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Saturday, September 27, 2014

On a Journey Numbers 10: 29-32


click to Read the passage: Numbers 10  (a new browser window will open)



vs.29 1) Headed toward the land of God's promise.
(we are journeying unto the place of which the word said,)

vs.29 2) Traveling according to God's provision of grace.
(the word said, I will give it to you)

vs.29 3) Desirous of others being included in God's promise.
(come thou with us) (Raguel, the Midianite)

vs.29 4) Recognizing and acting in harmony with God's nature.
 (we will do thee good).

vs.30 5) Realizing not everyone wants to travel with God.
 (and he said, I will not go; ••• )

vs.31 6) Making a genuine appeal for men to join God's journey with man.
(leave us not, I pray thee; •.• )
Seeing every man can gain God's purpose.
(thou mayest be to us instead of eyes)

vs.32 7) Unselfishly acknowledging God is not a respecter of persons.
(yea, it shall be, that what goodness the word shall do unto us, the same will we 
do unto thee.)

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Thirsting for God Psalms 63: 1, 2


click to Read the passage: Psalms 63  (a new browser window will open)


v.1 1. A search for assurance.
(O God, thou art my God; early)

v.1 2. A search of priority.
(early will I seek thee: my soul)

v.1 3. A search of necessity.
(my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh)

v.1 4. A search of intensity.
(my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;)

v.2 5. A search of honor.
(to see thy power and thy glory)
That which will honor God in life.

v.2 6. A search for God to manifest Himself..
(to see thy power and thy glory, so as)

v.2 7. A search satisfied by His presence.
(so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.)





Saturday, September 20, 2014

The Involvement of Love Mark 12: 30, 31


click to Read the passage: Mark 12  (a new browser window will open)




v.30 
1. an affection kept active
(love)

2. a view kept in focus
(the Lord thy God)

3. a heart kept seeking after God
(and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,)

V 30 
4. a decision considered irreversible
(and with all thy soul)

5. a following that is captivating
(and with all thy mind)

6. an expending of energy for the kingdom's sake
(and with all thy strength:)

v 31 
7. a commitment that is responsible
( ... Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.)

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Looking for Help Psalms 121


click to Read the passage: Psalms 121  (a new browser window will open)


v.1 1. Lift up your eyes from your problem.
(I will lift up mine eyes)

v.1 2. Look for the Lord’s presence.
(unto the hills)

v.1 3. Seek for the Lord’s solutions.
(from when cometh my help.)

v.2 4. Believe for the Lord’s counsel.
(My help cometh from the Lord.)

v.2 5. Wait on the Lord’s instruction.
(My help cometh from the Lord, …)

v.2,3 6. Rest in the Lord’s sufficiency and control.
(…He will not suffer thy foot to be moved;)

v.8 7. Cooperate with the Lord fully.
(The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time 
forth, and even for evermore.)





Saturday, September 13, 2014

Being Alert to False Doctrines Matthew 16: 5-12


click to Read the passage: Matthew 16  (a new browser window will open)



V 5,6 1) Even God's people can have a focus on physical rather than spiritual matters.
on bread

v 7    2) God's people often fail to gain insight from the events of Christ observed in 
their life.
1-4 (they reasoned ... )

v 7,8 3) When God's people engage in physical reason they are prone to being misled
 by false doctrine.

V 8   4) Faithlessness leaves a door open for deceitfulness to get in.
(ye of little faith)

v 9,10 5) Remembering the true works of God, understanding and receiving them protects
 God's servant from false doctrine.

V 11   6) The work of Christ expands the work of truth; the work of leaven of the Pharisees
 and Saducees expands the work of the wicked one.
( ..• beware ..• )

v 12   7) To avoid the doctrine of the Pharisees and Saducees a believer must know the 
doctrines of truth. 

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

God's Deliverance 2 Kings 5: 14, 15, 19


click to Read the passage: 2 Kings 5  (a new browser window will open)

vs.14 1) Deliverance is exclusively a work of God. (his flesh came again ••• ) 
Man cannot deliver himself. All man can do is get himself in trouble, but he
cannot get himself out. Man cannot save himself--Ps. 89:48 
"God is able to deliver thee" song       Naaman' s only hope really was God. 
When man is in trouble with sin his only hope is a Savior. There is only one.
Isa. 19:20--deliverance from bondage 
When a believer is in trouble his only hope is a God of compassion and mercy. 
There is only one. 
Daniel 3: 28,29--no other god can deliver after this sort Ps. 33: 18,19 
2 Peter 2: 9--the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations; ••• 

vs.14 2) Deliverance follows man's correct response to God. 
Naaman did as God directed and he was healed. 
He would not have been delivered by washing in Abana and Pharpar.
                God could not have provided deliverance for disobedience. 
God is faithful to Himself, to His own nature. God only responds to His word of 
instruction, thus God can produce the freedom of His word in a life.
Freedom never comes apart from submission to the word of God.  Deliverance 
comes after obedience. 
Physical conditions do not provide deliverance, only the condition of obedience
does.

vs.14 3) God delivers the pollution from man, not man from the pollution. 
Leprosy was delivered from Naaman.  
God takes the sin from man, not man from the sin. 
Jesus bore all the sins of all mankind, but man goes on sinning. Galatians 5:1 
We have been given liberty from the world. It has no dominion over us. 
Yet we continue to dwell in the world. 
We have not yet been delivered form its pollution.         
There is no condemnation to us in Christ. 
God has taken the threat of sin away and the deserved wages of death away. 
How great should be the desire of a believer to walk in newness of  life, freed 
from sin. 

vs.14 4) God delivers man totally. (he was clean)
 Jesus' work was a finished work on Calvary.     John 19:30     (It is finished) 
Naaman was totally delivered of leprosy, there was nothing remaining to be
done. 
Jesus had set him free.   John 8: 32,36--Ye shall know the truth and the truth
shall make you free.  If the son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free 
indeed. 
Jesus has provided full pardon for sin. He has paid the price for our freedom in
full. He purchased us with His life.
        I Tim. 2:6--gave himself a ransom for all        I Corin. 6: 20--Ye are bought with
                a price. 
He has made total provision for our every need. 

vs.15          5) The testimony of deliverance is uniquely  God's.
( …no God in all the earth) Deut. 2:36 Dan. 6: 26,27 
 Over and over again throughout the Bible, the testimony of deliverance is
 uniquely God's. 
 There was no mistaken identity' as to who did what. 
 There was no wrong emphasis placed on the role of God's servant or man's 
 obedience. 
 The testimony was of God's redemptive power. Titus 2: 14 
 To testify of that which happened was to testify of God. 
 Believers need to live the kind of life where a sure testimony of God's 
 deliverance is fitting and given.  

vs.15 6) The testimony of deliverance is presented before others. 
(came to the man of God, he and all his company)
Naaman had no problem sharing what God had done. He would have had great
difficulty sharing anytime prior to verse 14. 
God always presents Himself before others--that is the great door of obedience. 
The testimony is for instruction, example, edification, inspiration, and
encouragement of others. 
Others need the testimony of God's deliverance. 
The testimony is presented by those who have been delivered. 

vs.19 7) The testimony of deliverance continues on. (go in peace) 
God will continue to deliver over and over again. His truth continues in purity
                and application. Ps.106:43 
A believer has many needs but God's grace of redemption and deliverance is
always sufficient. II Corin. 12: 9,10 
May we welcome our opportunity for God to demonstrate His power and
                strength and glory. 
The righteousness of Jesus delivers us. 
That which a believer trusts in, in Christ, he may continue to trust in. 




Saturday, September 6, 2014

The Cloud Over Man Exodus 14: 19-29


click to Read the passage: Exodus 14  (a new browser window will open)


    
v.19            1.            To the enemy it prevents, to God’s own it prevails.
                        (and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind
                         them.)

v.20            2.            To the enemy it is a curse, to God’s own it is a blessing.
                        (and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these,)

v.24            3.            To the enemy it is a hindrance, to God’s own it is God’s presence.
                        (And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the 
                        host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled   
                        the host of the Egyptians.)

v.24            4.            To the enemy it is a limitation, to God’s own it is liberty.
                        (troubled the host of the Egyptians,)

v.25            5.            To the enemy it is a threat, to God’s own it is a testimony.
                        (And took off their chariot wheels, that they drove them heavily; so that the
                        Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for    
                        them)

v.25            6.            To the enemy it is control, to God’s own it is comfort.
                        (for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians.)

v.28,            7.            To the enemy it is destruction, to God’s own it is freedom.
   29                  (waters covered the chariots…walked upon dry land.)
                        The cloud stopped because it was no longer needed. Once free from
                        bondage God’s people were free to follow a new way of leadership.

                        A picture to New Testament believers of entering into grace from sins’
                        bondage.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Servants you Can Count On 2 Kings 5: 13-


click to Read the passage: 2 Kings 5  (a new browser window will open)

1) Loyal    (his servants) 
         Loyalty is demonstrated at point of need and point of testing.
         Loyalty is essential in servanthood; loyalty to Jesus to serve Him. 
         Loyalty opens up ministry doors because God opens them to those loyal to Him. 

2) Standing by, faithful, ready to serve (servants came near) 
        Observant as to master's need, desiring to help, quick to respond because of their
        accepted position 

3) Respected (spoke unto him) 
        They had the kind of relationship in which they had free input. 
        There was freedom to be servants. They followed their freedom.
In Christ, believers are free to serve. 
        The Holy Spirit guides the free believer into fruitful and faithful service. 
        A faithful believer will have a respected reputation of service. 

4) Insightful as to true need. (said  … ) 
         Servants saw his true need was to obey, not to insist upon his way. 
         Their appeal was in accordance with their insight. just encouragement to obey--to
         seek after truth 

5) Discerning as to truth one served is uncertain of or insensitive to. 
         (how much rather then) 
 Discerning what (who) to obey. How can I help them see truth? cooperative
 The servants saw their master did not comprehend.  
         They were not only insightful, but discerned correctly the truth. 
 Servants acted as a guide to prepare their master to receive the truth.
 Their discernment opened the door for their faithful service. 

6) Bearers of truth. (wash and be clean.) 
 Don't have to initiate truth, just bear it. 
 They simply communicated the truth. 
         They knew the truth held deliverance for the obedient. 
 The way to serve was not to do what he wanted but to bear the truth. 
 When the master responded, he was delivered by the truth. 
 The servant truly was a servant, enabled by God to help, allowing God to receive
         glory. 

7. Submissive. 
 Having borne the message of truth, they are still servants realizing their master must 
         make the decision; they cannot make it for him. 
         Likewise should believers act as servants to others, submitting to God's authority, 
         allowing those served to make a choice.      
(whether a lost person, an insensitive employer, an indifferent mate, etc.)