVISER, AND COUNSELOR
  • WHEN CALLED ON TO LEAD, WAS ABLE TO PLAN, DIRECT, AND DELEGATE
  • KNOWN FOR HER PROPHETIC POWER
  • A WRITER OF SONGS
LESSONS FROM HER LIFE:
  • GOD CHOOSES LEADERS BY HIS STANDARDS, NOT OURS
  • WISE LEADERS CHOOSE GOOD HELPERS

Spiritual Training 23 May 2012

Posted: May 23, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Judges, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command
Disobedience and defeat

Judges 4:3 Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help.

After 20 years of unbearable circumstances, the Israelites finally cried to the LORD for help. But God should be the first place we turn when we are facing struggles or dilemmas. The Israelite’s chose to go their own way and got into a mess.

Lets bring it home: We often do the same. Trying to control our own lives without God’s help leads to struggle and confusion. By contrast, when we stay in daily contact with the LORD, we are less likely to create painful circumstances for ourselves. This is a lesson the Israelites never fully learned. When struggles come our way, God wants us to come to him first, seeking his strength and guidance.

Proverbs 23:17-18 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: May 21, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command
Proverbs 23:17-18- Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

How easy it is to envy those who get ahead unhampered by Christian responsibility or God’s laws. For a time they do seem to get ahead without paying any attention to what God wants. But to those who follow him, God promises a hope and a wonderful future even if we don’t achieve it in this life.

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