curious if I can post on Xanga

Hi, looking forward to finding you on wordpress if you’re moving too.  

http://www.wondering2004.wordpress.com

Hope to see you.

Heather

Notes from Pastor Don’s Friday Bible study – May 31, 2013

John 13:1-4 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him. Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.

We looked at the evil that was put into Judas Iscariot’s heart in a parallel passage

Luke 22:1-3 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people. Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.

We believe some things in error. We think that, if we are born again, we can’t be oppressed or possessed by the devil. Sometimes in the midst of interpersonal conflicts we go off on people, argue, and get offended. We then attribute it to personality. 

For the most part, Bible people are easy to get along with. But even ones that are easy to get along with can get on our last nerve.

Satan can use moments of weakness to put the demonic into a person.

The demoniac of the Gadarenes is an example. Judas Iscariot opened himself up to this.

Even Peter, whom we love, Jesus identified as having a devil – Remember when Jesus was expressing his divine calling and assignment and He talked about how he was going to go to the Cross, Peter chastised Jesus and told him not to do this? Jesus told Peter, “Get the behind me, satan.”

When we think we are speaking in righteousness, we may not be; we may be saying what the devil wants us to say.

In church, when someone disagrees or offends us, we attribute it to they’re working with the devil.

Some battles of the flesh are just battles of the flesh and have nothing to do with demons.

It becomes demonic when the end of the matter is not resolved, when it is unreasonable behavior, when there is spiritual blindness. 

We bring the devil into our interpersonal relationships far too much. 

Galatians 5 talks about things of the Spirit and things of the flesh.

Galatians 5:19-26 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Unkindness might be just a bad behavior, but if it becomes oppressive or aggressive it may be a demon taking it up to a new level.

Too many people attribute the spirit to things fleshly, when there is nothing of the spirit in an action. We take an action and ascribe a spiritual purpose to it.

Someone asked: Can satan gain entry into a person without their willful assistance?

Luke 10:1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.

Pastor Don pointed out that Judas was one of these seventy that went out two by two.  God (Jesus) brilliantly sent out the seventy to be publicity agents. Evangelizing an area before Jesus came, so that the hearts of the people in these places were prepared to receive Jesus.

Luke 10:2-3 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.

Matthew 10:1-4 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

In all passages of Scripture they mention Judas betrayed Jesus, but in this passage it is important to realize that Judas is included in the twelve – the same twelve that were sent out to do the miracles that Jesus did. He hadn’t betrayed Jesus yet.

In Luke 10:2 (see above) Judas is one of those sent out.

Luke 10:17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”

When it mentions that even the demons were subject to them – this includes Judas – the demons were subject to Judas. 

Someone asked how could Judas be so deceived by satan.

All of us are subject to the situation of Judas when we are under demonic influence. We can feel Justified of God. We can love God, go to church, do good works, and then in some season of our life we open the door where darkness takes control – often in the area of our emotions, for a season. For some this lasts a second, a moment, a week, a month, a year, a lifetime. We get led into behavior where the demonic influences.

Judas was weak in the area of greed – he sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, which in today’s economy would have been a huge sum. He also was politically extremely to the left, wanting revolution and the overthrowing of the Roman government. He expected Jesus to bring the revolution, to create a war against the empire. He was a political zealot.

Judas had greed for money, position, and power.  Judas realized that Jesus was not going to start a violent revolution or murder Romans. So Judas figured he might as well make money off the Romans since Jesus wasn’t going to get what he wanted done.

For all we know, he figured that if the Romans came after Jesus that maybe Jesus would have reacted against that and started the revolution Judas wanted. He wanted Jesus to say that He was the Son of God, and wanted Him to show His power.

So Judas figured You’re not going to show the power the way I want you to, I’ll get a revolution.

Now there are times when people act in ways that we think are demonic, but they are not.

One day Agabus came up to Paul, bound Paul’s hands with his belt and then prophesied to Paul that this was what the Romans were going to do to Paul. God showed Agabus what would happen. Pastor Don said that some in the church would have been aghast that Agabus did this to PAUL – the one who wrote most of the New Testament, the leader of the church.

The hardest thing to learn in the Church is how to be under someone’s authority. And the problem is increased because there are many in the clergy that haven’t examined their position. They are expressing opinions, not Biblical truths. Pastor Don has promised that what he teaches is of the Bible. If we have a question about a teaching, we can respectfully ask him to show us where it is written in the Word.

Sometimes people, in a given circumstance or situation, confront the demonic and go through it, getting past the attack. The devil knows our weakness. Some people come away from such a confrontation with a revelation of how to get past it.  For example, with Peter, Jesus took him aside and told him to “Feed my sheep.” 

Some people spend a lifetime in a struggle with the demonic and they are not free from the attacks until they are in their Resurrection bodies.

Some struggle and have victories and setbacks.

Someone asked what made the difference between Peter and Judas.

Pastor Don replied that, when Peter sinned, he felt genuine remorse. He did not reject Jesus. He did not flee from the congregation. He went toward Jesus. He repented. He stayed with the disciples.

Judas decided not to struggle with the demonic. He fled from the disciples and the Lord. He did not repent. He chose to kill himself. 

In the New Testament Judas was the one identified to be the person to betray Jesus. This action was known before the beginning of time.

He blasphemed the Lord. He knew who Jesus was, he was fully functional in the things of the Spirit, and he betrayed and rejected Jesus.

Pastor Don said that what Judas did was something we would not be able to do. Most Christians do not qualify in ALL the things that constitute the blaspheme of the Holy Spirit – the criterion is listed in Hebrews chapter 6.

Jesus preached and hundreds of people followed him. When Judas’ position was vacated, the disciples chose someone to fulfill his role. The criterion was that they were with Jesus from the beginning and witnessed his death, burial, and resurrection. The selection was between Matthias (who won) and Barsabbas.

The two disciples on the Road to Emmaus were chosen because they also had full knowledge of Jesus and His teachings.

In the upper room were 120 (both men and women – so that the sons and daughters would prophesy). 

Jesus ministered to hundreds of people who followed Him and knew His teachings. Of those there was then the circle of the twelve, and the inner circle disciples – Peter, James, and John.

Hebrews 6 gives full criterion for the Blaspheme of the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 6:1-2 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 

Notice, these are ELEMENTARY principles of Christ.  Many churches have not practiced some of these things and that is how the church today has gotten into error. They do not act on these unchangeable, solid principles.

Repent from dead works – salvation is NOT by works. We are given the free gift of salvation by the work Jesus did on the Cross – not by any good works that we do on our own. We can’t earn our salvation. We do good works in response to the fantastic gift of salvation that Jesus gave us. Our works won’t make Jesus love us more, won’t influence God to decide on salvation for us. Jesus already took care of our salvation at great price.

When we think that what we do can help us gain salvation it then our salvation seems to be dependent on us – when in reality, salvation depends on Jesus Christ.

Someone asked how can we discern what is a true good work verses one that is a flesh based good work.

James 2:18  But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

True good works arise from salvation. It is possible to do good works for an evil purpose. If my faith is in God, we won’t be doing good works to earn Heaven. Good works can mask our real purpose and desire. For example, King Herod, built the temple to impress the Israelites, but he killed the prophet (John the Baptist) when the prophet told Herod what Herod did not want to hear.

The new world religion will try to form a salvation based on works. 

We are to preach the Gospel, our faith is in Him, and we are to obey ALL HIS COMMANDS, not just the ones we agree with. 

Pastor Don gave us a few measures to use to decide the motive of our good works.  Are we under authority? Is it directed by the man or woman of God that we are placed under? Is it in line with God’s Kingdom plan?

The next question to ask ourselves about our works is – do I love God and am I trusting in Him for my salvation?

Remember the criminal on the cross – who just said, “Lord, remember me.”  He did not justify his actions. He did not ask for perks, he just wanted Jesus.

No matter how things turn out, I’m trusting Jesus.

Someone else suggested, are we willing to do our acts in secret, with no recognition?

Back to Hebrews, Chapter six. 

It says that the elementary principles include baptisms (there are more than one), laying on of hands (many churches never do that), resurrection of the dead (wow – that is elementary!!!), and eternal judgment.

Today there is a dangerous teaching in the church that all will be saved. The new world religion does not want eternal judgment, they are preaching that all will be saved and salvation depends on works. 

We went back to what constitutes the blaspheme of the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 6:3-6  And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

1) enlightened (they know stuff)
2) tasted the heavenly gift (Jesus)
3) have become partakers of the Holy Spirit (signs, wonders, works of the Holy Spirit, function in the gifts, followed leadership of the Holy Spirit)
4) tasted the good word of God (the Bible)
5) and the powers of the age to come (end times prophesy)

if they fulfill ALL these things, and fall away from God – turn their back to Jesus, it is impossible for them to be renewed to repentance – because Jesus died ONCE for our sins. If we accepted His death for our sins and we reject it, then we can’t say – oh, I changed my mind.

Pastor Don pointed out that a person who is suffering, hurting, for example has lost a loved one or faced some major issues in their life, and they say, “I hate God, or reject God,” is not guilty of blaspheme of the Holy Spirit. God looks on the hearts of people and knows when we are speaking from pain. This blaspheme would only apply to someone who was advanced in their faith – such as Judas who cast out demons, walked with Jesus, knew His teachings, knew who He was and then rejected him.

There are many churches today who are coming across as user friendly, but people are not coming to churches looking for user friendly, they’re looking for the Lord.

 John 13:2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him,

The devil put it in Judas’ heart – God knows our hearts.

The most important thing is that your love of the Lord is greater than your works and your theology. Love the Lord and trust in Him. That nullifies our shortcomings. 

John 13:6-7 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”

It is okay not to get it all clear from the start, just obey God, and He will straighten us out on those things we do not understand.  We may not understand everything Jesus is doing, but we’ll trust Him. 

Even people we don’t like are put in our life because we have something that they need. Ask, God, what do You want? Do you want to do the work of God or your work? Get in the service of God and do what needs to be done. If we don’t want to do it in the flesh, do it as unto the Lord.

I hope these notes bless you.

Heather

Hope you enjoy my notes from this powerful, anointed teaching last night by Pastor Danquah. During this meeting the Holy Spirit moved powerfully and some of the words spoken from the pulpit were prophesies for individuals in the congregation. Even though not all topics of how the enemy attacks us are covered in this teaching, know that it was targeted to the needs of those in the congregation. The anointing is powerful to help us overcome ALL attacks of the enemy, those mentioned here and any other attack. By the end of the meeting the Holy Spirit ministered to many in the congregation. 

THE OVERCOMER’S ANOINTING

Isaiah 10:27 It shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil. 

To overcome you need a spiritual anointing. Notice that the burden is taken away on a specific day. The yoke is destroyed from our shoulder. To free us the burden must be removed. It crumbles and comes down because of the anointing oil. On that day the yoke will be destroyed. Yokes are obstacles, hindrances to what you want to do in life. When you are sick you can’t do anything. When sickness goes away you have strength to overcome.

No mater what the burden, it bows down in the Name of Jesus.

1 John 5:4  For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 

WHATEVER – we all will have to overcome some obstacles. We have the promise of God that no matter the circumstances or situation, we will overcome – faith gives us the victory.

God intervenes on a CERTAIN day – and He helps us overcome our problems. There are certain seasons – seed time and harvest, cold and heat. 

We may be in our situation for some time, but there will come a year, month, day hour, second when God will deliver us because of the anointing. The anointing is necessary to overcome our obstacles.

Revelation 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

There is a future where our obstacles will be overcome. God gives us a reward when we overcome. We will have the victory, the promise, and the blessing. 
God will breakthrough our door of hindrance. The door is open.

Revelation 3:8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” 

The overcomer’s anointing makes us stronger. With no anointing on you, you can’t do anything.

The anointing makes us who we are.

The anointing makes me who I am.

We want to embrace the anointing and be an overcomer. God sets us free by releasing the anointing and yokes crumble. He has wired us to conquer every circumstance.

Romans 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

We are created to be more than conquerors.

Jesus is our pattern in how to be a conqueror. Jesus faced challenges. He was spit upon, beaten, mocked, and crucified. He needed the overcomer’s anointing for his work.

Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

We are all anointed to perform these things that Jesus did.

Jesus was baptized by John and he came out of the water full of the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit Jesus would not have been able to do what He did. If the Spirit was not on Jesus, the obstacles would have stopped Him from doing His work.

Obstacles are demonic powers to prevent you from doing God’s will. When the Lord anoints you, places His fire on you, the demons see and flee. Every enemy of yours bows down to God’s anointing.

Jesus received the cross anointing to overcome. Before He went to the cross, He spent time in Gethsemane praying to God.

Luke 22:41-43 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.

In the flesh Jesus did not want to go to the cross. But Jesus prayed to God and God gave Him the strength to go through with this plan for our salvation. God sent an angel from Heaven to strengthen Jesus and release an anointing on Him to help Jesus fulfill His assignment. 

Even God’s Son – 100% God/100% human prayed to the Father. This cup is difficult. The strength of God came on Him.

We get a desire to do something – and the flesh, weakness, and the devil attacks our plans. The Spirit of the Lord emboldens us so that we can do what God wants us to do.

Zechariah 4:6b This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts.

We conquer not by might or power, but by God’s Spirit.

Pastor Danquah told us that there were spiritual entities, beings, that we do not see. Some are wicked spirits, and there is a fight in the heavenlies twenty-four hours a day. God doesn’t let us see this battle. We must remember:

2 Corinthians 10:4-6  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Principalities and powers are destroyed because the anointing is your weapon. What Jesus did with the anointing, we can do. God anoints ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

Pastor Danquah looked at a few people in the Bible who did extraordinary things under the anointing of God. If these Biblical ordinary people can do these things, so can we.

THE LION ANOINTING

Judges 14:5-6 So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

Young lions are the strongest lions. When the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, he was not ordinary, he became a supernatural power.

The Holy Ghost is super.  We are natural. When the Spirit of the Lord comes upon us – we become Supernatural.

God gave Samson the power to rend the lion. 

We all face spiritual lions and bears – we can rend these enemies because the power of God goes before us. 

We can be going through our life, bothering no one, and an enemy wants to detain you.

When he Children of Israel were wandering through the wilderness, the Amorites were not pleased and wanted to stop the Children of Israel. Balak appealed to Balaam to speak a curse against the Children of Israel. God prevented the curse and all Balaam could do was speak blessings over the Children of Israel.

Expect that, when God anoints you, you will be a conqueror. The tools of the powers of darkness (sickness, frustration, obstacles, powers of darkness, etc) will not be able to conquer you because of the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit anointing is NOT A FEELING. It is a PERSON. When the Holy Spirit comes upon you it is so you can get the work done for the Lord. God’s anointing helps you do God’s will and helps us to wage war with the deceiver.

DESTROY YOUR ENEMIES ANOINTING

Judges 14:19 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave the changes of clothing to those who had explained the riddle. So his anger was aroused, and he went back up to his father’s house.

It is not common that one man can defeat thirty people attacking him. With thirty attackers some could approach Samson from behind and from all sides. When the anointing came on Samson, he fought and defeated them all.

DAVID

King David fought the most battles and never ahd a defeat because God was with him. Every path he took people tried to make him a victim. King Saul was determined to destroy David’s life, deprive him of his bed and his family. David was forced to live in the wilderness. 

DON’T BE AFRAID – the enemies will not overcome you.

Psalm 91:1-6 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

Pastor Danquah said, if the enemy wants to destroy me, he must first conquer the Holy Ghost. I am in Jesus.  

The enemy won’t destroy our lives if we’re under the anointing and the power of the Blood. We’re safe under the Spirit of the Lord. Sickness and disease is healed through the anointing. The anointing is liberty to us and we are more than conquerors.

If you open yourself to the Holy Spirit, He will sit by you and do spiritual surgery, removing the negative from you.

1 Samuel 16:12-13 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

GIANT KILLING 

After the Spirit of the Lord came upon David, the Philistines attacked Israel. Their champion was Goliath, a giant ten feet tall (or as Pastor Danquah says, he’s 5 feet 7 inches, so the giant was twice the size of Pastor Danquah). This Giant spoke blasphemes against God. None of the Israelites were brave enough to fight Goliath.

If you depend on your own strength, you can’t fight giants.

The anointing came on David and David got angry at Goliath. It was a HOLY ANGER just like the anger Jesus had in the Temple against the money changers. 

David said, 

1 Samuel 17:26 Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

David’s brothers accused him of pride. 

When someone pursues a God-given goal, many people accuse them of pride.

David vowed to kill Goliath. He did not get distracted by Goliath’s size – did not worry that Goliath was too big.  Goliath was so big, David couldn’t miss him.

Your enemy is too big to miss when you pull down your enemy by the anointing.

Saul tries to make David wear Saul’s armor, but the armor doesn’t fit. David had to fight with the weapons God endowed him with, not with another’s weapons.

Our strength is not in the flesh, it is in God. David reminded himself how God used him to kill lions and bears. He told himself that if God could help him kill lions and bears, a giant is no problem.

1 Samuel 17:37 Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” 

The anointing is personal – it is especially for you. The Holy Spirit communicates and fellowships with us and gives us confidence.

Remember the three Hebrew children who boldly went into the furnace that was heated seven times hotter than before. They boldly declared that even if God did not deliver them, they would not bow down to the idol. 

People who know God and the Holy Spirit are strong and overcomers.

Goliath laughed at David and his sling shot. 

1 Samuel 17:42-44 And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

Pastor Danquah is visiting our church. He will be teaching tonight as well. 

Here are my notes from last night’s teaching:

Luke 8:22-25 Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples, and He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out, but as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was calm. But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, said to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!” 

Trouble is indispensable in life. God has not promised us a trouble-free life. The only time our lives will be trouble-free is in Heaven.  Jesus went through troubles. Even tongue-speakers like Paul have troubles. Our finances, health, and circumstances can cause trouble for us.

We can sail through troubles with the help of God. Jesus dealt with His problems without sinning. He showed us that it is possible for us to also deal with our troubles without sinning.

Psalm 23:4-6 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  

With God’s help, we won’t be stuck in the middle of the fire. We will go through. Jesus told the disciples they would go to the other side. As they were in the boat, an uninvited enemy showed up – a storm. Their lives were in jeopardy. Peter was a fisherman. He knew it was a dangerous, demonic storm. In another translation – it says Don’t you care that we are about to die?  The disciples called on Jesus, just as we call on Jesus when we are in times of trouble.

CAUSES OF TROUBLE

1. HUMAN ERROR – When we make mistakes in our lives, sometimes those mistakes stay with us and affect our lives. We can be saved and God forgives us, but there are consequences that we still deal with because of the mistakes we made in our past.  We sometimes think we can sin in secret, but God sees us. We need to keep this in mind when we make decisions for our life – fear (awe) of God can protect us from doing things that have negative consequences.

2. CHALLENGES OF LIFE – These are inevitable. The Creator of the Universe was in the middle of the boat with the disciples, and still there was a storm. The disciples were with Jesus, doing right, and they still faced a storm. The good news is that, in the midst of the challenges of life, we have a Savior who will be with us always. Challenges can be financial, emotional, health-related. It is not easy to go through these challenges, We can pray, cast out demons, and still go through troubles. But we do not go through them alone, God will be with us.

3. SATANIC ATTACK – like Job. God knew that Job was strong, not only because of external circumstances, but he had inner strength. God permitted satan to attack Job, Job’s family and possessions. 

Job 13:15a Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. 

God wants, when everything seems challenging, to see us remain faithful in the midst of our troubles.

4. THE PLAN OF GOD – sometimes trouble leads to promotion. God permits troubles to test us so He can promote us. The devil will use a human to attack us, for the devil does not want us to be promoted and he hopes the attacks will pull us off of track. But, if we pass the test, God promotes us. Impure gold goes through a fire and comes out pure gold. 

PRINCIPLES TO ADHERE TO IN TROUBLED TIMES

1. CHOOSE NOT TO FEAR – Troubles cause us to fear. Jesus says John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”

God is with us always. When we obey the will of God, there is no need to fear.  There are 366 passages in the Bible that instruct us not to fear (even one for leap year  )  

2. GOD’S COMMITMENT TO YOU. God will stand by us in our situation.

1 Corinthian 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

We will not be the first or the last person to deal with a troubled situation. God will help us go through it. He will deliver us. God stands by us.  He is faithful. God knows that we are capable of handling what has been thrust at us. God trusted Job and Job remained faithful (see above). Job said he would trust God, even if God chose to slay him. God will give us a way of escape so that we can bear it. God always makes a way. It may seem like we are losing, but then God opens up a way of escape.  Pastor Danquah described it like a wrestling match where one wrestler seems to be losing and then in the last bout gets a burst of strength and decks his opponent. 

Don’t give up. Press on. God has the anointing to help us. 

Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

He doesn’t deliver us from SOME, He delivers us from ALL. The Holy Spirit helps in times of trouble.

3. CHOOSE NOT TO TRUST THE FLESH – There is nothing good in the flesh. We trust in our flesh too much. The Bible tells us to FLEE fornication. It tells us to resist the devil, but does not say resist fornication.  It says FLEE fornication. Christians often trust the flesh. They have a problem and they seek out another person for advice before they go to God or the Holy Spirit for help. The Holy Spirit will tell us to do one thing and we choose to do the thing our flesh wants to do.

Spend time in prayer. If you have no words to say, only cry out, go to God. Ask God what must I do. The devil will try to put guilt on us, but God will help make a way from our circumstance. Even when we mess up, God still has a plan for our lives.

Jeremiah 17:5, 7 “Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord.”…….  “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.” 

Have confidence in God. Don’t call someone whose life is a mess. Talk to God and ask God who you should call to help you in the situation. Get a person who has successfully navigated the situation you are facing. 

4. CHOOSE NOT TO MAGNIFY YOUR SITUATION OVER GOD’S ABILITY – We tend to focus on the problem and how big the problem is instead of magnifying how big God is. God is bigger than our problems.

When we face a problem we start speaking about the problem saying things like I curse the day I was born, wish I were dead, this is too much for me to deal with. Don’t magnify our problems – magnify God’s ability to eradicate whatever the problem is. No matter how big our problem is, God is bigger. The maker of the universe is larger than any problem we face.

Isaiah 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. 

God will lift up a standard and give us peace in the midst of the storm. When our lives are flooding like the boat, and we fear what we are facing will destroy us, God will come in Glory and save us for we are God’s covenant child.

1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 

God is greater than any of our problems. He can help us overcome our problems because He is greater.  Jesus is with us.

Pastor Danquah described the three Hebrew boys in Daniel who refused to bow to the image of the King – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They said that even if God would slay them in the fire, they still would not bow and worship the statue of the king.  The king was enraged and had a fire built to seven times ordinary strength. The soldiers who threw the boys into the fire, died instantly. The king watched the fire and saw four people walking around in the fire. Pastor Danquah said they were walking like royalty (and he demonstrated how African royalty would walk). The king realized that the fourth one was like the Son of God.  The king ordered the boys removed and there was no smell of smoke or fire on them – the only thing burned off was the ropes used to tie up the boys.

Jesus is with us in the middle of the fire. The power of God will remove all those things that try to bind us.

The devil will make our circumstances look huge, but God is ALL POWERFUL.

5. CONFESS YOUR PROMISED VICTORY, NOT YOUR PROBLEM - 

Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

We overcome our problems by the word of our testimony.  There are two steps – 1) God does something for you 2) You testify about it.

God heals you, you testify. 

We also have the testimony of the Scriptures – what the Bible says about our problem. We need to speak what the Bible says over our problems. No matter the circumstances, our feelings, our confession should be what the Word of God says.

Psalm 118:17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. 

Speak God’s Word to your circumstance. Imagine your victory. Speak victory, not defeat. Speak into your future that your yesterday will die.

Isaiah 54:17 “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the Lord. 

6. GET HELP FROM THOSE WHO HAVE MASTERED THE STORM BEFORE – don’t reinvent the wheel. Seek counsel from winners, don’t seek advice from losers.

Hebrews 6:11-12 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Follow the ones who are victorious, don’t be slothful.

7. CHOOSE TO EMPHASIZE FAITH TO MASTER YOUR SITUATION – faith, not doubt. The anointing will rise up to help you step out of your comfort zone. Peter stepped out of the boat. He told Jesus to tell him to come, and when Jesus said, “Come,” Peter stepped out of the boat. Pastor Danquah said that probably Thomas said, “You’re a fisherman, you can’t walk on water. Come to your senses. Don’t step out of that boat.”  Peter closed his ears and listened to God. He took a bold step on the Word of God and walked on the water. 

Peter was the son of two sinners, but he exercised his faith and did what Jesus did. God is waiting for us to exercise our faith. 

Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

It doesn’t take huge faith to move mountains – just small faith. 

Matthew 17:20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 

Small faith, when activated, becomes huge. Release your faith and God will bring us out of trouble.

1 John 5:4-5 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—ourfaith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Notice it doesn’t say WHOsoever, but WHATsoever. Faith overcomes the world.

8. RID YOURSELF OF ALL HINDRANCES OF FAITH -

Mark 11:22-24 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

We want mountain-moving faith. One of the biggest hindrances to faith is lack of forgiveness. We must forgive and remove bitterness from our hearts. 

Mark 11:25-26 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.

If we harbor resentment, God will not listen.

Pastor Danquah also said that certain people who hinder us must get out of our life.

9. TRUST GOD. THE LOVE OF JESUS WILL SEE YOU THROUGH THE SITUATION.

Pastor Danquah sang, “Love lifted me. Love lifted me. When nothing else could help, love lifted me.”

When we are in the pit of sin and our life is a mess, His love lifts us up. The love of Jesus can help overcome wickedness.

Isaiah 43:1-2 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.

His love lifts us. Feel His love surrounding you and His blessing on you.

10. TRUST GOD TO BRING YOU OUT OF YOUR TROUBLES AS YOU PRAY FOR SOMEONE – So often we pray for ourselves and our situation. We need to pray for others. God delivered Job when Job prayed for his friends who tried to discourage him. God turned Job’s life around when he prayed for others. Pray for one another

11. PUT ON PATIENCE, DON’T GIVE UP

Hebrews 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

We need patience. It is only a matter of time when God will show up – He will show up at the perfect moment. 

12. PRAISE YOUR WAY THROUGH THE STORM -King Jehosephat was instructed to send the praise team before his army into a battle. 

God’s thoughts are higher than ours. Praise God all the time, not just when things are going well.  Praise God in the midst of our trials.

When praise goes up, God sends angels with the blessing. Let His Name be praised in the dance. 

Many believers used to go to clubs and dance before they were saved. Now that they’re saved, they don’t dance in praise to God. We must dance, sing, and praise God in our circumstances. David danced unto the Lord. He did not care about appearances – that a king was dancing wildly before God. He was just praising God. 

Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 

The joy of the Lord is our strength.

Tonight Pastor Danquah will continue his teaching. I’m looking forward to what he will share.

Have a blessed day.

Heather

Back again after a long hiatus. Decided to write notes from current Bible studies first, then go back and play catch-up. My husband and I felt this was a dynamite study – taught Friday, March 13, 2013

John 5:1-4 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.  For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.

Whoever stepped in first.

John 5:5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.

Thirty-eight years!!! That’s a long time.

John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that conditiona long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

Jesus asked the man – Do you want to be made well?  We think, well of course he wanted to be made well. Jesus knew he was there a long time through a Word of Knowledge, it wasn’t that Jesus saw him each day of those thirty-eight years. Jesus was just in town for the feast. This question is pertinent for today, because there are people who are still sick in our culture and church. Not all who are sick really desire to get well.

John 5:7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.

Notice, the man did not answer the question.  He’s sort of saying, “Are you joking?  Here I am coming to the pool thirty-eight years.” Pastor Don said that the man’s paralysis was limited – he could get to the pool, but not into the water.

We looked at verse six in the Amplified Bible   When Jesus noticed him lying there [helpless], knowing that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, Do you want to become well? [Are you really in earnest about getting well?]

Jesus was asking the man and us, “How motivated are you?”  We have to want to believe divine healing is available yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We are bound by the parameters of our desire and our motivation.  Everyone who is sick doesn’t want to be made well.

Pastor Don told us about how, during one service, the Holy Spirit let him know that the anointing for healing for one of the ladies attending. She had been in a car accident. Pastor went to lay hands on her and pray for her healing.  He said to her, “I believe the Lord told me that if I lay hands on you, you will be healed.”  The woman said, “Don’t touch me, Don.”  He asked, “Why?” She said, “If you touch me, I’ll get healed and I want to sue that SOB that hit me. Don’t lay hands on me.”

Pastor was stunned and he told the woman, “The healing anointing is here for you now, I can’t guarantee that after the lawsuit that it will be available.”

She insisted she wanted to get that man.

Pastor Don said that the criterion for healing is not so much God’s criteria, but our own. This woman rejected the possibility of healing. Often, we are the problem.

Then Pastor Don said, that there were many people at the Pool of Bethesda, and Jesus only went to this one man. How come the others waiting at the pool didn’t look at Jesus and ask, “What’s your criteria for healing? Are you willing?”  The leper went up to Jesus and asked him if He was willing, and Jesus said He was willing to heal. 

So, we need to be aware that it is our criteria that is preventing the flow of what God wants to do. We limit what God wants to do because of our stuff.  Sometimes we are not obedient. We don’t drop our criteria to accept God’s.

Verse 7 is a coping out about the problem. The problem for this man wasn’t faith or belief (he believed if he would get into the pool, he would be healed) it was obedience. He was at the pool for so many years that he was obviously believing something.

Pastor reminded us that when we visited Israel we looked at the pool – one side was a high wall, and you had to climb a series of steps to reach the pool and there was just a narrow walking area maybe three to four feet wide. People would lay on these steps waiting for the waters to stir. Because of the nature of this man’s disability, he was able to get to the steps but unable to be the first in the water. An able bodied person would have been able to reach the waters.

It was mentioned that Jesus had healing in His wings. Pastor Don took us to Malachi 4:1-3 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” says the Lord of hosts, “that will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this,” says the Lord of hosts. “Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

Pastor Don illustrated this by using a prayer shawl – showing how, when wearing one, the person praying could pull it completely over their heads and have their faces hidden from view (prayer closet). And how, if one wears a prayer shawl, grabs the ends and lifts their arms it looks like wings of a bird. And the tassels (talit) were the hem of this garment that the woman with the issue of blood reached out to touch. 

The Jews believed that such a garment would build up a healing power because of the prayers prayed while wearing it.   Jesus is the Sun of Righteousness. He would have worn a prayer shawl because no Orthodox Jew would be caught without his prayer shawl. 

The Day of the Lord did not come at the appearance of the Messiah, they took this prophesy out of its setting. 

Healing came through Jesus’ prayer shawl because they believed and had faith for it. God accepts those who hear the truth and obey. Those who are faint of heart can be changed when their ignorance is replaced by the truth that God holds us to. God won’t bless our ignorance.

Pastor Don shared that when he first began to believe God and lay hands on people he felt the presence of God for healing as a tingling on his arms. When the tingling appeared, he knew that the healing anointing was available. As Pastor grew in his faith, the tingling stopped. He realized that he had to believe, by faith, that the anointing for healing was there. And he realized that, if he relied on an outward sign like the tingling of his arms, that the enemy could imitate that and fool Pastor into believing it was God. 

We need to step out in faith, believing that once we take that first step, God will meet us. God frees us to operate more effectively.  

We were reminded that there was nothing in the appearance of Jesus that would stand out in a crowd, his appearance was ordinary, so when people approached Him, it was not because of anything physical.

A question was asked about sin and sickness, how the Jews believed that all sickness was caused by sin. Pastor pointed out that this is not always the case using the following Scripture.

John 9:1-2 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.  And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

The Jews assumed that there was a direct connection between sin and sickness, sin and poverty, sin and misfortune. They didn’t do like we do today and say that everybody is a good person so anything bad happening is an act of God. God does not bring sickness, disease, and death, that is the enemy who does this. 

We were reminded that in Deuteronomy 28 there is a long passage of blessings and curses that would fall on the Israelites depending on whether they obeyed God or disobeyed God.

Our discussion then went to the role of husbands as the spiritual head of the family.

Pastor said that it is not surprising that the Holy Spirit is linked to the feminine – wife – teacher and comforter.

More women attend church than men. The woman needs to fake it until her husband steps into his role as spiritual head of the family. Even if women know the answer to spiritual questions, it is important to take the questions to their husband so that the husband steps up to the plate and answers them. As we defer to our husbands, then the husbands fulfill the role that God placed them in. 

The biggest obstacle to faith is disobedience and not obeying the law. 

How come Christians go to church, are good people and they believe that they are redeemed from sin, but they don’t believe that Jesus also died for healing.

Galatians 3:13-14  Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

We are redeemed from the curse of the law, not because we did anything to cause this, but because we believed it.

Two thousand years later, we believe Jesus died for our sins, but we don’t believe that He died for our healing. It should be as easy for us to believe that Jesus died for our healing as it is for us believing for salvation.

Pastor Don said that one day he drove to a local filling station, did not have money. He asked the clerk if he could leave his driver’s license so he could go to get money from the bank and then return to pay for the gas.  When he got to the bank he reached his hand into the back pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. He didn’t know he had that. Even though he had enough money to get enough gas, that money didn’t do him any good because he didn’t realize he had that money.

It is the same with healing – we cannot make use of the power of healing that Jesus died to provide for us unless we realize that we have that power within us because of what Jesus did on the cross.

Where is our faith? We sometimes think that we are not qualified to heal or be healed. God just says that all we need to do is come in faith believing. Do we dare believe in God? Remember Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. We believe, sight unseen. 

We don’t always act like we believe that there is a Heaven to be gained. We fight so hard to hold onto life. 

When our prayers for healing don’t work the way we want them to, we doubt God. We aren’t always honest with ourselves. Often we say we are believing for a healing when we are really wishing and hoping, but don’t have the faith for healing. We need to get honest with the Holy Ghost.  We can go to God and honesty say like the man with the sick son – Lord I believe, help my unbelief. 

John 5:8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”

The presence of God can change any circumstance.

John 5:9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.

Notice, the man made no more excuses. He said to his self, “Self get up and walk.” He had faith in God, the person of God who talked to him. 

The Church says they have faith, but they don’t live by faith. We have to get brutally honest with ourselves. Often, we can’t get past the lack of seeing.

If you tell a seven-year-old Santa is coming, the child races downstairs in the morning expecting. If you tell the same thing to an adult, they will not believe because they have lived longer and have seen things that hinder their faith.

We have to purpose that nothing on earth or in earth will hold us in sickness. Only the devil and you can hold you in sickness. The devil wants us to feel unworthy and unacceptable to God, because then the devil can hold us in bondage.

There is no place in Scripture that Jesus has us fill out forms or ask us questions about why we should or shouldn’t be healed. 

Why did Jesus go find this guy? Jesus followed the promptings of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit told Jesus that if he didn’t get to this guy the devil and other people would hold him in bondage.

This man had the presence of Jesus. We believe for healing by faith. John 17:20-21 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

Jesus prayed for us, who believe because of the Word, not because Jesus was physically present for us.

Jesus climbed over all the people lying by the pool looking for one who really had faith for healing. When Jesus told the man to rise up and pick up his bed, the man immediately did this. He didn’t question Jesus or say, I don’t think I can do this, I’m a cripple. He immediately obeyed.

Don’t sign up for less than the best – the devil is glad to give you disease and hurt your faith. Trust Jesus and know that not only did He die for our salvation but also for our healing.

I apologize for not updating my blog for a few weeks. My plan is to make regular posts from now on.

Taught 11/18/11

Last enemy is death and the resurrection of life

1 Corinthians 15:1-2 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

Notice the “if” makes this conditional.  Salvation is based on what you believe – believing makes the difference. Christ conquered death. All men have to face death and their fear of death. On what is your faith rooted and grounded?  There is a spiritual mandate to overcome death. In dying we are raised up from death. But if we don’t believe Jesus was raised from the dead our faith is useless.  So many Christians are afraid of death. We need to believe in the resurrection of the dead and our personal resurrection.

1 Corinthians 3-4 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures…

Any time the Scriptures mention the third day there is a reference to the rapture.

Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days.

There are 300 prophesies about the resurrection of the dead.

The first mention of the third day is with the Creation.

Genesis 1:9 Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 

In Scripture, waters refers to both people and water – and the gathered together in one place - 

When the rapture occurs the antichrist will be revealed (dry land) dry implies no water, and Scripture also refers to the Water of the Word. 

There is always a reference with third day/month/week.  The Bible doesn’t use the term rapture – it refers to a quickening, catching away, resurrection. 

1 Corinthians 15:4  and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 

Rose again on the third day.

1 Corinthians 15:5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 

This is an important verse – nonbelievers ask how do you know he rose from the dead. They imply that the disciples might be agreeing to lie about this. But the disciples died terrible, torturous deaths instead of denying that Jesus rose from the dead.  Cephas is another name for Peter.  So Jesus was seen by the twelve, but the following verse adds more details to this.

1 Corinthians 15:6  After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 

Soul sleep is not what this is referring to, but fallen asleep refers to death. There were over five hundred who saw Jesus at once, and many of them are still alive when this letter was written.  Any one of them could have denounced the truth of seeing Jesus.

John 11:3-4  Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”  When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Jesus is not saying Lazarus is sick so that God can get the glory. But God can take what the enemy means for harm and turn it to good. When good comes of a sad situation, God gets the glory. The devil is the one who brings sickness, disease, and death. When you get healed, God gets the glory. The devil would rather you feel the situation is hopeless instead of seeking God’s help.

John 11:6-11 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.  Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”  The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.  But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”  These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”

Jesus stayed two days before making the journey. He wanted the Jewish mourners to be sure that Lazarus was dead. When Jesus says that Lazarus is sleeping, it is really that he is dead.

John 11:12-15  Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.”  However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”

The disciples misunderstood Jesus, and Jesus tells them plainly that Lazarus is dead. But, as Jesus told them, This sickness is not unto death. 

There is physical death, where the body dies and the spirit leaves the body. And then there is spiritual death. Spiritual death is eternally separated from God. God does not will that for man, but if man really wants to be separate from God, God will not force Himself on man. The only place man can go is the place God reserved for the sinning angels and those who blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the lake of fire.  

Someone in our Bible study asked if they could inadvertently commit the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, and Pastor Don assured them that only those who operate fully in all the gifts, who have accepted Christ as their Savior, and are well-grounded in their faith, if with that full knowledge, they choose to turn their backs on the Savior, they have committed blasphemy.  New Christians, those who are hurting that might be angry with God for a season are not in this category. This is reserved for mature Christians. Because Jesus died once for our sins. 

2 Corinthians 11:13-14 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 

There are false apostles and deceitful workers who speak for the angel of enlightenment. Don’t forget that satan was the angel of light until he fell. Now he tries to trick people into accepting his teachings as truth, even though the teachings go against the truth of Scripture.

2 Corinthians 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. 

This verse will not happen until the Day of Judgement. We need to have discernment in these last days. There are many who claim that they are of God, but they are not teaching the truth and the fruit of their ministry doesn’t match up with the truth of God. We let evil slide and don’t call it for what it is. One example of false teaching is those churches that claim that Jesus doesn’t heal any more and the miracles of the Apostles are not for today. How could a loving God let us spend times in these end days without equipping us to deal with the powers of darkness? Isaiah tells us that by His stripes we are healed. Jesus told us that we would do greater works than He did. 

James 5:13-15 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

If James tells us to lay hands on the sick, how can these churches claim that Jesus doesn’t heal any more? 

2 Corinthians 11:4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!

Paul is saying that people may come preaching things Jesus didn’t say. Don’t tolerate wrong teachings or evil. Make sure you don’t follow erroneous teachings.

2 Corinthians 11:28  besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. 

Paul is saying that he is worried about the churches. The Holy Spirit tells us not to worry because if you are worried you are not in faith.

2 Corinthians 11:29-30  Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. 

boasting is a sin, if you are boasting for yourself and what you do. It is not sinful boasting if you are praising God for what He did.

2 Corinthians 11:31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.  

Paul was willing to boast that what he was able to accomplish he did through Christ Jesus.

In the Bible the original scrolls were not divided by chapter and verse. So chapter 12 is a continuation of what is discussed in Chapter 11.

2 Corinthians 12:1 It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: 

Paul is not boasting – he is going to share a revelation he had from the Lord. When the writers of the Bible wrote about themselves they did not say “I or Me” so he is going to say I know a man…

2 Corinthians 12:2-4 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 

He was caught up into the third Heaven. He was caught up either in the body or in his spirit, and he heard words that were inexpressible. Because we see a vision does not mean that it is meant to be shared with others.

2 Corinthians 12:5-8 Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities.  For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me. And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.  Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.

This passage has been misinterpreted. Some say that Paul had eye problems or a sickness. That God would use sickness to teach Paul a lesson. Paul suffered, but not at the hands of God. It was a messenger of satan which came to buffet him, to keep him humble. Paul wrote 63% of the Gospels. He paid a high price with his body. We read of shipwrecks, imprisonment, stonings, and he still persisted in sharing his message despite all the obstacles that the enemy tried to put in his path. 

A lot of Christians use this passage to say that they are suffering sickness or setbacks for the glory of God. God is not glorified by our suffering, but He is glorified when we use His principles to overcome suffering. Most who say they are suffering for the Lord are not really doing that, the ones who suffer for the Lord are the ones doing God’s will and if difficulties come, then it is suffering for the Lord. Not every sickness or disease is for the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

To understand this passage, we need to realize that grace is not the same as mercy. Mercy is unmerited favor, but grace comes with the idea of empowerment from God to do the work that God wants us to do. In the Greek, infirmities mean weaknesses, emotions, psychological problems, lack of ability. We can trust that God will help us to overcome these challenges. So when we are challenged, we rely on the grace of God (empowerment) to do what we cannot do on our own, and thus we give glory to God.

Pastor Don pointed out that there are many things that become traditions in our churches that are not biblical.  He told us that in the Baptist church, before communion they were to examine themselves to see if they were in sin before they took communion. This practice is based on the following verse.

2 Corinthians 13:5-6 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.

But the passage does not say to see if you are in sin – it says to examine yourself to see if you are in faith. If you are not in faith it is displeasing to God, so we are to examine ourselves to see if we are in faith. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. We can sin in thoughts and deed. But if we find sin, it is not hard to come back in alignment with God. All we need to do is remember 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This verse is true past, present, and future. When we go to God and confess our sins, He forgives all our sins. We are not in sin when we confess, for our sins are covered by the Blood of the Lord. We need to be in faith and take communion in faith.

2 Peter 2:24  who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 

Are we in faith to believe that Jesus did this for us?

Jesus never said that we had to examine ourselves to see if we are in sin. This is what He said.

2 Corinthians 11:24-26 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”  For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

Jesus told us to eat the bread and drink the cup and use that to remember what He did for us until the day He comes.

Communion should be the happiest time for it is a way to help us remember what Jesus did and also the fact that He will come again.

Jesus is our bread of life. Even in the Old Testament God provided Manna in the wilderness to preserve life until the people reached the promised land. Now we are offered the bread of life to give us strength and courage until He comes again. 

Praying your day is blessed.

Heather

This Bible study was taught November 11, 2011.  Pastor asked me to start teaching because he was in a meeting.  He came down midway and listened to the teaching. After I finished Chapter 13 of Judges, Pastor Don made a few comments that added depth to what was taught.  What a blessing.  As I was teaching about wives going to their husbands for spiritual advice, he realized that there were widows and unmarried women in the group and he expanded the teaching to incorporate it for them as well. It taught me to make sure to see who is in the group and make sure that what I’m teaching applies to every circumstance.  I loved learning how to be a better teacher.  We are so blessed to sit under Pastor Don’s teaching and also blessed that he pushes us to be even better at our tasks.   

One of my sources for Jewish history is a wonderful website:  www.torahclass.com.  I also use Strong’s Concordance  (the number in parenthesis behind the name is the Strong’s number), and Holman’s Bible Dictionary

We’ve been studying the book of Judges, seeing the pattern that the Israelites did: obey God, fall into sin and idolatry, the enemy comes in, the people cry out to God, God raises a judge, and the people line up with God’s will and God helps the judge to remove the enemy.  When the people are obeying God, their land is in peace, but this cycle of sin mentioned twice in the Book of Judges shows that the people continue in the pattern.  Our focus in these studies has been to look at the events around the time of the judge emerging, the meanings of the judges names, the meanings of the enemy’s names, and the meanings of all the cities and places mentioned to see what God is trying to show about each circumstance.  With Samson, we are going to see a brilliant leader being used by God, with God using all of Samson’s weaknesses and temptations to further God’s plan so that the Israelites are not comfortable with the enemy. We can very easily fall into sin, and expect that God’s hand of protection and God’s power will be there only to find out that we have stepped out from underneath the covenant and God does not have to protect us.  If you recall the story of Samson you will remember that in the end Samson’s symbol of power, his hair, was cut. Samson lost his power and he also lost his sight because the Philistines destroyed his sight. Interesting that Samson’s name means sunlight and windows – for Samson became spiritual blinded through his disobedience.  When Samson finally comes to his senses and asks God for one more time to fight the enemy, Samson will do more damage to the enemy in one act of obedience to God than he did in all of his fleshly pursuits against the enemy.  I suggested to the people at the Bible study that this shows us, if we link up to God in obedience, we can do far more than if we keep doing things our way.

Samson is given several chapters in the book of Judges. Some judges only have a few verses.  When God spends so much time on one circumstance, there is an important message He wants us to learn, so let’s see what God has to say about Samson’s birth.

 Samson – (8123) sunlight from 8121  to be brilliant, the sun, the east, a ray, a notched battlement, surprising, windows,

 Judges 13:1 Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

The Israelites went back to their old ways. Notice, there is no mention of the people crying out to God for deliverance. Until we realize we need God and ask for His help, God does not need to answer our needs. That is not to say that, in some circumstances, He will act even when we are out of order. The people were content to be in the hands of the Philistines for forty years.  Forty years is a long, long time to be in captivity.  Sometimes we get so used to captivity we forget the freedom God offers us.

(torah.com) According to Hebrew History there is some overlap in the various Bible chapters here. The time when Jepthah was judge was the same time that Samuel was functioning.  There wasn’t a single tribe in Israel who wasn’t fighting for their lives.   Samson judged from about 1070 BC to 1050 BC, about the time Eli the High Priest and Samuel lived.  As you can see from the map, the various tribes and judges operated in different parts of Canaan and the judges only affected a few tribes. Samuel operated with Judah and the southern tribes, Abdon operated in the north.   The Ark of the Covenant had been stolen, and Eli and his evil sons die.  Samuel will be the priest.  The Philistines were oppressing the Israelites, but they weren’t seeking to annihilate them. 

Dan never firmly held any of the territory it was allotted, they started to move into other secure territories of other Israelite tribes.  Some moved near the Lebanon border and for a time lived in a city called Dan, that was more pagan in nature.  But Samson and the other Danites stayed, living under the government of the Philistines, and many assimilated into Philistine society.

Samson’s birth will be announced by an Angel of the Lord.  Unlike other judges, Samson never raised an army or led his tribe in an uprising against their oppressors.  He assaulted the Philistines on his own, and a lot of the circumstances and battles were caused by his lack of self-control and moral lapses.  He did not follow many of the precepts that God laid down for the Israelites such as no intermarrying.

 Judges 13:2  Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children.

Zorah  (6681) to screech exaultingly, shout
Danites  (Dan – 1835) (1839) so of Jacob, Dan, dawn
Manoah(4495) – same as 4494 – quiet, a settled spot, a home, place of rest.

God often uses barren women to bring forth salvation for Israel – a barren woman was one past childbearing years and past the time when she can naturally bear a child. In those times, it was thought that God had cursed the woman and prevented her from having a child, even though it could also be the man who was at fault.

Judges 13:3 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a so.

The angel of the LORD, when it is written like that is a pre-incarnate visitation from Christ,   (torah.com) malach YHWH – malach means angel or messenger and YHWH is the formal name of God. 

She is not certain who this person is, but she listens carefully to His instructions that follow:

 Judges 13:4-5  Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”

He is to ba a Nazirite from the day of the womb – drinking no wine, not eating anything unclean, and no razor on his head.  It is normally a vow that is taken for a specific period of time. Samson is to live this vow for life.

We see the details of this vow in Numbers Chapter 6

Numbers 6:1-8 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When either a man or woman consecrates an offering to take the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD, he shall separate himself from wine and similar drink; he shall drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar drink; neither shall he drink any grape juice, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins. All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, from seed to skin. ‘All the days of the vow of his separation no razor shall come upon his head; until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the LORD, he shall be holy. Then he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.  All the days that he separates himself to the LORD he shall not go near a dead body. He shall not make himself unclean even for his father or his mother, for his brother or his sister, when they die, because his separation to God is on his head. All the days of his separation he shall be holy to the LORD.

The vow:  1) no wine, no similar drink, nothing made from wine or vinegar, nothing from seed to skin, no going into a vineyard.  2. No razor on his head.  3. Not go near a dead body so he doesn’t become unclean, not even if father, mother, or any family member dies.  4. Be holy and separate to the Lord. 

Since Samson’s mom was not a Nazirite, why did she have to do these things? This shows that God knows that the child is connected to the mother in the womb and what the mom eats and drinks is passed on to the child.  Since the child is to be a Nazirite from birth and birth begins in the womb, mom needs to follow these food restrictions.

Spoiler alert – Samson will break every one of these vows.

Notice the angel says Samson will BEGIN to rescue Israel. Sadly, he won’t finish the job. And in the time after Samson, Dan still won’t eliminate the Philistines and they will fall back into their old ways. 

Judges 13:6-7   So the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name.  And He said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’”

 She does not report all that the angel said, she doesn’t mention the Philistines, and the angel only told her Nazirite from the womb, nothing about his death.

Nazirite – (5139) separated from 5144 to hold aloof, abstain (from food, drink, impurity).  To set apart to sacred purposes, consecrate.  Earliest use of Nazir is Genesis 49:28 blessings of the father shall be on he head of Joseph, separated from his brothers, and he was for he became the savior of his father, his brothers, and their families.  Two types of Nazirite vows, one was temporary and the other perpetual.  There were only three in the Bible who had perpetual vows – Samson, John the Baptist, and Samuel

According to the torahclass.com the wife felt it was a man of God, an ish elohim – which is what they called a prophet.  She thought He was human, not a spiritual being, but she felt He had a face of an angel of God.  

She was wise. She went to her husband and reported what was said to her.  She did not ask where he came from or his name.  In those days, as we have been seeing, a name tells us a lot about their physical and spiritual heritage, and the names had meaning. 

One of the best things about marriage is having a spouse to bounce ideas and experiences on. When we share with our spouse, we have their wisdom and experience to help us to not make mistakes. My husband is awesome. He helps me not to worry about unnecessary things.  He points out paths I didn’t consider. If I’m saying or doing something that would hurt my cause, he points it out.  I’m also able to help him and give him ideas. We have three kids and sometimes we joke that between us we have one mind. Other godly perspectives can prevent a multitude of errors.

Judges 13:8  Then Manoah prayed to the LORD, and said, “O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born.”

Manoah asked God to let this Man of God come again, so that he could find out the important information they would need to raise the child the way God wanted. We need to do that with our children.  God has entrusted them (spiritual and physical children) into our lives and we should continually ask God’s guidance for how we should rule them.

Judges 13:9-12  And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her. Then the woman ran in haste and told her husband, and said to him, “Look, the Man who came to me the other day has just now appeared to me!”  So Manoah arose and followed his wife. When he came to the Man, he said to Him, “Are You the Man who spoke to this woman?”  And He said, “I am.”  Manoah said, “Now let Your words come to pass! What will be the boy’s rule of life, and his work?”

So God answers Manoah’s prayer and he asks God for more information.

Judges 13:13-14  So the Angel of the LORD said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful. She may not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor may she drink wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean. All that I commanded her let her observe.”

The Angel of the Lord repeats what He told the woman.  He does not answer Manoah’s question about the boy’s rule of life and his work.  The Angel of the Lord’s concern was that the mother obey all the rules.  Sometimes God gives us an instruction, but how the outcome is, remains a mystery.  We must follow Him step by step, walking in faith.  God doesn’t give us a road map. We want the whole picture and God wants us to walk by faith doing the next step that He tells us, then God will give us the next step.  We want the total picture, but sometimes it is in our best interest to only know our next step. God won’t give us more than we can handle at one time.  If we lose our place, all we need to do is to go back to where we lost our focus and take the next step. God wants obedience in faith.

Judges 13:15  Then Manoah said to the Angel of the LORD, “Please let us detain You, and we will prepare a young goat for You.”

Manoah offers to honor the Angel of the Lord with hospitality and to prepare a special meal. A young goat is an acceptable sacrifice to God.

 Judges 13:16  And the Angel of the LORD said to Manoah, “Though you detain Me, I will not eat your food. But if you offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to the LORD.” (For Manoah did not know He was the Angel of the LORD.)

The Angel of the Lord refuses and says it should be offered as a burnt offering to the Lord. This lets Manoah realize that this meeting wasn’t what it initially appeared, that this man/angel was special. 

Judges 13:17  Then Manoah said to the Angel of the LORD, “What is Your name, that when Your words come to pass we may honor You?”

 Manoah finally gets around to asking the Angel of the Lord His name.  He wants to honor the Angel of the Lord, but is thinking he is a human prophet.

 Judges 13:18  And the Angel of the LORD said to him, “Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?”

King James says, “seeing it is secret”  (6383)  remarkable, secret, wonderful, it means incomprehensible, extraordinary, beyond one’s ability to understand.  Another versions say his name is unknowable.  So, in a way, the Angel of the Lord is saying what difference does it mean to know my Shem (name) it is beyond anything you can comprehend. (Torah.com – great source for the Hebrew interpretation of a passage)

Jesus is also called wonderful, counselor….

Judges 13:19-20 So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it upon the rock to the LORD. And He did a wondrous thing while Manoah and his wife looked on— it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar—the Angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground.

So the food was offered on a rock as a burnt offering.  What was brought for an offering was acceptable to God – a goat, and grain.  So it fit the Law of the sacrifice.  Now this is interesting because God in Leviticus instructed that people were to bring their sacrifice to the Tabernacle and that they would offer their sacrifice on the bronze altar, not their private altars. So, in this instance, Manoah is sacrificing to God on a stone.  Remember what is happening in Israel’s history at this time. Eli, Eli’s sons, and the priesthood were not acting in accord with the law.  The priests had limited power, and didn’t fully follow the regulations of the Torah – they did what was right in their own hearts. 

And the Angel ascended in the flame of the altar, the sacrifice was acceptable to God, and Manoah and his wife fell on the ground and worshipped.

Judges 13:21-22  When the Angel of the LORD appeared no more to Manoah and his wife, then Manoah knew that He was the Angel of the LORD.  And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God!”

Here, they realize that they have seen an Angel of the Lord, God.  They were afraid because no one was to see the face of God and live.

Judges 13:23  But his wife said to him, “If the LORD had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things, nor would He have told us such things as these at this time.”

This is another good reason for marriage bond, the ability to talk things over with one’s spouse and sort things out.  She points out The Angel of the Lord accepted the offering and told them wonderful prophesies. If He was going to kill them, he would have done so before this. 

Judges 13:24-25  So the woman bore a son and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. And the Spirit of the LORD began to move upon him at Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Well, they acted in faith, the husband and wife beyond childbearing years believed, acted, and produced their son, and God blessed him.

Mahaneh Dan  (4265)  camp of Dan from 4264 encampment, army of men or angels, cattle, locusts, stars, host

Zorah (6678)  a station, a region

Eshtaol  (847)  intreaty, from 7592 a request, demand, desire, require, borrow, salute, earnestly beg, lay to charge, consult.

As we watch Samson’s life, we will see that He will disobey every one of the vows, will toy with the power he has. It won’t be until much later that he effectively acts for God’s Kingdom.  He will squander a lot of what God had for him in his lifestyle. He will ultimately end up blind – sort of a spiritual blindness and darkness that is similar to what is happening today. We are operating in spiritual blindness to what is happening in these end times.

Samson will begin to eliminate the oppression of the Philistines, King David will be the one to complete it.  It will take God’s king (David) to subdue the Philistines, and in our day and time it will take our King, Jesus Christ to subdue the Philistines of our day.

PASTOR DON MOORE’S COMMENTS

There is safety in a multitude of counsel.  Better to have the right answer with agreement, so that we use our wise counselor’s discernment and make sure that we aren’t missing something. 

If you do not have a spouse, or help-meet, find a spiritual person to stand in for you.  Make sure that it is someone who is able to help you.  For example, if you are asking questions about marriage, seek someone who is successfully married, not someone who has been through many divorces.  

You want to find people who will challenge you if you are making a false assumption, not someone who will agree with you when they know you are making a mistake.  

If you seek help from people who operate in faith you will get a faith answer, not a flesh answer.  Don’t seek someone who fills you with doubt and unbelief.

Ask for wisdom so you can hear the truth of God.

Pastor Don pointed out that Manoah was full of doubt and unbelief.  He sought guidance and brings balance to the situation.

Judges 13:22-23 – he lost balance when he thought that because He saw the face of God that he would die.

Judges 13:18 And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?”

This is a spiritual secret beyond understanding. This occurs 1500 years before the Messiah, the Word of God. This prophesy will come true.

We need to be aware that there are times when we’ve entertained angels unaware.

Since Exodus the Jews have talked to the Angel of the Lord.  We need to remember that Jesus is the Angel of the Lord, and nobody ever spoke like this man.

Judges 13:6-7  So the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name.  And He said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’”

Notice the sentence in verse 3 when the Angel of the Lord tells her about the child, she tries to determine if he is a prophet or man of God.

In verse 23 But his wife said to him, “If the LORD had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things, nor would He have told us such things as these at this time.” 

Pastor Don pointed out that if we discern the actions and activity of God, our personalities will draw the proper conclusion. The husband’s fear of seeing the face of the Lord shows he didn’t have an accurate interpretation of events. Fortunately the husband listened to his wife and changed his attitude. But, if you are married and have a husband (or wife) that is negative, know that you can say what you want, but be prepared for his negative reaction. 

Discern your expectations, and know that if you are expecting something negative to happen, your expectations are projected by fear. Don’t let your expectations ruin your day.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

If you keep the fruits of the Spirit and stay humble then you cannot violate the Law. Stay humble when offering your opinion.

You don’t see Jesus rebuff people until He hears them speak.  He listens and then questions their opinions. He offers His opinion nicely.  When the rich young ruler spoke with Jesus he spoke gently letting the man realize he was close to the Kingdom of Heaven, but there was one thing he needed.  Jesus was always humble.

Judges 13:23 (see above) She held on to the truth. When we feel cut off from the Lord, we need to get back to the truth, to remind ourselves of the Words of God and what God has said. 

Manoah could kill God’s plan if he persisted in the negative.  But he did what he needed to do to further the birth of this son.

I hope this teaching blesses you.

Heather

Pastor Don Moore taught this on 11/4/11 

Job 1:6-9 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing?

The sons of God – in Hebrew mentioned in Genesis 6 in conjunction with fallen angels mating with humans to produce nephilim and giants. This is reprehensible to God and it was part of satan’s plan to pollute the bloodline so that the Savior cannot be born.

Job 1:10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

Good to know that God provides hedges for us.

Job 1:11-12 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

God permits satan (satan cannot do this without God’s permission).  God removes the hedge of protection from around Job, but instructs satan that satan cannot kill Job or lay a hand on his person.

Job 1:13-19  Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

Great devastation occurs to Job, a great wind comes – tornadoes and hurricanes, these are not only acts of God, but angels can affect the natural.  And these disasters can only happen if God removes his hedge of protection.

Joshua 24:19-20 But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. (20) If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good.” 

God’s protection is dependent on the condition of verse 20. God always first blesses us and we can testify to the goodness of God. When things are tough, we can remember how God blessed us and loves us.

In the Greek there are four words to express love.  The English language has only one. In Greek there is fraternal love, sexual love, and friendship.  The kind of love God has for us is agape, the kind of love that is based on what is best for the other – it is not a selfish love.  There is a loving motive that God has behind removing His hand of protection.  His goal is to make the child of God realize that they are out of position and cause them to turn back to God and draw near to God. God cannot honor disobedience.

When challenges happen we may not know how to pray or we may blame God.  In the Old Testament the only way to reverse the devastation is to throw ourselves on the mercy of God.  In the New Testament, we can center our heart and spirit on the grace of God which empowers us to do better, and with God’s help to cover our situation in the Blood of Jesus.

We bring our situations on ourselves and we need the mercy and grace of God to overcome and empower us to go beyond the circumstance.

God is sovereign, in a battle you can be whipped and still be righteous. You can cling to the truths of the Word and come out of your trial better when you get to the other side.  

As a child of God we want to identify the sin, even if it is subtle. We don’t want to operate out of fear, for fear and faith don’t mix.  

Some teach that God abandoned Jesus on the Cross, but He did not abandon Jesus. Jesus was in God’s perfect will, doing what God planned, why would God abandon Jesus who was obeying God completely?  That would not be a comforting view of God.  God never abandoned Jesus.  Jesus was perfect, sin-free. He was able to go and preach to the souls in Abraham’s Bosom and led captivity captive.  If He was not in God’s perfect will or if He was not sin-free, He would have not been able to leave Sheol.  

Jesus has delivered us, h freed us from our captivity.  Our deliverance is a sure thing. He wants us to have faith for God’s manifestation.  We are operating in a false sense of captivity similar to being in a jail, the jailer leaves the door open and we can leave the jail, but, instead we sit in the jail even though the way to escape has been left open.

God has put everything out. He is waiting for us to come and get it. 

Fear tolerated is faith contaminated.

Revelation 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.  And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.  The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. 

Death and hades are spirits.  hell is a place.   Death and hades are cast into the lake of fire, the second death.  Anyone not found with their names written in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire.  God did not intend for us to go to hell.  But, if our deepest desire is to be nowhere near God, the only place where that is possible is the lake of fire.  If we make the choice to not have God in our lives, He will honor that choice, but that was not what He intended.  God does not condemn us to hell, we make the choice ourselves.

God told Adam and Eve that if they disobeyed Him they would die that day.  The Bible states that one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day.  They lived to 996 years and then they died.  None of them lived beyond the day (God’s timing) because of their sin.

1 Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 

I hope this teaching blesses you.

Have a wonderful day.

Heather

Here is a link to a website that contains the first chapter of my memoir.  Note – there are some swear words and a precursor to incest scene.

Let me know what you think.

Heather