8/12/12 LET YOUR HEART BE BROKEN JEREMIAH 8:4-13, 18-9:1

Today’s lesson is entitled “Let Your Heart Be Broken”. A better title could be “Compassion”. As the NFL game ended and the Packers celebrated their victory over the Bears, a, 4-year-old girl was crying which seemed odd since neither of her parents cared who won the game. When her mom asked her why she was crying, she said, “I feel sorry for the Bears. They look so sad.” We can learn something from this preschooler about compassion. In a world where winning is so important and losers get rejected and forgotten, we need this reminder: People need compassion. When we see others struggling with a loss are we willing to shed tears, put our arms around them, and offer to help?

Scripture challenges us to treat others with compassion. Philippians 2:1-3 tells us to think of others above ourselves, looking out for their interests—not just ours. I Peter 3:8-12 reminds us that compassion means treating others “as brothers,” and Colossians 3:12-15 says that mercy, kindness, and humility are marks of those God has redeemed. Our Scripture today instructs us to look around us. Go beyond feeling bad for the one with loss and reach out with compassion and God’s love.

A parable is a story that has a meaning beyond the illustration and before we get into Jeremiah, let’s take a look at the parable of the Good Neighbor also called the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37

The lawyer was one who knew every aspect of religious laws. He asked a question he already knew the answer too. He asked, “what do I need to do to inherit eternal life?” Deuteronomy 6:5 He felt trapped so he wanted to justify himself so he asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus shares with him a story which tells us that being a good neighbor requires the right emotion. (v.33) The priest and the Levite both see and go by on the other side. It is clear that they knew he was hurt. They did this because they had an entitlement attitude, thinking they had got here on their own and they deserved their position. The Samaritan’s emotion should be our default emotion. He had compassion. A lot of things we could feel at this point (smugness, told you so attitude, or pity) but compassion is the most Christ like response. Compassion is the word used most in describing Jesus’ emotions more than any other word. . Matthew 14:14, Luke 15:20 Compassion describes an inside being that is an instinctive, overwhelming, immediate response. This is what we need to feel when we see people on the wrong side of the road.

Being a good neighbor requires a good action. (v34. -35) To show mercy is the word Hesed. It is when the person from who I have a right to expect nothing gives me everything! It is mercy and lovingkindness. “Thought the wounded man on the ground had no right to expect anything from a no-good Samaritan, he received over the top mercy.

When you provide aid, it will result in dirty hands. You can’t show mercy without dirtying your hands. The right action will result in dirty hands. We should rarely ignore a generous impulse. Let’s do mercy! The needs were beyond the ability of the Samaritan to take care of on his own so he partnered with the inn keeper saying you do it and I’ll pay you. We may not be able to take care of a need but we can partner with others through prayer and giving to meet that need.

Also, being a good neighbor requires the right question. (v36) The lawyer asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus changed the question to “Who proved to be a neighbor?” Jesus told a story that changes the question from “What kind of person is my neighbor?” to “What kind of person am I?” He changes the question from “What status of people are worthy of my love?” to “How can I become the kind of person whose compassion disregards status?” Instead of looking for who we need to help it becomes a quest on who we need to be.

What it means to love your neighbor as self is be a neighbor. We are the wounded one on the side of the road and Someone (Jesus) was that neighbor to us. The man on the side of the road received radical neighboring. Jesus is the Good Samaritan. He is the One who meets our needs. Too often we want to do the minimum to get by but Jesus showed we need to do mercy. The remedy is to move from an entitlement attitude to one of gratitude realizing we are the one on the side of the road and Jesus rescued us. When we have a sense of gratitude, we will prove to be a neighbor. Being a good neighbor requires a response of free grace. To stop and rescue us didn’t risk Jesus’ life, it cost Him His life. When we see Jesus as our true neighbor and what He done for us, we’ll become a true neighbor to others.

READ SEE THE PROBLEM JEREMIAH 8:4-7
When people fall down or realize they’re headed in the wrong direction, it makes sense to get up and change directions. But as God watched the nation, he saw people living sinful lives by choice, deceiving themselves that there would be no consequences. They had lost perspective concerning God’s will for their lives and were trying to minimize their sin. Repentance is more than changing directions or actions. It involves changing our thinking to the same way God thinks. Wisdom is seeing and responding to life’s situations from God’s frame of reference so repentance is utilizing wisdom and changing our thoughts first and then our actions to how God would act or react.

The Lord’s Word came to Jeremiah, and he was to proclaim it to the unrepentant people. These fallen people, even though called to be sons and daughters of God, continued to go through the external motions of the service in the Temple while living in unbelief. We must ask ourselves if we’re only going through the motions or do we truly believe God’s Word. John 4:23

The Israelites were asking “What have I done?” not in repentance for the people didn’t care about God, His Word, the Gospel, or about what was right and wrong. How we live does make a difference! They were willing to know and have other gods. The people didn’t bother to ask, “Is what I am doing right or wrong? Is this a sin?” They didn’t care. They continued to depart from the truth and as a result, “each one turned to his own course, like a horse plunging headlong into battle.” This is a course that departed from the Way of Life. Proverbs says there’s a way that seems right to a man but the pathway thereof leads to death. A man might, worship one god for a while and another for a bit, and then stride on into the House of the LORD as spiritual insurance policy. These people had fallen from the truth so they were incapable of being convicted by God’s Law. We must guard our hearts to avoid having that happen to us. Prov 4:23 “They hold fast to deceit, they refuse to return.” We must give heed and listen but keep in mind that even in Jeremiah’s time there were those who refused to listen and obey.

We haven’t achieved God’s standard.. Romans 3:23 We’re the guilty party. If we ask “What have I done?” with a repentant heart, it places us in a position where the Law is doing its job of accusing our old nature; and into a posture where the Good News of God’s forgiveness may be announced. “Yes, this is what you have done but behold, dearly beloved; I want you to listen to what I have done! I have given you My Word and promised the Savior. ‘I AM your Shield, our exceedingly great reward’ (Gen. 15:1) and this is in spite of what we’ve done nor is it because of anything that we could do. Our hope is because of what Jesus has done and will do. Hope is a seed God plants in our hearts to remind us there are better things ahead. Hope is Holding Out for Possibilities Every time. Even though you have sinned greatly and grievously, ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine (Isaiah 43:1). We have a re-created heart and the LORD dwells within us. It’s no longer us who lives but the Redeemer and we’re a temple of the Holy Spirit. The child of God will fall, but the Good News ought to produce in us a habitual hunger and a recurring thirst that draws us back to God. This longing is like the migratory birds returning each year. Often, even with those who claim to be the children of God, this does not happen. Jeremiah says “Even the stork in the heavens knows her times; and the turtledove, swallow, and crane keep the time of their coming; but My people know not the requirements of the LORD.” When our fellow brother and sisters fall, we must say except for the grace of God there goes I and seek to restore that one. Gal 6:1
READ JEREMIAH 8:8-13 AVOID SUPERFICIAL RESPONSES

The scribes thought they had arrived. They built a stone wall around their hearts not willing to allow anyone to touch them with the realities of what was going on. They were like the wizard in the Wizard of Oz who said to the tin man, “As for you, my galvanized friend, you want a heart. You don’t know how lucky you are not to have one. Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable.” The Wizard of Oz declared being heartless was the safer way to live. How sad! We must do life together and doing life together is going to have heartbreaks and hurts.

The spiritual leaders had tweaked and twisted God’s law to fit their own agendas. Because they had convinced the people they could sin without any consequence, God would bring grave consequences. These men treated brokenness superficially by saying everything was OK when it wasn’t. They claimed there was peace when the enemy was battering away at the gate. Instead of skin-deep reassurances, the people need to hear the truth and comfort of the Word. II Corinthians 1:3-7 Many think that when God comforts us, our troubles should go away. But if that were always so, people would turn to God only out of a desire to be relieved of pain and not out of love for Him. We must understand that being comforted can also mean receiving strength, encouragement, and hope to deal with our troubles. The more we suffer the more comfort God gives us. If we’re feeling overwhelmed, we must receive God’s comfort and remember every trial we endure will help us comfort others who are suffering similar troubles.

READ REFLECT GOD’S BROKEN-HEARTEDNESS JEREMIAH 8:18-9:1
These words portray Jeremiah’s emotion as he watched his people reject God. He responded with anguish to a world dying in sin. We watch that same world still dying in sin, still rejecting God. We must ask ourselves how often is our heart broken for the lost and hurting? Only when we have Jeremiah’s kind of passionate concern will we be moved to help. We must begin by asking God to break our hearts for the world He loves. John 3:16

V. 22 We are to be the one’s who apply the “balm” to the hurting. Although people’s spiritual sickness is deep, it can be healed. God can heal our sin sickness but He won’t force His healing on us. His grace must be willingly received. Jeremiah was angered by the peoples’ sin, but he had compassion too. He was set apart by his mission for God, but he was also one of them. Jesus had similar feelings when he stood before Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37. We must pray to be more like Jesus.

There’s a song that perfectly fits Jeremiah’s message in today’s lesson. The song is called Give Me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath.

Looked down from a broken sky Traced out by the city lights My world from a mile high Best seat in the house tonight
Touched down on the cold black tar Hold on for the sudden stop Breathe in the familiar shock Of confusion And chaos All those people goin’ somewhere Why have I never cared?

Step out on a busy street See a girl and our eyes meet Does her best to smile at me To hide what’s underneath
There’s a man just to her right Black suit and a bright red tie Too ashamed to tell his wife He’s out of work, he’s buyin’ time All those people goin’ somewhere Why have I never cared?

I’ve been there a million times A couple of million eyes Just move and pass me by I never thought that I was wrong Well I want a second glance So give me a second chance To see the way You’ve (Jesus) seen the people all along

Give me Your eyes for just one second Give me Your eyes so I can see Everything that I keep missing Give me Your love for humanity Give me Your arms for the broken-hearted The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten Give me Your eyes so I can see

Filed under: Bible Studies, broken, jeremiah, reflect God's broken-heartedness, see the problem, superficial responses

5/13/12 A LEGACY OF HOPE – I SAMUEL 12:23-24

5/13/12 A LEGACY OF HOPE – I SAMUEL 12:23-24

Last week, we talked about how to how to build a lasting legacy; this week we’ll see it works even if we don’t have much time with those we are trying to influence. Unlike an earthly inheritance that is passed on at the end of one’s life, a spiritual one is imparted over the course of a lifetime through godly words and actions. From the moment a child is born, we have the opportunity to pour ourselves into that young life, but one can’t give what he doesn’t have. This is why we should develop our own spiritual lives first so we can invest in the lives of children. Women are the influencers of their homes and ultimately of society. Influence is greater than power of authority, for influence can change one in authority. A woman who is filled with the Holy Spirit can influence those around her to live for Jesus not only by what she says but how she lives.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY – I SAMUEL 12:23-24

The media would like us to think all is lost. It’d be easy to come to the point of despair and want to throw up our hands and give up thinking there is no hope. I Jn 4:4 Greater is Jesus who is within us than he that is the world. With Jesus, there’s always hope. Samuel found himself in a discouraging situation. The people of Israel were rejecting God saying they wanted to be like all the other nations. They wanted a king. Samuel had given his life in ministering to the Israelites living a godly life before them and training them in the Word of God, but the people were rebellious and determined to go their own way. What was Samuel to do? He did what we can do when we are in a discouraging situation. Pray. Continue to pray, and continue to do what is right. II Thess 3:13 Keep on doing what Jesus would do.

Prayer acknowledges that God’s Sovereign. He’s in control so it’s wise to turn our thoughts and concerns to Him. Jesus cares about our cares. So when our circumstances become overwhelming, tell Jesus. He’ll listen and more than just listening He has the answer. Once we have prayed then we need to take time for reflection on the Lord’s past faithfulness. When we focus on the Jesus’ goodness in the past, it makes it easier to believe and have faith for the future. Taking time for reflection allows us to have clear focus for the future and strengthens our faith. Sometimes we are so progress and future-oriented that we fail to take time to recall all that God has already done. Remember what God has done for us so that we may move ahead with gratitude. Gratitude is the key to sensing the Lord presence.

The key to a full and simple life with God is found right in the word PRAY.

P – PRAISE God! Take time to be thankful to God for all that we’ve been given in life. Often we’re so focused on our needs that we forget to count our many blessings. When we look at our gifts, we have many things to thank and praise God for. Praising God anchors us in the Divine. (Praise is focusing on what God has done).
R – REVEAL Reveal our real needs to God! Next, we share our needs.
A- ADORE Adore God and all His Works! Slow down and evaluate, taking time to be with the Lord. Allow the real presence of God to permeate our thoughts. The key is to be God conscious in our daily situations! (Adoring is focusing on who God is.)
Y – YES! Or yield to the Holy Spirit’s leading. After praising, requesting and adoring, we’re ready to completely give our lives to the Holy Spirit and experienced God in more fruitful ways.

READ FLASHBACK: A PRAYER OF DESPERATION I SAMUEL 1:10-20

How did Samuel develop a prayer-oriented attitude to get through the hard times? It started with his mother. Samuel’s mother’s was Hannah. Hannah only had a short time with her son, yet her faith and her prayers demonstrate we can have influence on others lives even if we aren’t with them.

A person’s reaction to trials reveal what that person is made of. Hannah was in a situation that she had no control over so she turned to the Lord in prayer. This situation was breaking Hannah’s heart. When something bothers us, God understands and wants to hear about it. God wants us to trust in Him and to look to Him in both the big and the small. True faith is revealed when things aren’t well. Anyone can follow God when things are easy. Jesus told a parable about planting seeds. The seeds represent the Word of God, and some of them fall among the thorns. Lk 8:14, “The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.” Where we turn in hard times demonstrate who we trust. If it isn’t God, then we need to pray like the disciples and ask God to increase our faith. Faith isn’t idle. When we have trust, we’ll be able to hand over our possessions to Him without worry.

Hannah went to God with a broken heart and we can too. Ps 51:17 says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” Hannah’s confidence in God let her worship even though He hadn’t done anything to answer Hannah’s prayer. Sometimes we only worship God when we see Him doing something, yet God’s worthy of worship even if He never does another thing, but God’s always actively working even when we don’t see it.

Hannah was able to leave her problem in God’s hands. Prayer had given her a rest in her spirit, the peace that passeth all understanding. Phil 4:6 Hannah’s confidence let her wait. The key words are “due time.” God doesn’t always act as fast as we want Him to. He’s not on our timetable. God knows when and what is best. He sees the entire picture of what needs to be done. Hannah glorified God before and after Samuel was born. The name Samuel means “God heard.”

READ A PROMISE FULFILLED I SAMUEL 1:27-2:1

Hannah had the foundation to pass on a legacy of hope to Samuel. She set her goal to have a heart like God’s and this was being passed on to Samuel. Samuel was probably three years old when Hannah left him at the tabernacle. By saying, “I give him to the Lord, Hannah meant she was dedicating Samuel to God for lifetime service. She didn’t forget her much wanted son. She visited him regularly. Jeremiah 10:23 Hannah had a fresh recognition of God’s authority, a deepened relationship with God through prayer and a ready response to authentic worship.

Praise requires focus. Ps 9:1. Praise isn’t confined. It’s spoken out and confessed. Praise is a choice. Ps 103:1-5. Praise is to become a habit, a lifestyle in order to pass it along as our legacy. Ps 34:1 Praise becomes essential as we experience true intimacy. Ps 63:1-4 Praise is contagious; those in our influence will catch our enthusiasm. Ps 52:9

We should never let our praise become stale. Our prayers and praise should be fresh. Praise the Lord with a new song. Psalm 40:1-4 and when we do we can rest assured that praise invites the audience of God. Psalm 22:3 God inhabits the praises

A lifestyle of praise and prayer are the key to leaving a legacy of hope. None of us can possibly know the extent to which our lives have been shaped by the prayers of others, and we won’t know till heaven the full affect of our prayers and praise will have on others.

Lord help us to be like Hannah living a lifestyle of prayer and praise so we can pass it on to others.

Filed under: Bible Studies, desperation, Hannah, hope, I Samuel 1, I Samuel 12, John 3:16, legacy, pray, prayer, rest, Samuel

5/6/12 BUILDING A LEGACY – DEUTERONOMY 6:1-15a

5/6/12 BUILDING A LEGACY – DEUTERONOMY 6:1-15a

Today, we begin a new theme: A Lasting Legacy. The dictionary defines legacy as a gift by will, especially money or personal property, something handed down or received from an ancestor or predecessor, an inheritance. Actually, a legacy can be something more lasting than money or property. We can pass down an eternal inheritance that can change character and give strength to live day by day.

We’ll see this develop as we view each day as important. Each day we can choose to live for Christ, to walk in His Spirit, and make right choices. We must start each day with God, in His Word, and in prayer. Act like a child of God in what we say and do. Doing all things to the glory of God. We can make the best choices each and every day. It’s how to live life God’s way, one choice at a time. Phil 3:13,14

READ BUILD ON THE RIGHT FOUNDATION – DEUTERONOMY 6:1-5

The commandment refers to the instruction to love the Lord in v. 5 The fear of the Lord includes awe for His greatness and holiness; love for Him, and submission to His will. Initially, the fear of the Lord may involve fright leading to a sense of wonder, a commitment to worship, and delight in knowing God. Since God promised to bless the generations, He expected His people to follow His ways from generation to generation as well. God instructed His people so that they might live good lives full of meaning and peace. They’d live in His Presence.

v. 4 is the basic confession of faith, called the Shema. The Hebrew word for Hear is Shema. The verse starts with a command for the people to respond properly to God. They must listen and obey. The Lord our God indicates our relationship with the living God. He comes into our lives and wants a personal relationship with us. The Lord is one means “the Lord alone”. There’s only one God.

We’re urged to respond to God’s love with devotion. The word translated love may mean “to make one’s choice in” God commands His people to choose Him with all their being, and in the process to deny the ways of the world. To build a lasting legacy, the Word of God is essential in our lives. It’s the Word of God that makes us “wise for salvation.” Romans 10:17 adds that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Only the Word of God can protect us from the influence of a worldly culture.

God’s Word active in our lives allows us to pass protection to our families. We’ve everything we need in the Word of God. Our task is to impart it to the next generation. We can do this through song, Scripture, and prayer. Eph 5:19 tells us to sing to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Are we known for having a song on our lips and a tune on our heart, for reading the Word and living the Word? We should share it in our every day living. Our goal should be to know the Word so well that it becomes a natural part of our conversation.

We need to pray with and for the next generation. Children will learn to pray primarily by listening to us as we speak with the Lord. They’ll gain a passion for prayer from us more than from any other source. Make sure the children hear us praying for them. This will give them confidence that they are loved and that they can bring their own needs before the Lord. Even if we aren’t around the children, we should be praying for them. Prayer makes a difference

READ SHARE YOUR LIFE MESSAGE – DEUTERONOMY 6:6-9

For the next generation to fall in love with the Word, the Word must be a living active part of our lives. We must live it out. S.T.O.P. – Savoring the Observable Presence of God should be such a part of us that every thing we do and every where we go we see God working in situations, and we’re able to share what and how we see Him with others. The Word must become life-oriented not just information oriented. We’re to use the context of daily life to teach about God. If we want to influence anyone to follow God, we must make God a part of our everyday experiences. He must make a difference in how we live…a difference in our words, actions, and attitudes. Then we’ll be teaching ourselves and others to see God in all aspects of life, not just those that are church related.

To build a lasting legacy, we must live a life of godly conviction, conversation, and consistency watching how we use our tongue. Do we use our tongues to gossip or discourage? Eph 4:29 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” We must use our words to encourage. To make sure that our conversation is godly, let the Word of God saturate our speech (7b). Joshua 1:8 “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

As we allow the Word of God to saturate our speech, we can avoid discouraging words; one shouldn’t simply live for God in public, but in private as well. If we’re going to make a godly impression upon others, our lives must be characterized by a godly consistency.

READ KEEP YOUR FOCUS DEUTERONOMY 6:10-15a

God’s the only true Source of good from whom all blessings flow, the Source of everything good that we experience and enjoy. The emphasis is upon the LORD God granting the land and all its blessings. We’re to watch ourselves in case we forget God. The danger in experiencing fullness is the temptation to forget the LORD who gives the riches or to love the gifts more than the Giver. Our health, wealth, safety, and security aren’t rights that God or the world owes us. All the good things we experience aren’t what we earned by birth or through time or even by hard work alone.

Viewing God as our only true Source helps recall that God gets the glory and thanks. We can rest in God as our perfect Source for the future. Since God is the ultimate Provider, we can leave our burdens in His hands and know that He’s fully able to handle them. If we meditate on God as our Provider, it’ll show in how we shape our priorities, plans and purchases. God is the only true Savior of people. The LORD is the only God to pursue. He is the Master who fulfills His promises & meets our needs. He is the Savior who gives true freedom & help for our souls.

Remember God as the only true Savior. Jesus lived on earth and proved that He was the Savior. He lived perfectly without sin and performed miracles to prove His deity. He died to pay sin’s penalty and He offers that payment for sin to all who entrust their lives to Him. Then He rose from the grave so there’s no doubt that He’s the only true Savior

To build a lasting legacy, we can’t just drift through the Christian life; people don’t drift towards holiness, people don’t gravitate towards godliness or towards prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, or delight in the Lord rather we always drift towards compromise and call it tolerance, we drift towards disobedience and call it freedom; we slide towards sin and we call it grace. It happens in our lives because we’re not seeking out the armor of God to deliver us from the battle that’s going on in our hearts where Satan’s trying to stop and destroy us.

To build a lasting legacy, we have to be deliberate, we have to be mindful that Satan’s out to destroy us. We have to make sure that we put on the armor of God to give us the victory. I John 2: but he does the will of God abides forever

The only way to build a lasting legacy isn’t in the world, culture, our abilities or our talents. The only way to find victory is to stand in the armor of God, following after the will and the desires of God.

Lord, give us strength to walk with You and build our legacy in You.

Filed under: Bible Studies, deut 6, deuteronomy 6, foundation, John 3:16, keep your focus, legacy, life message

JESUS IS COMING AGAIN – MATTHEW 24:9-14, 36-44; REVELATION 7:9-10; 22:6-21

JESUS IS COMING AGAIN – MATTHEW 24:9-14, 36-44; REVELATION 7:9-10; 22:6-21

There are “plan ahead” people and “spur of the moment” people. Both have their pros and cons of handling upcoming events. There are times in life when planning is important; and other times when doing something on the spur of the moment is fun. In today’s lesson, we’ll examine an event that absolutely requires our attention and planning. The Bible tells us to BE ready not GET ready for if we are in the process of getting ready we may miss the event of a lifetime. Jesus is coming again the question is, are we ready?

READ SEE THE END GAME REVELATION 22:12-14

Starting with the end in mind isn’t always a bad thing; these verses encourage us to take a peek ahead to the end of time as we know it.. Jesus proclaimed that He was “coming quickly” v12. The word quickly means suddenly, suddenness, unexpected—in mid sentence. I Cor 15:51-57 In the twinkling of an eye, when we least expect it. God isn’t on the same time schedule as we are. With the Lord a thousand years is only like a day 2 Pt 3:8. When He does return, it’ll be a sudden appearance unexpected by many.

Many doubt Jesus’ return so they’re unprepared for it. They’ve never trusted Christ to forgive and save them from their sin. However, Jesus brings His reward with Him. Jesus will give people what they’ve earned by the way they’ve lived their lives. Reward stands side by side with judgment. Jesus said He would “repay each person according to what he has done” which means God records everything, misses nothing, sees all, skips no one. Jesus judges all of our words, actions and deeds. (Mt 12:36) But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. Someday we have to give account for every word we speak. (1 Cor 4:5) Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. Jesus’ judgment includes our thoughts, words, and deeds! Not a single part of our lives can be kept secret from Jesus. He knows it all.

Romans 2:6 teaches God judges each man for his works. I Peter 1:17 emphasizes God judges impartially according to one’s works. This isn’t the same thing as being saved by works. Jesus said He would judge people by their works, not that they would be saved by them. Rev. 22:14 dispels the notion people are saved by works. They are saved because they “wash their robes” and obtain “the right to the tree of life” Washing robes describes the salvation as they washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. Our works don’t save us, but we are judged by them!

Jesus revealed that He is “the Alpha and the Omega”. These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, the Beginning and the End. They set Jesus apart from all human beings. He was before us and will be after us. He is greater than time and space.

Those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb have two privileges: the right to the tree of life and entering in the city by the gates. The tree first stood in the center of the Garden of Eden Gen 2:9; 3:22-24 Adam and Eve were allowed to eat from this tree and live forever. Immortality was within their grasp. However, when they ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they’re banned from the Garden and barred from eating from the tree of life. Because of their sin, Adam and Eve exchanged immortality for death which was their reward – “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). Now, in Revelation 22, the tree of life reappears. Again, it is a symbol of immortality, eternal life, life that never ends.

Those that have the right to the tree of life means they have authority over the tree of life or they have the right to eat from the tree. They have the right to live for ever. That is the positive side of Christ’s reward. Jesus is coming and those who have placed their faith in Him in this life will enjoy unhindered access to the city of God forever.

The reward of going through the gates into the city speaks of the right to eternal communion and fellowship with God and His people; the right to see God face-to-face and to fully enjoy Him forever. This is the positive side of the reward. John 10, says Jesus is the gate. He is the pathway to communion with God.

READ SEE THAT YOU ARE READY MATTHEW 24:39B-44
Some try to figure out the exact day and hour of Jesus return, but Scripture’s emphasis isn’t knowing the time but being ready for His return. Jesus declared nobody knew the day or hour of His return “except the Father” Not even Jesus while He was on earth knew the day of His return. Jesus knew the time preceding His return would be like the “days of Noah,” when people engaged in their daily pursuits unaware God would soon pour rain upon the earth to judge them. So any day could be the day and we should live in constant eager expectation of His coming.

Jesus divided the reactions at His coming into two categories: the prepared and the unprepared. Jesus gave examples of people pursuing ordinary activities when He returned. Two men were working in the field. As they worked, Jesus’ return caught one prepared and one unprepared. The prepared man went with Jesus; the other one was left. Jesus also described two women grinding at the mill. Christ’s return separated the saved from the lost.

The first step to being prepared for Jesus’ return is to be alert. Since we don’t know what day Jesus is coming, we must remain alert doing those things we need to do to be ready for His return. We must prepare our own hearts by receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior and work so others will be prepared in that day.

Jesus concludes with a story of a homeowner. Homeowners protect themselves against thieves by installing locks; alarms; locking doors and windows; having a watchdog; leave a light on when away; etc. We can apply this to our relationship with Jesus by being alert, prepared, ready, and watchful for His coming.

Jesus is coming at an hour we don’t expect. The Bible describes the time of His return 2Tim. 3:1-7 It states no definite time for His return. Instead, we need to be ready at all times knowing that we’re at peace with God and that we’ve shared the gospel with those who need Jesus.

SEE THAT YOU ARE FAITHFUL – MATTHEW 24:9-14; REVELATION 7:9

Jesus didn’t promise easy times as His return approached. Rather, they’d become more underhanded for those who claim Jesus’ name. However, Jesus emphasized faithfulness as we await His return at an unexpected hour.

Many signs of the end times began in Jesus’ day and have continued to our day. He mentioned persecution. Jesus’ followers must be prepared for others to hate them and to actively work against their faith. Persecution will arise as the Gospel opposed.

Persecution will come from those outside the church but also from those who turned away from the faith. Not every church member is a child of God 1 John 2:19. Christians will be tested by those who don’t remain true to their confessions. Believers must remain faithful. We must watch out for “false prophets” who would “rise up and deceive many”; Those who desire to remain faithful to the Lord must distinguish between those who are speaking the truth and those who are self-motivated to deliver their own messages.

“Lawlessness” is growing in the world. However, we can’t give up even though the world tries to write its own standards of what is right and what is wrong. We’re called to share the gospel as a testimony of Jesus’ power to save. The “good news” that Jesus came to die for the sins of the world, needs to be “proclaimed. God left us here to proclaim His message so everyone has the opportunity to hear of Jesus’ love and forgiveness. Reaching people is more important than determining dates for the return of Christ!

Revelation 7:9 give us hope that Jesus will come. In heaven “a vast multitude,” (too many to count) stands “before the throne and before the Lamb worshipping the One who have saved them. People were there from “every nation, tribe, people, and language” All are welcome at the throne if they’ve received Jesus. Whosoever will may come.

Prayer:
Lord, prepare our hearts and our lives as we wait with expectancy for Your return!

Filed under: Bible Studies, end times, expectancy, faithful, Jesus, John 3:16, judgment, matthew 24, rapture, return, revelation 22, revelation 7, second coming

4/22/12 JESUS WORKS THROUGH HIS CHURCH – MATTHEW 16:13-19; 28:16-20

4/22/12 JESUS WORKS THROUGH HIS CHURCH – MATTHEW 16:13-19; 28:16-20
The word used to describe Christians often bears no resemblance to the word Jesus wants His followers to be known for. John 13:35 Jesus said they’ll know we’re His disciples by our love. Christianity was first a derogatory term but now the followers of Jesus embrace it and wear it as a banner. Problem is the word Christian can mean anything we want it to mean. This is why Christians are on both sides of every issues. Jesus referred to His followers as disciples which is an active term with backbone. To be a disciple means to do as Jesus would does. John 13:35 By THIS everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. Yes, we’re to believe some things but people can’t see what we believe. They will know not by what we believe but by how we love one another.

Fifty-five (55) years later, John who had seen all the apostles martyred and lived through persecution, seen the temple destroyed, sat down to write a letter. He choose to write I John 4:7-11. Dear friends let us love one another for love comes from God. Even with all John had seen and heard, he still believes God is love. The key to knowing whether or not a person is godly is how well they love. John saw Jesus’ crucifixion so he would never doubt the love of God. V. 9 says us/our – every person we come in contact with is someone God loves! Everyone is an us or an our. V. 11 Ought indicates a debt/debtor relationship between us and God. Since God so loved us we owe it to others to love them. Since God loved others we owe it to God to love them. We ought to live in such a way that we say “we owe it to God to love you.” God never wanted His church to be known as quarrelsome and hostile. Only way this will happen is if we take Jesus’ new command seriously.

READ JESUS’ WORK MISUNDERSTOOD MATTHEW 16:13-14
Not everyone understands the church’s work. Jesus’ own disciples misunderstood His work even as He approached the end of His ministry. Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Jesus questioned to teach them by correcting errors that had arisen among them.

The disciples answered that some believed Jesus was John the Baptist. “Herod believed this about Jesus” (Mt 14:1-2). As he heard reports of the amazing things Jesus did, Herod believed John the Baptist had risen from the dead. Other people identified Jesus with Elijah who was the most recognizable miracle-working prophets of the OT. Plus Elijah’s rapture-like death always allowed for speculation that He had returned. People looked for the return of Elijah in association with the coming of Messiah. Jesus’ miracles resembled Elijah’s. Elijah fed the widow and her son from one flour jar and an oil jug (1Kings 17: 9-16). Elijah raised the widow’s child from the dead (1Kings 17: 17-24).

Others thought Jesus was Jeremiah. The similarities between Jesus and Jeremiah were striking. Jeremiah prophesied the nation of Judah’s destruction during its final decades as a nation. Jeremiah was known for his compassion; he was called “the weeping prophet” Like Jeremiah, Jesus proclaimed a message of repentance and experienced rejection among the religious leaders.

People had misunderstood Jesus’ work. He was the One of whom the prophets spoke, not one of the prophets themselves. Today, many think Jesus was just a good man. Jesus was a good man. Acts 10:38 says, “He went around doing good,” referring to his miracles. But to stop there is to miss the truth of His divine personality. He was a good man because He was the Son of God from heaven who came to be the Savior of the world.

READ JESUS’ WORK MANIFESTED MATTHEW 16:15-19
Jesus questioned more specifically “Who do you said that I am?” The time comes when we must answer for ourselves who Jesus is and what He came to do and see if our actions line up with our beliefs. Simon Peter answered the question. Jesus didn’t ask “who” the disciples thought or believed He was. Rather, He asked whom they were prepared to say or to confess Him publicly to be. Private belief is expressed through public confession.

Peter announced that Jesus is the Messiah declaring publicly that Jesus was the promised One who fulfilled all the prophecies of God. The only way to get an accurate picture of Jesus is to study the record of His life found in the Gospels. When we do, the facts emerge that form the answer to whom Jesus is. Gal 4:4 describes the moment of Jesus’ birth as “the fullness of time” (KJV) or “the right time” (NLT). This one chosen moment in history when God arranged all the circumstances perfectly so that His Son would be born in the right way at the right moment at the precisely-chosen location. That phrase also refers to all the circumstances of His life, including His death and resurrection. All of it was perfectly planned by God before it happened.

The Bible predicted the following about Jesus before He was born: born of a virgin (Is 7:14); born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2); born in Judah’s tribe (Gen 49:10); ministry would begin in Galilee (Is 9:1); working miracles (Is 35:5,6); teaching parables (Ps 78:2); entering Jerusalem on a donkey (Zech 9:9); He’d be betrayed by a friend (Ps 41:9); He’d be sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zech 11:12); He’d be accused by false witnesses (Ps 35:11); He’d be wounded and bruised (Is 53:5); His hands and feet would be pierced (Ps 22:16); He’d be crucified with thieves (Is 53:12). His garments would be torn apart and lots cast for them (Ps 22:18); His bones would not be broken (Ps 34:20). 16. His side would be pierced (Zech 12:10); He’d be buried in a rich man’s tomb (Is 53:9). He’d rise from the dead (Ps 16:10).

When John the Baptist was in prison, he sent his disciples to Jesus with a question, “Are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else?” (Mt 11:3). Jesus answered by listing the miracles he had performed: the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the lepers are cleansed, and the dead are raised. No one could fake miracles as that. Only the Son of God could work such miracles like: Turning water into wine (Jn 2:1-11) Multiplying the loaves and fishes (Jn 6:1-13). Walking on water (Mt 14:22-32). Casting out demons (Mk 5:1-20). Stilling a raging storm (Mk 4:35-41). Cleansing 10 lepers (Lk 17:11-19). Jesus’ life was marked by miraculous power, which is what we’d expect from the Son of God. The empty tomb is the ultimate proof of Jesus being God.

Jesus peered into Simon Peter’s soul and validated and appreciated something true about Simon. Yes, Jesus saw the failure and impetuous nature that could get him into trouble. Jesus also saw Simon’s potential to become a leader. Jesus renamed him, Peter – a rock. So it is with us. God sees our pride, anger, and lack of love but He also knows who we are in Christ. He calls us justified and reconciled, forgiven, holy and beloved, chosen and faithful. We should remember how God sees us and seek to let that define who we are.

I’m so glad for the day I came
Seeking relief for my soul
Jesus the Savior gave me my new name
Now by His grace I’m made whole.

Addressing Peter, Jesus said He would build His church on this rock v18; This marks the first time in the Gospels the word “church” occurs. The church Jesus built would be a new community of people who followed the rule and reign of Christ. Jesus declared that Satan’s forces won’t overpower the church v18; The church is unstoppable because it is Jesus’ church and because He is its builder. Since the time of Jesus, many things have threatened to destroy the church, from both within and without, but the church still exists. The church will continue.

Peter received the keys of the kingdom v19. Keys denote access to open or close. The responsibility of holding the keys of the kingdom rested with the disciples. As the church confesses Christ, we give people access to the kingdom. Through our public witness, we offer others the opportunity to turn to Christ and believe in Him. Likewise, when we don’t confess and demonstrate Jesus through our love for one another, we limit others’ opportunities to hear the gospel and believe.

READ JESUS’ WORK MANDATED MATTHEW 28:18-20
Before Jesus’ ascension, He left instructions known as the Great Commission; This verse contains two commands: “go” and “make disciples” by going, baptizing, and teaching. To make disciples means to cause someone to become a follower, pupil, and learner. Paul took this task to heart. 1 Cor 9:19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, TO WIN as many as possible. The Great Commission isn’t done by powering up and becoming judgmental. The only way to fulfill the Great Commission is to win them. How do we win someone? By acting in a way that we make our “product” (Jesus/ the Gospel / salvation) so attractive that they’re convinced that it’s best and it’s something they need, want, and desire. We can’t win them by imposing our will but by convincing and drawing them. The world should be able to peer over the edge of our lives and long to become a part of it. It’s our job to follow Jesus to the best of our ability and allow other disciples to be a part of our lives so we can demonstrate the love of Jesus that the world will take notice. When we get it right people will feel drawn. They may feel guilty but they won’t feel condemned instead they’ll be challenged to rethink the way they are managing their lives.

Believers remain on earth to make disciples v19; Jesus challenged His disciples to take the gospel to others, challenging them to follow Jesus. The most important calling we can embrace in life is to make disciples of others around us. Jesus’ challenge wasn’t limited in geography; He said to make disciples of all nations. The word “nations” is referring to all. God desires to reach all people.
Prayer: Lord, help us do our part to enable You to fulfill Your purpose for Your church.

Filed under: Bible Studies, church, good works, Jesus, John 3:16, love, mandated, manifest, Matthew 16:13-19, matthew 28:18-28, misunderstood

4/15/12 JESUS LIVES IN BELIEVERS – JOHN 15, ROMANS 6, GALATIANS 2

4/15/12 JESUS LIVES IN BELIEVERS – JOHN 15, ROMANS 6, GALATIANS 2
How seriously do we take our Christian life? Most who claim to be Christians aren’t concerned about what it means to live like a Christian. Few put a relationship with God as the top priority. Some aren’t interested in growing in a relationship with God for two reasons: first, many don’t really know Jesus and second, many don’t understand what the Christian life is about. We must understand what it means to live the Christian life as the Lord intended. Christian has become a brand that can be good, bad, attractive or repelling. But where did the term come from? Acts 11:25-26 The term Christian was used a derogatory term from the world used to describe those associated with Jesus, but the Jesus community never used the term Christian to describe themselves. Followers of Christ called themselves disciples. A disciple is one who looks to a person to give direction to show how to live life and will answer yes to whatever answer is given. Are we followers of Christ? If we are followers of Christ, our answer will be yes to Jesus. John 13:33-35 Here are the disciples marching orders. Love one another as Jesus loved. By this one thing, Jesus said we’ll be His disciples. Jesus was telling Peter, He didn’t want Peter to die for Him. Jesus wanted Peter to love these followers for the rest of Peter’s life. Think of all that Jesus had to put up with the disciples, yet He loved them.

• Peter – rough around the edges, constantly sticking his foot in his mouth
• Andrew – Peter’s brother, people pleaser, behind the scenes kind of guy.
• James – son of Zebedee – battled with pride, demanded to sit beside Christ on right hand when kingdom established.
• John – brother of James – youthful immaturity – insecure about himself always had to emphasize that he was the one whom Jesus loved.
• Philip – lived by the book
• Bartholomew – brilliant, intellectual thinker
• Thomas – one of the better know disciples – known for doubting, battled with trust issued even trusting Jesus.
• Matthew – tax collector – financial genius – probably ready to sell his soul to cheat his country men when he met Jesus. Think about the opposites Matthew and Peter were. Matthew – Wall Street Guru – Peter – Blue Collar hunter, country boy.
• James – son of Alphaeus – no desire for fame or fortune.
• Thaddeus – unimpressive, youthful.
• Simon the Zealot – scary, extremely passionate, unbridled.
• Judas Iscariot – best known for all the wrong reasons, love of money betrayer.

Jesus wants us to love people in such a way that people on the outside will look at the way that we love each other and they’ll be drawn to the edge and peer in and say look how they love. We’re to create a community of people who are defined by unconditional, generous love. What a difference it would make if we loved those who name the name of Jesus the way Jesus did!

READ WE ARE CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST GALATIANS 2:19B-21

How have we been crucified with Christ? God looks at us as if we had died with Christ. Because our sins died with Him, we’re no longer condemned. Ro 8:1 Our Christian life began when, in unity with Him, we died to our old life.

Christianity’s focus isn’t dying, but living. We’re to die to the law in order to live to God. The law points out how we must live for God. The question is who are we allowing to live in us? Self or Christ – We’re to allow Christ to live in and through our bodies by faith. We’ve been crucified with Christ – this is in the past so that we may allow Christ to live through us now. This is done by living in faith in Jesus knowing He loves us and gave Himself for us. This is a done deal; the flesh is dead and Christ lives His life through us. The way to active life is through faith. The crucified part is done, but the Christ living in us is a continuous on going process. By faith, we allow Christ to live out His life through us. Can others see Jesus living in us? Are we allowing Him to shine? The God’s grace enables us to have the righteousness of Jesus. We all need God’s grace for without it we’re lost.

READ WE ARE RAISED WITH CHRIST ROMANS 6:1-7

In our daily life, we must put aside sinful desires that keep us from following Christ. This is a kind of dying with Him. Lk 9:23-25. Because we’ve been crucified with Christ, we’ve been reconciled with God. 2 Cor 5:19 We’re free to grow into Christ’s likeness. Ro 8:29 We have Christ’s resurrection power as we continue to fight sin Eph 1:19,20 We’re are no longer alone, for Christ lives in us—He is our power for living and our hope for the future. Col 1:27

Romans 6 explains how God makes people righteous. Justification is God declaring us righteous in His eyes. Sanctification is God making us righteous. Justification happens the moment we trust Christ and is never repeated. Sanctification happens moment-by-moment as we surrender our lives to the Lord. Justification delivers from the penalty of sin. Sanctification delivers from the power of sin. Justification is an event. Sanctification is a process. Justification leads to sanctification. Those who are truly born again are led by the Spirit into holiness.

Some were teaching that once we’re justified, we’re free to live as we please. This distorted view of freedom claims that by sinning they were increasing the grace of God. This is justifying wrong-doing. It’s abusing the grace of God. The truth is that if we’re disciples, we’ve already died to sin. It’s a past event; a done deal. Dieing to sin means that we’ve been set free from sin’s ruling power in our lives. Sin is a slave-master. Before we came to Christ, we’re a slave to sin. V 2 When we came to Christ, we’re set free from sin’s power and placed under Jesus’ rule. Can we still obey the old master? Yes, but we don’t have to because he has no power unless we choose to give it. It doesn’t make sense to obey our old master when we have a new master. God doesn’t save us by grace so we can live in disgrace.

We try to live in two worlds at once. We straddle the fence between the old life and the new life. We put one foot in the kingdom of sin and one in the kingdom of God. We’d like to have Christ and our old way of life. It won’t work. A disciple grows sensitive to personal sin and desires to please God. Identifying with Christ’s death and burial enables and empowers us to live a resurrected life. A change in behavior begins with a change in heart.

The true disciple can’t sin and stay happy! What once satisfied us no longer satisfies. Sin no longer “fits” our lives. We can “wear” sin for a while, but it’s like wearing old clothes that are two sizes too small. It won’t be comfortable, look natural, feel or look right. Coming to Christ is like getting a new wardrobe. What fits now? Love, joy, peace, holiness, righteousness, compassion, zeal, concern for others. Those spiritual clothes fit just right. They were tailor-made for us.

The word “baptism” means to immerse or to dip. To totally immerse in water was a symbol of identification with Jesus. Baptism doesn’t save but it pictures what happens once we are saved. Baptism symbolizes our complete union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. The moment we come to Christ, the Holy Spirit unites us with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. Water baptism is a object lesson that pictures that truth.

Because Jesus was raised to new life, we’re raised to new life. Vs 4 means a “brand-new” life, not just a better life. God’s purpose is clear: He wants to free us from slavery to sin. In order to do that, He put to death our old self. That happened the moment we believed. Our old lives died even though we may not have felt it or been aware of it. Sin’s power has been broken. The phrase “sin’s dominion over the body may be abolished” means “rendered powerless.” Like an engine with no spark plugs or an appliance with no plug, our bodies can no longer be a tool of sin unless we choose to let it happen. Can we still sin? Yes. Is sin necessary? No. We are “able not to sin.” The choice is ours. Sin was defeated by Christ on the cross. Sin indwells our bodies and tries to control us, but we no longer need to yield to it. We can’t be defeated unless we choose to be defeated. Victory is now possible. We have responsible choices we must make, but before we came to Christ, we had no choice at all. Through Jesus change is possible. We’ve been set free.

READ WE ARE PRODUCTIVE WITH CHRIST JOHN 15:1-5
Jesus painted word pictures. He would tell a story and let people draw their own conclusion. Jesus said: I am the true vine. When Jesus spoke about vineyards, the people knew what He was talking about. It was an industry that had been cultivated for centuries. The vines are a rugged crop in a way yet a delicate fruit requiring to be treated with kid gloves. A young vine isn’t permitted to bear fruit for the first three years. It is pruned to preserve its energy. If this cutting back wasn’t done, the result would be a crop that wasn’t up to its full potential.

In Jesus’ analogy, He likened Himself to a vine. The fruit bearing branches are the disciples. God the farmer is the One who cultivates the vineyard. He waters and tends the soil, so that the vine is nourished. He takes pride in His crop. He also prunes the vines and removes the dead wood. Jesus is saying disciples should receive their strength from Jesus. He is the true vine. If they break away from Him, they’ll be unproductive branches, fruitless.

People talk about how they’re dissatisfied with their lives, always searching for a greater sense of meaning. We must take an honest look at our lives. Are we yearning for a greater sense of inner peace or have we plugged into the Vine. Jesus is the true vine. Attaching ourselves to anyone/thing else thinking they will provide life will prove to be false. There is Only One true Vine. God the Father prunes those who attach themselves to Jesus making sure they are a true representation of the healthy Vine. This pruning is done through His Word. The Word makes us clean. We must apply it. Live actively with Jesus and allow Him to live through us.

To remain, abide, dwell means to rest fully on Jesus. Restfully rely on Jesus. We can’t produce the fruit. He does it. Restlessness shows up in various ways in our lives: in relationships, emotions, and even our eating patterns. Whenever we restlessly jump from one thing or person to another looking for something to satisfy, it shows we aren’t connected to the vine.

Rest means purpose, significance, peace, satisfaction, and an understanding of what is truly important in life. How can our restless hearts be satisfied? The solution originates with Jesus. Jesus came to invite us to become like Him – to do similar things, to think similar thoughts, values, and to live lives filled with compassion and justice and strength of character. When we become like Jesus, we can have an incredible impact for what matters. We can also answer the restlessness of in our hearts. We glorify God and fulfill our ultimate reason for living. We can have true rest. Faith must saturate all we do. It’s not a list of dos and don’t, but rather a relationship with Jesus who cares. The answer to life’s longings is found in the true person and work of Jesus. Without Jesus, our hearts always will be restless. But with Him in our lives, our lives make sense. He is the answer to all our wishes for something more.

Prayer: Give us wisdom to know what to do with Your teaching and courage to follow through. This week help us to love like Jesus loves..

Filed under: Bible Studies, baptism, believers, branches, Christ, crucified, Galatians 2:20, Jesus lives, John 15, John 3:16, productive, raised with Christ, Romans 6, vine

4/1/12 JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS MATTHEW 26, 27

4/1/12 JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS MATTHEW 26, 27

Today we begin celebration of the Passion Week. Let’s not allow the familiarity of this time to rob of us the excitement and freshness of the Word. As we go through this week, let’s take the time to picture ourselves sitting in the Upper Room, kneeling outside the Garden of Gethsemane, and standing at the foot of Calvary.

The verses in our lesson are the valley experience of Jesus’ life. It’s the end of the most significant week in history: a week of final moments; a last meal together; the last time Jesus prays in the Garden; and the last event which is a display of divine power. The entombed Savior released. What was a tomb is now a symbol marking the greatest victory in the most crucial battle. A week of final moments. A week of endings. Or is it the beginning?

READ JESUS’ DEATH BROUGHT FORGIVENESS OF SINS MATTHEW 26:26-29

Matthew’s description of the Last Supper shares Jesus selected the place, designated the time, and set the meal in order. Jesus is not the guest, but the host. “And Jesus gave to the disciples.” The verbs are the message of the event: “He took…He blessed…He broke…He gave” When we give thanks and then give to others, it shows a true heart of gratitude. Jesus was demonstrating and teaching us to be grateful. Gratitude is the key to enjoying His presence.

Jesus is active at the table. He isn’t the one who reclines and receives, but as the One who stands and gives. He still does. The Lord’s Supper is a gift to us. Jesus fulfilled His role as a rabbi by guiding His disciples through the Passover. He fulfilled His role as a servant by washing their feet, and He fulfilled His role as a Savior by granting them forgiveness of sins. He was in charge and on center stage, and He still is. It’s all about Jesus not about us. It’s the Lord’s Table we sit at. It’s the Lord’s Supper we eat. It’s a Holy invitation.

Each name used for this sacrament shares something different; as the Lord’s Supper it remembers the Passover meal Jesus ate with His disciples; it’s calling the Eucharist (thanksgiving) referring to giving thanks to God for Christ’s work, and it’s called Communion referring to communing with God and fellow Christians. As we participate, think on Jesus’ death, and His promise to come again, grateful for God’s wonderful gift us, and joyful as we meet with Christ and the body of believers. Jesus’ message to take and eat; this is My body refers to His invitation to be consumed with Him and for all of Jesus to become a total part of us. He’s to be our all in all, our life and our Source of Strength. What happens on earth is a warm-up for what will happen in heaven. So when we participate in Communion be blessed and fed, but, most importantly, we must be sure we’ll eat at His table when He calls us home and we’ll sit at the banquet He is preparing for His bride.

READ JESUS’ DEATH FULFILLED GOD’S PLAN MATTHEW 26:36-39

Jesus and His disciples leave the Upper Room and descend through the streets. Within the city, Judas darts down a street having his heart claimed by the Evil One. Judas runs to find the high priest. The final battle has begun. History records it as the battle of the Jews against Jesus. It wasn’t. It was a battle of God against Satan. Jesus knew it and knew that before the war was over, He would be taken captive; before victory would come defeat. Jesus begins the final ascent into the garden. Jesus knows what His friends will do; their betrayal is only minutes away. But He doesn’t accuse or lecture. Instead, He prays. His last moments with His disciples are in prayer. John 17 records His entire prayer. He chose to pray for us. “I pray for these men. But I am also praying for all people who will believe in me because of the teaching of these men. Father, I pray that all people who believe in me can be one . . . I pray that these people can also be one in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me.” “I am also praying for all people who believe in me because of the teaching.” That is us. As Jesus stepped into the garden, we were on His thoughts.

As Jesus looked into heaven, we were in His vision. His pain was for us. His passion was us. He invites Peter, James, and John to join Him. He tells them His soul is “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” and begins to pray, but His best friends fall asleep. Never has He felt so alone. The task Jesus was called to do a man can’t do what must be done. No man has the purity to destroy sin’s claim. No one can face the force of evil and win—except God. “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,” Thankfully Jesus is God. Jesus asks the Father, “Can’t there be another way?” He surrendered His will to the Father’s because of us. Jesus knows what it’s like to beg the Father to change His mind and to hear the Father say gently, but firmly, “No.” Jesus accepted the Father’s answer because He knew that the Father knows best and has His best for us in mind, and we must keep that in mind as we pray also. The battle’s won. We may have thought it was won on Golgotha. The battle was won in Gethsemane. The victory is demonstrated by Jesus’ peace when the soldiers come for it was in the Garden that Jesus made His decision that He would rather go to cross for us than go to heaven without us.

READ JESUS’ DEATH REVEALED HE WAS GOD’S SON – MATTHEW 27:45 -46, 50-54

We don’t know how the darkness occurred, but it’s clear that God caused it. Nature testified to the gravity of Jesus’ death while Jesus’ closest companions fell silent. The darkness was both physical and spiritual.

Jesus wasn’t questioning God. He was quoting a line of Psalm 22 – a deep expression of the anguish He felt when He took on the sin of the world, which caused Him to be separated from the Father. This was what Jesus dreaded as He prayed to God in the Garden to take the cup from Him. The physical agony was horrible, but even worse was the period of spiritual separation from God. Jesus suffered the double death (both physical and spiritual) so that we’d never have to experience eternal separation from God.

This is hard to understand, we want to say, Jesus, You are God, so You couldn’t be abandoned. Abandonment is punishment for a criminal, suffering for the vile—not for the King of Kings. Jesus is the Lamb of God! What a name! Jesus is the spotless, unblemished Lamb of God. “Behold the Lamb of God who has come to take away the sins of the world.” The key to understanding this abandonment is found in this name, the Lamb of God.

“Who has come to take away the sins of the world.” “To take away the sins.” Jesus actually touched sin—worse still that sin touched Jesus. That must have been a terrible moment so desolate. Sin will do that to us. Sin leaves us shipwrecked, orphaned, and, abandoned. Sin did the same to Jesus what it does to us. Jesus really took our place. We just have to receive His gift so that we won’t ever be abandoned. Hebrews 13:5

The temple had 3 parts – the courts, the Holy Place (where only the priest could enter), and the Most Holy Place (where only the High Priest could enter once a year to atone for the sins of the nation). The curtain separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was torn in two at Christ’s death, symbolizing that the barrier between God and humanity was removed. (We now have atonement with God. (at-one-ment) Now all people are free to approach God because of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. Hebrews 10:19-22

Christ’s death was accompanied by several miracles: darkness, the tearing of the curtain in the temple, an earthquake, and dead believers rising from their tombs. Jesus’ death couldn’t have gone unnoticed. Everyone knew something significant had happened.

Thankfully though the story didn’t end there. Sunday’s came! Jesus arose! The resurrection is proof of Christ’s victory over sin and our hope of salvation. I Corinthians 15:3,4, 12-14 The resurrection is an invitation to experience the living Christ in our lives for the resurrection impacts our lives to this day. Not only was Christ resurrected, we’re also raised to new life when we’re in Him. This is the gift of God to all who put their faith in His Son.

The battle is won! Satan’s already been defeated! The same power that defeated Satan is the same power that now resides in our lives. Just follow Christ and put on His armor. The war’s has been won! This is the practical expression of the resurrection, and it’s available to us. I Corinthians 15:58 Because of the resurrection, nothing we do is in vain. Sometimes we hesitate to do good because we don’t see any results. If we truly believe that Christ has won the ultimate victory that fact must affect the way we live right now. We must do the good that we have opportunity to do, knowing that the our work will have eternal results.

Filed under: Bible Studies, death, Easter, forgiveness, God's plan, Jesus, John 3:16, Matthew 26, Matthew 27, resurrection

3/25/12 I THANK YOU – PSALM 107

Ever been at your wits’ end? When you don’t know what to do, when you’ve hit bottom, and feel as if there is no way to get out of a mess? In God’s Word are found the answers to the problems we face when we are at our wits’ end. Psalm 107 is written for such a time as this. It’s a Psalm of restoration, hope, and testimony. II Peter 1:12 “I shall always be ready to remind you of these things even though you already know them.” We’ve heard about the faithfulness of God, His lovingkindness and mercy, but we need to be reminded because Satan tell us that it isn’t true, but they are true so we’ll proclaim God’s faithfulness and goodness again.

READ INVITATION TO GIVE THANKS PSALM 107:1-3

Ps 145:9 “The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.” Ps 34:8 “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.” God’s goodness is a huge portion of the Bible. Mankind is divided into two groups: lost and saved. The lost are separated from God because of sin, but those who saved have their sins forgiven through Jesus’ blood. Ro 2:4, “God’s kindness leads you toward repentance.” God always punishes sin but sometimes His judgment is delayed so that men will have time to repent. Every breath taken by the unsaved is a sign of God’s goodness, meant to lead him to repentance and faith. God knew man would rebel and turn away from Him, yet He created man anyway. God shows kindness to those who hate Him by pouring out blessings Mt 5:45 says He causes the sun to rise and the rain to fall on the just and the unjust. The seasons change, the rivers flow, the fields give forth their produce-all for the benefit of the human race. Although the unsaved doesn’t know or appreciate it, he’s a recipient of grace. God’s good because He’s placed a desire for God inside every human heart. Eccl 3:11 tells us that God has put eternity in every human heart. Ro 1:18-20 God’s knowledge is seen in creation and found in the heart of every person. God’s goodness provides for man to be reconciled to Him by inviting man to salvation through Jesus’ death.
1 Tim 2:5 God desires all to be saved so Jesus is the mediator between God and man. II Peter 3:9 God isn’t willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Rev 22:17 invites whosoever will to come and be saved.

God not only makes provision for our salvation inviting us to be saved so when we cry out in Jesus’ name for mercy, He hears and saves us. Once we receive Jesus, God’s goodness continues by giving eternal life. Eternal life begins the moment we believe in Jesus. Jn 6:47 tells us that we have (right now) everlasting life. Eternal life isn’t just heaven; it’s the experience of God’s life while we’re still on the earth. God’s good by giving us access through prayer. Heb 4:16 speaks of coming boldly to the throne of grace where we can find grace to help. God’s good because He answers our prayers, not always in the way we would think, but in the best way. 2 Cor 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” Paul boasts in weakness so God’s strength may be seen concluding that it was better because he experienced God’s power in a deeper way. God shows His goodness by giving purpose to our hard times. Rom 8:28 says “all things work together for good.” God’s also good when He disciplines us for straying because we are His children. Heb 12:5-6

God’s goodness allows us to unite with Christ in His resurrection. In John 15:5, Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” Through Jesus our victory is assured so we’d have everything we need to live righteously and be content whatever our circumstances. Everything God does is good. He always has our best interests at heart and nothing happens to us that isn’t for our ultimate good. Job 23:10 “He knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” God knows! He knows where we are. He sees the path in the darkness clearly. This should comfort our hearts. “When he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” Gold is put into the smelter and heated until the impurities rise to the top to be skimmed away then nothing is left but pure gold. When we feel as if God has put us in the furnace of affliction, He knows what He’s doing. In the end, we’ll come forth as pure gold.

READ REASONS TO GIVE THANKS – PSALMS 107:4-9
Psalm 107 tells of hurting people. People are frantic and restless because they’re wandering in a wilderness, in a desert region. They’re looking for a “a place to sit.” They are looking for a guarded place. “Thirsty” could also be translated “frantic.” These are frantic people, searching to put their trust in something, to hold on to something. Today people are wandering from one thing to another. It doesn’t have to be sinful could be looking for fulfillment in other things like careers, relationships, money, or even busyness. We must abandon self-reliance and cry out to God when we’re in situations of need and distress. When wandering without Jesus, life ebbs away. Cry out to the Lord when feel life ebbing away. Jesus will lead us if we’ll follow. God’s love is unfailing. Give thanks. Thank the Lord for His good deeds and for satisfying and filling us. Jesus is the only One who truly can satisfy. When we think about the future what do we feel? Fear? It’s common to fear the future. We’re either coming out of the storm, in a storm, or headed into a storm. That’s life in the fallen world. Proverbs 31:21,25 The example of the Proverbs 31 woman: She’s taken measures to prepare for the unexpected. She knows the storms are coming and yet she’s not afraid. Problems will come. She is proactive not just reactive. She makes choices that’ll enable her to face the future without fear. She’s preparing for “snow” – physical storms, storms of life, economical pressures, physical pressures, relational issues, health issues, things catching us off guard. How did she prepare? By taking time to train and fill minds with the Word of God to teach how to think Biblically about circumstances of life. Scarlet – dye comes from an insect called Tola worm – worm is crushed to death; it releases a red fluid to make the dye. Jesus became a “worm” on our behalf. Isaiah 53 It pleased God to crush Him; to put Him to death, He shed His blood for our sins. Scarlet – symbol of the blood of Christ which we’re justified and clothed in His righteousness. We’re called to be clothed in righteousness of Christ. Are we caught up in the demands and responsibilities of every day life? We’ll not be afraid of future when we’re spiritually prepared. Righteous won’t be exempt from “bad weather”, but we can face future in a way that is different than rest of world. People should be able to look at us and see a response to troubling times that is different. The world isn’t impressed when happy, joyful and peaceful in the good times, but when go through tough times with joy and peace they’ll take notice. The Gospel we preach becomes believable. Psalm 112

Isaiah 26:3 When we focus on circumstances, Satan can tempt us to fear. When we focus on the Lord, we have all we need to face those circumstances: courage, and joy. As we get clothed with Jesus’ strength and dignity, we’ll have constant tranquility of heart and mind. To have this strength and honor is not natural. It comes from living in God’s presence. If spend time focusing on circumstances, we won’t have strength and dignity, but if we spend our time living in the Word of God, seeking His face, meditating on His Word, we’ll be clothed with His strength and dignity. These qualities come from Him. They aren’t something we can manufacture on our own. That’s why we have to cry out saying, “Lord, I’m weak but You are strong, clothe me in Your strength.”

Anything that makes us need God is a blessing! It’s a good thing to need God and recognize need for Him. Crisis provides opportunities to flourish spiritually and point people to Christ who is our only rock and hope.

READ RESPONSE OF THE THANKFUL PSALM 107:33-38, 43
Psalm 37:4 Nothing is passive about patiently waiting for desire to turn into delight. God is at work. We never make a petition He does not hear. He isn’t inactive. He’s constantly at work doing things we can’t see. We’ve got to let Him bring some earthquakes to cause some chains to break loose. Be still; wait patiently for Him. Ps 37:7 Wait – anxious expectation – up on tip toes looking into the distance to see the first glimpse of God. It’s always upon our feet. God will reward our perseverance of faith.

Trust Him and do good. Psalm 37:3. It doesn’t say do right. It says do good. We know to trust Him and do right, but while evil is heaped around us somehow what’s right has become despised and what’s wrong is held in high esteem. Enemy’s biggest trick is making us feel unintelligent for believing what’s right. In a world gone mad, we just want to be right and proven right but the Word says do something good. Romans 12:21 People need our help for we know what deliverance can be. People can’t stand us when it’s more important to be right than to do good. We must share Jesus by doing good where we are.

v. 36. Psalm 37:3 Dwell in the land – we have an inheritance coming – what land has God given you? Dwell in it. Whereever God put you? Safe pasture – feast off His faithfulness. Constantly feed our spirits with the realization of His goodness and faithfulness knowing God will deal with evil. The Lord isn’t fretting over evil and wringing His hands. He doesn’t feel powerless. He’ll deal with evil. In the meantime, this is where we dwell, live here and live life abundantly. John 10:10. Psalm 36:8 River of delights – if we will look up and see a river, drink like one who can’t get enough of Jesus. Speak faith to one another. We are called to be mighty.

God has not overlooked us. He has not ignored us. He hears every petition and intimately knows our hearts. Give Him full access to all our longings. Pray every single day to become a person who delights in Him. When our delight disappears remember to check our JAW? Are we Jealous, Angry? Or Worried? Then roll it on to Jesus. He is strong enough to carry it and big enough to handle it. Trust and thank God with all your heart. Love this place. Go out into lost world and do it some good for He is good.

Filed under: Bible Studies, faithfulness, give thanks, gratitude, invitation, John 3:16, psalm, psalm 107, reasons, salvation, thank

3/18/12 I CELEBRATE YOU PSALM 92

During Thanksgiving, we focus on blessings and express our gratitude to God, but thanks should be on our lips every day. We can never say thank you enough especially to God. When thanksgiving becomes thanks living, our attitudes will change. We’ll become more positive, gracious, loving, and humble.

Psalm 92 is a song to be sung on the day of rest praising God; praise is a purpose for the Sabbath (day of rest). It shows our hearts are at rest. Since a true Sabbath (rest) can only be found in God, it’s wise to meditate upon Him. We find a true Sabbath (rest) when we set aside our thoughts and adore the Lord and celebrate complete redemption.

Psalm 92 celebrates who God is and His work with enthusiasm encouraging us to respond to God in praise and worship (v. 1-4); to celebrate God’s wisdom in judging wickedness (v 5-9); to acknowledge the mercy of God in our every day living (v 10,11) and also to anticipate the mercy that will come in the life to come. (v.12-15)

READ CELEBRATE GOD IN WORSHIP PSALM 92:1-4

Ever wonder what is good? When those thoughts cross our mind, begin to praise and sing praises to the Lord for this is always good. Proclaiming God’s love and faithfulness is always good. We’re to begin each morning rehearsing in our minds all the ways the Lord loves us. Lam 3:21-23 Then at night, we should meditate on God’s faithfulness that we’ve seen throughout the day. To give thanks means to praise God verbally. Our mouths are to be filled with genuine praise. Our worship celebrates God when we celebrate the Lord for who He is. The psalmist celebrated God for His “faithful love” v2. “Faithfulness” refers to God’s reliability or trustworthiness. We never need worry that God will wake up in a bad mood and take it out on us. v. 3 We’re to use whatever we have to praise the Lord not just musical instruments, but any instrument we have which includes our mouths, hands, pens, pots, pans, dishes, and computers. To give thanks to God is a small return for the benefits which He daily loads us; yet the Lord calls it a good thing so we must not despise praise and worship nor neglect it. Devout praise is always good; it’s never out of season. What God has done is enough to make us sing for joy.

Once we praise God even through the hard times, the Lord will fill our hearts with joy. Joy isn’t based on circumstances. Galatians 5:22 Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. We can be joyful even when circumstances are tough. We also celebrate the Lord for what He has done and is doing in our lives; the psalmist declared, “You have made me rejoice, Lord, by what You have done” connecting his gratitude to God’s actions. God had worked in his life, and he responded by rejoicing. He was glad for what God had done; nothing was subdued in his worship and praise for God delighting for what the Lord had done in his life. Let us worship God because it’s our delight to do so; not out of some sense of sheer duty. Our attitude towards worship tells a lot about the condition of our heart. A heart that is right with the Lord will desire and be ready for spontaneous worship.

READ RECOGNIZE THE ETERNAL REALITIES OF WORSHIP PSALM 92:5-9

O Lord, how great are thy works! The psalmist was counting his blessings naming them one by one, and he became overwhelmed at the Lord’s goodness. Great in number, glory and design are the God’s creations. God’s thoughts are higher than ours. “Profound” means to be deep. God’s thoughts are deep. Isaiah 55:9 Isaiah made a similar observation about God’s thoughts, indicating they’re “higher” than people’s thoughts. God thinks of things that never occur to us. God never says “I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have given her that trial. It was meant for someone else!” No, it doesn’t work like that. Our trials are sifted through His loving hands, they’re tailor made and arranged with our weaknesses and immaturity in mind. We groan, hurt, weep, and pray and all the while we grow and learn. God’s faithful, and He knows what He’s doing. He never slumbers nor sleeps!” Thoughtful people consider this and worship Him. The Lord’s plans are as marvelous as His acts; creation is immeasurable, and His wisdom displayed is unsearchable. We’ll never grasp God’s total plan or exhaust His wisdom.

v. 6 Outsiders don’t understand and know the ways of God. The unbelieving heart doesn’t know nor understand in spite all its education. How sad it is when men who are gifted by God and made in the Lord’s image neither acknowledge nor understand that it’s the Lord alone who deserves the credit.

v. 7 Wickedness may be springing up all over, but God’s in control. He’ll destroy the wickedness. People who ignore God might prosper for a short while; but in the end they perish. Those who failed to acknowledge God are referred to as “wicked and as evildoers.” Through their lies and deceit, such people may gain temporary advantage and might even seem to “sprout like grass and flourish”, but those who go through life ignoring God’s ways and works face a certain and disastrous eternity.

God’s work in creation and in redemption is ample cause for people to worship Him. Believers can’t expect those who don’t know God to find pleasure in worshiping Him. The worldly things seduce people’s loyalties away from God. True worship keeps our minds focused on God’s eternal and unchanging purposes and begins when we S.T.O.P. (savor the observable presence of the Lord.) Perhaps the blooming flowers of spring or the refreshing waters after a rain shower reminded the psalmist of God’s handiwork.

v. 8 God reigns forever. Jesus’ name speaks to God’s eternal covenant that He makes with all those who love Him.
God is exalted. To be exalted means to be lifted up on high, to be held in high esteem. Phil 2:9 Jesus’ name is the name above all names. No matter how bad things seem on earth, nothing can cancel the glory of God. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked; rather, He invites them to repent and to live (Ezek. 18:23; 33:11).

v. 9 The Lord is victorious. Take comfort in knowing the future’s in God’s hands; He’ll have the last word.

READ ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF WORSHIP PSALM 92:10-15

God takes seedlings and makes them into strong, huge trees. If we plant, water, and make sure it has sunlight, we can’t make the tree grow. God uses us to help in the process, but it’s the miraculous work of God. God grows faith in our hearts. He takes us weak souls and grows us into spectacular trees. The Lord shapes us developing our knowledge and understanding of Him. We’re God’s cedars of Lebanon of towering faith.

The cedars in Lebanon are like bald eagles in America. The bald eagle is the symbol for our strength and freedom, a symbol for everything we take pride in. The cedar tree is the pride and strength of Lebanon. To build something that lasts and is beautiful and strong, the cedars of Lebanon are used. The Israelites chose these cedars when they built the temple because this was the best building materials.

God make us to be cedars of Lebanon; symbols of beauty and strength. The psalm is saying “God’s going to make us strong and beautiful. Cedars are the pillars of the temple, and God’s going to make us a pillar in His kingdom, a person who’s strong in the faith among His people. As the cedars were used to build the temple, God will build His kingdom using us.” God’s going to use us in His kingdom to tell others about Christ, to support God’s kingdom, and to share God’s love in so many different ways. It’s a good thing to give thanks to the Lord, because God made us into cedars. Believers working together become a forest of cedar trees. We aren’t alone in our faith.

Honoring God isn’t limited to the young who seem to have unlimited strength and energy. Even as we get older, we can produce spiritual fruit. We can continue to have a fresh outlook drawing from a lifetime of experience of serving God. We need to challenge others to new heights of spiritual growth. How long does God want to use us? For the rest of our lives. We’re to flourish as a palm tree. What does a palm tree have to give? Coconut milk, coconuts…more than that besides food and drink the palm tree offers the possibilities of housing, thatching, hats, baskets, furniture, mats, clothing, brooms, fans, ornaments, musical instruments, shampoo, containers, oil for fuel, lights, soap and cosmetics.
This says all of us have a lot more to offer than we realize. We just have to offer ourselves and our praise to the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, we don’t know what to do, but today we make ourselves available to serve You but we’ll need Your help and You promise that You will help us. So we trust You to show us what to do and to help and enable us, but from this point on, we’ll make ourselves available.

Filed under: Bible Studies, benefits, celebrate, eternal, John 3:16, psalm 92, realities, worship

3/11/12 I CALL ON YOU PSALM 86

What a privilege to pray and bring our hurts, desires, and needs before the Lord! What an awesome thought that the Creator of the universe who’s holding everything together has the time and even interest for the requests that we bring before Him!

King David didn’t hesitate to bring his prayer before the Lord. Psalm 86 is a peek at one of his prayers before the Lord. We can use this prayer as a pattern for our own prayer life. Psalm 86 shows us three attitudes we must maintain to have an effective prayer life: a humble attitude; an attitude acknowledging who God is; and an attitude of praise fixed on God’s grace. Every prayer we pray should be lifted up with our focus on who God is more than what we want Him to do. When we have a right view of God and who we are, then we’re able to believe that He’ll meet our needs. Because God is both merciful and powerful, we can humbly approach Him with confidence. He will hear and respond to our prayers according to His character. We can call on the Lord and have confidence in Him to hear us, teach us, and help us.

READ HEAR ME PSALM 86:1-7
The first key to prayer is humility, not false humility thinking we’re worthless but realizing that God is God and He’s the One who can supply our needs. Without the Lord, we can do nothing but with Him and through Him, we can do all things that He call us to do.

Are we humble? The first test of humility is to acknowledge our need for God. We need Jesus in all areas but we especially to gain access to the prayer room of God. Until we are have received Jesus as our Savior, we don’t have God’s listening ear so the first question we must ask ourselves is do we have a personal relationship with Jesus. To know God and be ready for heaven, we must follow these steps: Admit we’re sinners and ask God’s forgiveness. “There is no one righteous, not even one … for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:10,23. Romans 5:8; 6:23 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13 Next we must believe in Jesus. This is more than a head knowledge. It’s submitting and committing our lives to Jesus as our only hope of salvation. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 John 14:6 We become a child of God by receiving Christ. “To all who receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12 Then finally we must confess that Jesus is our Lord. Romans 10:9,10 “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Once we have accepted Jesus as Savior, we have full access to the God’s mercy seat. Hebrews 4:16 Anytime we have a need; that’s sufficient reason to pray. God loves us and is always interested in our prayers. We’re to have confidence in God, praying on the basis of God’s greatness rather than our own need. David makes an interesting statement, “I am holy.” or “I am faithful”. He has just stated that he was poor and needy, now he says that he’s holy meaning, “He was one that God favored, one that God loved.” This isn’t self-righteousness, but being sure that he belonged to God. Because he belonged to God, he was simply asking God to deliver him. Once we ask Jesus as our Savior, Jesus places His robe of righteousness on our shoulders so no longer does the Father see us as we pray. The Father sees Jesus’ coat of righteousness, holiness and faithfulness and this is how we gain access. Salvation isn’t based on anything we do. It’s based on receiving the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice. Also, having our prayers answers isn’t based on anything we do but on our right relationship and fellowship with Jesus.

What a blessing we miss by not praying. As we pray, the very mention of God’s Name brings us great confidence. In our own hands we have reason to worry, but when we place ourselves in His hands, we have assurance. He is all-powerful; He can’t fail! When we think of the work God has done, our peace increases.

v. 5 God’s kind, good, perfect in holiness, grace and mercy. He’s the infinite Giver. That’s why He tells us that it’s more blessed to give than to receive. God’s ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy. We’re guilty, but He’s merciful.
We’re encouraged to seek Him is times of trouble. We’re poor and needy, but the riches of His grace are unsearchable and free.
READ TEACH ME PSALM 86:8-13
Jesus is willing to help us, and we praise Him knowing that He’s able to help us. Jesus is Lord. He’s Lord even if we don’t say it or even believe it. Among all the gods, there’s none like Jesus. He’s the Only God. Everything that God is and everything that He has done proclaims His glory.

Answered prayer is what sets Jesus apart and above all others. Phil 2:9 This is one reason we pray In Jesus Name because His name is above all others. Jesus is great because He created all things, but to the needy, Jesus is great because He hears and answers our prayers, even the faintest whispers. It’s right and proper to praise Jesus as God.

What a mighty God we serve, He hears and cares for us as if we’re the only one He has to care about. What a wonderful display of His supremacy. All shall fall down and shall serve Him; every tongue will call Him Lord.

Praying to God in times of need and praising Him for His greatness will cause us to be mindful of His ways. Our heart will become one with His, and we’ll walk after Him. The divided heart brings sorrow, but a heart one with God brings victory. We must pray for an undivided mind, a united heart. This is what causes us to have integrity. We’re prone to have a divided heart. A double minded man is unstable, but those with a united heart for God walk in His way. We stray when our affections are divided. God can give us a united heart and guide our steps. Colossians 3:2 Setting our hearts on things above means to put heaven’s priorities into daily practice, concentrating on the eternal rather than the temporal. This means maintaining a godly attitude through the mundane things.

We should never stop seeking to learn God’s ways; opening ourselves to this spiritual growth process is an act of humility and admitting we’ve much to learn. We acknowledge the Lord’s greatness and admit His brilliance far exceeds our understanding. Because God’s gracious and good, He finds ways to pour His truth into us without overwhelming us. We can learn God’s way by reading and studying His Word. We can also experience His guidance through personal and corporate worship.

v. 13 God has graciously saved us and keeps us safe. In our toughest times, we always have a reason to praise the Lord if we have accepted Jesus as Savior. Salvation doesn’t mean we’ll always have things easy and smooth, but it means our salvation is secure and our names are forever written in the Lamb’s Books of life. This is reason to praise and thank the Lord.

READ HELP ME PSALM 86:15-16
God’s good, all the time. In our prayers, we must have a correct view of God with praise rooted in God’s redeeming grace. Everything God does and allows is being sifted through His hands of love. This gives us strength to carry on during the hard times. Jesus is completely God and full of grace and truth. John 1:14 The Lord upholds the truth so that He can mercifully free those caught in the ways of the world.

The Lord is slow to anger. How slow? Slow enough for a sinner to repent! We can always trust God. We should be asking God to work in our lives so that unbelievers would see His work and want to know Him. We should express our need for God’s strength. We need to ask God for His strength to work in our lives and then rely on Him to supply it! Our personal hope should be that our lives would be an everyday testimony to the life-changing power of Jesus. As believers, we can worship God through prayer. Nonbelievers will see God working in us and call on Him also.

Prayer: Lord as we call on and rely on Your help, may we also be instruments in Your hand to be the answer to others’ cries for help.

Filed under: Bible Studies, call, hear, help, John 3:16, listening, plan of salvation, prayer, Psalm 86, salvation, teach