These notes come from a Bible study taught on September 2, 2011 after Hurricane Irene came through our area and caused serious devastation. 

Good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. 

God protects us all. We can request a covering of protection by faith and pray, trusting God. 

We can trust God for protection. We are within the context of God’s sovereignty. God is not a god of destruction, except when He brings judgment.  When disasters strike, it may be that God is withholding His hand of protection and satan and satan’s angels do the damages. God is not required to protect what is outside of His will for man.

The secular news is always speaking about acts of God, but often it has nothing to do with God’s direct intervention, these are just acts of nature. There may be things going on in the sovereignty of God that we do not know or understand. A good example is the book of Job.  When disaster struck Job, Job had no idea what went on in the  heavenlies, he just knew what happened on earth.  Job chose to stay faithful to God.  Many of Job’s advisers assumed things about God’s motives regarding Job that weren’t true.

Are the current slew of disasters God’s judging of America?  Maybe, maybe not. America is making decisions now that are contrary to God’s will and America will answer for it.

Some current prophets are speaking about impending judgment of God.  We can pray, but some say it may be too late to pray and change our ways – things are already set in motion.  It may be too late for the verse: 2 Chronicles 7:14 … if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 

We must and should always pray, though.

We are the people of God, and we must begin to serve Him and His Kingdom. We are selfish and self-centered. We are concerned about our well-being.  God can provide for those who serve Him.

In Genesis the Israelites sojourned in Egypt. They ultimately became slaves of the Egyptians.  When the time was right, God judged Egypt for their treatment of the Israelites, and wealth exchanged hands.  God amply provided for the Israelites when they left Egypt.  While they were in the midst of their slavery, they may not have seen the Hand of God, but God was there working things out for the good of the Israelites.

Joseph was promised he would rule over his brothers, but he ended up as a slave in Egypt.  He was also at one time a prisoner, but then, at the right time, God raised him up to be prime minister. In this role, when famine came to the land, the people gave up their money, their livestock, their land, and themselves to Pharaoh to be able to survive the famine.

In America, we are heading toward this path today. We are sacrificing our children’s future so that we don’t face discomfort today, running our country deeper into debt, and turning more and more of our power over to the government.

Recent flooding and storms are producing a crop shortage.  We are already seeing corn shortages -as our food corn is turned into ethanol, and the fields are being flooded by unusual storms.

One of our members pointed out that there are many bombs and rockets being shot into Israel. Our country is not sharing this information with us. They are having a news blackout so that they can promote their anti-Israel policies. Our country is not supporting Israel, our best ally in the Middle East.

Rehoboam, son of Solomon, divided Israel by his oppressive polices until only Judah and Benjamin remained under his rule.  When he took over after his father’s death, he refused to reduce the tax burden on the people.  In his youth and inexperience, instead of listening to the wisdom of the elders, he chose to listen to his cohorts and ended up losing the land.

We have a similar situation in our country now – with Obama listening to those who sing the same song he sings, and not listening to wise advisers about what would be good for America.

How should we be judging the situation?  - Everything bad that happens is a good opportunity for us to minister to others.

Matthew 13:18-23 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” 

We are to share the message of God, and when we share, some will receive the message, others will let it fall by the wayside, and others will let it fall on rocky ground and the cares of the world will choke out the message.

Pastor Don said IF (AND ONLY IF) these disasters are a testing of the United States of America,, if God is saying trust me.  There will be terrible pressures on the land, on people and lifestyles, God may be seeing where people turn when things get tough. Do they hold on and exercise the Word of God?  Do they blame God when things get tough? Do they think the Word of God does no good?

Where will you be when things get tough? Who are you trusting?

When people of God say that these disasters are acts of God, they are not saying that as an evaluation of the truth, but rather as a way to blame God. 

People feel entitled.  Perry Stone spoke in a recent TV message about the time from AD30 to AD70 (when the Temple was destroyed).  In AD 60′s the people decided to revolt against Rome. This is mentioned in Josephus.  There was a Jewish mindset that we are God’s people and, as God’s nation, we should rise up against Rome.  Trouble was, God had not told them to do that.  The end result was disaster for Israel.

We want God to protect and take care of us. People automatically say, “Thank God,” when things go good in their lives, but do they really know God? Many only know God in a casual way, so the good may have had nothing to do with God’s intervention in their lives.  The moment something goes against their wishes, they no longer thank God or trust God, they blame God.

We are in a window of Judgment. If God allows disasters, what are we going to do with them? Sometimes good people get hurt in the disasters.  If good people are saved, that does not mean they are better than others who got hurt.  Sometimes bad people are saved in the midst of a disaster.

Are we going to make the same mistake Israel did in AD 60? Are we going to act the way we think we ought to, or are we going to listen for God’s guidance?

Sometimes, when disaster strikes, people pray for God’s assistance to rebuild.  But maybe it is not God’s plan that a certain thing gets rebuilt.  We need to be turning to God for direction in what we do in response to what is happening in our lives.

We ascribe to the blind theology of America the Great and God is with us. We are all God’s children, and God will spare us.  Those who call themselves Christian will be the remnant saved.

This is not necessarily true. Yes, God will spare a remnant, but we may be presuming more about our relationship with God than is true.  You can stand in a  garage, but that doesn’t make you a car.  You can attend church, but that doesn’t mean you have a knowledge and relationship with God.

Notice, in the above passage, the seed is planted in the heart and the wicked comes and snatches it from the heart. We have to keep our hearts safe and sound, not basing our hope in natural things, they’re just things. We still have to adjust our hearts and show compassion for other people. Many of us feel, if I got mine, it’s okay, but what will we do and how will we respond if what we think is mine is taken away?

Some seed falls in the stony places – it is received with Joy, then when a challenge comes, the roots wither and the seed does not survive.  Some people lost everything, but if they have joy in the Lord, that cannot be taken away from them.

If they do not have deep roots in the Lord, when disaster strikes, they ask, “Why did God do this to me?” 

Ann Graham Lotz spoke about that once during a TV interview when someone asked her why God permitted a particular disaster.  She responded that, they didn’t want God before the disaster, so how can they blame God for not showing up during the disaster? 

When trouble comes our way, how do we handle it?  Will we do Christ’s work? Will we blame God? Will we help others?

The Bible tells us to help the brethren first, then others.

God will sometimes let stuff keep happening until we can’t fix it in our own power and have to rely on Him. When disasters happen globally, where are we in the midst of them?  To whom do we turn?

Isaiah 34:1-2 Come near, you nations, to hear; and heed, you people! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world and all things that come forth from it. For the indignation of the LORD is against all nations, and His fury against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to the slaughter. 

Verse two says it all. No exceptions.

We need to keep praying our nation turns back to God. 

We also need to keep praying for Israel. God is concerned about where we stand in regards to Israel.

Have a blessed day.

Heather

Pastor Don was away for a few weeks, this study was taught on August 26, 2011

We are supposed to busy ourselves doing God’s work until He comes, even if He is coming later than we think He is going to come. There are no exact dates, no time setting. We are to do His work until He comes. Our goal is for Him to say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Matthew 25:14-15  For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 

This is Jesus talking, sharing a parable. The word used for servant in this passage is – doulos – which means slave or servant.  In those days slaves were part of the family, and often worked for a set period of time. After that time period was over the slave could either leave or choose to become a bondservant, staying with the family for the rest of his/her life.  The owner was required to give good care for his slaves.  For the owner, it was a sign of his good care that a slave would choose to be a bondservant. A slave that begins to know his master’s will could be elevated to the position of steward – one who would act the way the master would act without the master needing to be present. This is a parable of testing to see which of the slaves would become good stewards.

The Master is going to give the servants talents according to their ability.  One servant will receive five, the other will receive two, and the third will receive one. 

Ability is your able-ness and it involves two factors.

1. Availability – Do you make yourself available to be used?
2. Capability

If you make myself available and the Lord turns the heat, the challenge, or the requirements up, are you spiritually available? Are you a spiritual vessel? 

God’s ability and your capability working together can bring you further than you doing things by yourself.  Are you willing?  What will you suffer yourself to do? 

We had to repeat this as a group, “If I’m willing to take my able-ness and become able, God can use me for stuff. I can see clearly if I get out of my ego zone and do Your will.”

God can take our plans and make them go further. Our doubt has to go. Don’t make a list of how we want to do things, listen to God’s plans. Don’t negative speak. Negative speaking limits God’s ability. When we say, “I can’t do that.” It ties God’s hands.

God has the ability to make your capability exceed your false expectations of your capability. We can go way beyond what we think. Our vision of ourselves limits what we can do.

A steward is a mature saint and only mature saints know WWJD – What would Jesus do? He’s our Friend and we learn what our Friend likes and wants us to do by spending time with Him.

Pastor Don gave the example of going out to dinner with his wife. If she leaves the table for something and the waiter comes, Pastor Don could order for her because he knows what she would order if she was at the table.  He’s spent forty years with her and over that time together, he learned her likes and dislikes. We are to spend time with the Lord and learn His likes and dislikes, then we can change from servants/slaves to bondservants and stewards.

Matthew 25:16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 

This servant stepped up from servant to the next level.  He knew his Master grows and improves.  So this servant made an investment that doubled what the Master left him.

Matthew 25:17  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 

This servant also doubled the Master’s money.  Remember, the Master gave each servant according to their ability.  According to what they could handle.  The master did not overload a servant with what is greater than they could function with.  This servant did well and doubled the Master’s talents.

Matthew 25:18  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 

This servant was not a steward. He did nothing with the Master’s talent but bury it.  And we will see later in the story that he was not a friend of the Master for he didn’t know the master. 

Matthew 25:19-21 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’  His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 

This servant was advanced to steward – ruler over many because of his faithfulness over the talents the Lord gave him. 

Pastor Don said, the blessings of God and the provision of God are always progressive. We just sustain and the grace of God does. It is an abundant grace. It will surprise us up-ward. We need to open up and let God bless us. It is progressive even in the difficult moments. God surprises us with abundance.

Matthew 25:22-23 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’  His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

This servant also became a steward – a ruler over many because he faithfully used the talents the Lord gave him.

Matthew 25:24   Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.’

This servant shows that he does not know his Master. He assumed wrong things about the master and called him a thief – saying he reaped and gathered where he hadn’t sown. He had not spiritual vision. He only saw the physical, not the spiritual vision. 

Pastor Don told us to always pray for the unseen blessing, and believe for the increase. God surprises us.

Matthew 25:25 ^‘And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ 

This servant wasted seed.  All that we have is God’s, and this man buried the seed. He took his ability and did not put it to use so no one received the benefit. We need to put the ability God gives us to use for His Kingdom.

Matthew 25:26  But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 

The Master calls this slave wicked because the slave chose to believe evil about Him. If we sabotage the possibility of God’s acting by our negative speaking we are wicked. We are not portraying God as He is.  We don’t want to offend the Spirit of God by speaking evil of God. 

This servant robbed God. God wants His Kingdom to multiply – we need to take the seed (talents) He gives us and multiply it.  God wants us to multiply and get something back for the Creator.

Matthew 25:27  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 

This servant didn’t even do the barest minimum with the talent – putting it in the bank to earn interest. God gives us gifts and talents and wants us to increase the value of the gifts and talents and abilities.

God puts things in our lives, gives us the tools and people. We don’t have to understand why or how. We just need to be obedient to grow the seed He has planted in us.

We take our capability and our willingness and God adds ability. If we are uncertain how to use the talent, we need to find a mentor and say, “Teach me.” We want to learn how to use our talent correctly – sometimes, when we try to do things on our own we learn them wrong. It takes twice as long to unlearn something than it does to learn it properly the first time.

Sometimes, in our stubbornness, we fight to defend the wrong thing.

Matthew 25:28-29  So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  

So the servant lost the talent, it was given to the one with five talents.  I asked, why was the talent not given to the one with two talents?  And Pastor Don reminded us that the Lord knows the amount we can safely handle. He won’t give us more than we can properly use.

Things in the Kingdom of God do not stay the same – they either get better or worse.  We need to stir up the gift that is within us and use the talents God has provided.

Have a blessed day.

Heather

 

Pastor Don taught this Bible study on Friday, August 12, 2011

We continued our study of Joel.  See previous post.

Joel 2:28-29  And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. 

Men and women have the Spirit poured on them – evangelicals and pentecostals preach that this has been fulfilled, but the following verses call this into question.

Joel 2:30-31 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. 

This has not happened yet.

In studying prophesy, you can’t pull out a prophesy out of its setting and say that it applies now. When you are dealing with the prophetic you need to ask if it is a prophesy for now or later?

Some use these verses to justify women in the pulpit, but that takes the verse out of context. We need to go to the beginning of the passage to see what is happening.

Pastor Don had us turn to Hosea Chapter Six.

Hosea 6:1-2 Come, and let us return to the LORD; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. 

This is history marking all time. When will He bind us up?  After two days, on the third day. Pastor Don pointed out that the third day always refers to end times.

In the Bible it says that a day is as 1000 years.

Psalm 90:4 For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night.

2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

So the two days are two thousand years, and on the third 1000 years we are raised up. Every 2000 years we have a revival in the third 1000 years.

Adam died before he made one day – in the day he ate of the fruit he would die. No one lived 1000 years in all of the Old Testament.

Abraham brought about a revival – faith to get to Heaven, 

The third day – Moses and the Law.

Then there was David

Then Jesus was the fourth day.  

Now we have 2000 years since Jesus (the church age), and soon are coming into the next third day. This day (sixth day) will also have the tribulation and the promise of God with us, which leads to the seventh day will be the Millennial Reign of Christ.

Hosea 6:11  Also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed for you, when I return the captives of My people.

There is a harvest for Judah. Jesus is the Lion of Judah. We are grafted in to the root of Israel. Judah (Yehudah)

Pastor Don added, the joy of the Lord is my strength, and the fourth generation will be Messiah and believers.

The Millennial reign of Christ will be 1000 years with Christ’s leadership.  God says He will write the law in the hearts of men. For the 2000 years, Christ was preached to the Gentiles, but in the last days, God will draw in the lost sheep of Israel.

1948 corresponds with the prophesies that the captives would return to Israel. And since that time more and more people are making the return to Israel.  From everything that Jesus predicted in Matthew 24 and 25, and what is happening in world events, it shows us that the fields are white with harvest. We need to pray that the Lord send a Revival. We are not trying to revive a dead church, but rather gather in what is still alive.

A harvest is appointed, not a revival.

We are part of the organism of the Body of Christ, and we all have different responsibilities.  We have erroneously divided into denominations, Protestant, Catholic, Lutheran, Charismatic, etc. But that was not Christ’s vision.  We were to be part of ONE body IN CHRIST.

If the organized church is saying go left and Jesus says, “Go right,” who do you obey?  We must obey the Word of the Lord, Jesus.

Many of the organized denominations will be sucked in to the one world church of the new world order. Already churches are compromising the Word of God to be politically relevant. 

Joel 2:1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the LORD is coming, for it is at hand: 

This refers, according to Pastor Don, to the pre-days of the Lord’s Wrath. The Day of the Lord is coming. This coming will not impact true believers who, like the five virgins with the oil, be raptured.

Joel 2:2 A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, the like of whom has never been; nor will there ever be any such after them, even for many successive generations. 

Pastor Don pointed out that a people come – never seen before, at the Day of the Lord. 

Joel 2:3 A fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns; the land is like the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; surely nothing shall escape them. 

This reminds us of Moses and the Law, where God sent a fire before Moses to guide the people in the wilderness.  There was also a fire at one point behind them to protect the Israelites from Pharaoh’s army. Wherever the people go, they will be drawn into battle. It will be a purposeful destruction.

Joel 2:4-5 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; and like swift steeds, so they run. With a noise like chariots over mountaintops they leap, like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, like a strong people set in battle array. 

This is not describing ordinary people, but people with supernatural ability. Even the stubble will be devoured. Nothing will be left. This will be a time of great destruction and pain for the people.

Joel 2:6-7 Before them the people writhe in pain; all faces are drained of color. They run like mighty men, they climb the wall like men of war; every one marches in formation,  and they do not break ranks. 

These people are not demonic forces for they are purposeful and do not break ranks. As more information is added we will see who these people are.

Joel 2:8-11 They do not push one another; every one marches in his own column. Though they lunge between the weapons, they are not cut down. They run to and fro in the city, they run on the wall; they climb into the houses, they enter at the windows like a thief. The earth quakes before them, the heavens tremble;  the sun and moon grow dark, and the stars diminish their brightness. The LORD gives voice before His army, for His camp is very great; for strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; who can endure it? 

This is God’s army, purposeful and orderly. We know this has not happened yet because the sun and moon haven’t grown dark nor have the stars diminished in their brightness.

Joel 2:12 “Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” 

This is not referring to God’s army, but the people who have turned away from God. They need to turn to God and repent.

Joel 2:13-16 So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. Who knows if He will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him— a grain offering and a drink offering– for the LORD your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes; let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room.

God is calling the people to repent, it is not His heart to have people hurt. The bridegroom and bride show that normal behaviors need to be dropped for repentance. But also, the bride refers to the Bride of Christ who will accomplish Jesus when He returns as the conquering king. Notice that these are people who worship God with the offerings, judgment begins first at the house of the Lord.  The judgment will be on those who hate the Lord.

Joel 2:17 Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar; let them say, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not give Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples,  ‘Where is their God?’” 

The priests will plead for God’s mercy.

Joel 2:18-19 Then the LORD will be zealous for His land, and pity His people. The LORD will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, and you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations. 

Those that turn to the Lord will gain prosperity.  The grain is prosperity.  The New Wine and oil is the Holy Spirit. Israel will have a remnant saved and will no longer be a reproach among the nations. This will occur when the Day of the Lord occurs. 

Joel 2:20  “But I will remove far from you the northern army, and will drive him away into a barren and desolate land, with his face toward the eastern sea and his back toward the western sea; his stench will come up, and his foul odor will rise, because he has done monstrous things.” 

Pastor Don used these directions to point out some of the players, northern army would be Russia, Turkey, Islam, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. , the Western sea would be the Mediterranean Sea.

God will bring destruction to the enemies of God, in the Day of the Lord. 

Pastor Don pointed out that there is a progressive fulfillment of prophesy. There was a near fulfillment of this prophesy at Joel’s time, and there will be a future fulfillment of this at the end days. 

There will be a defiling of Jerusalem which will begin the setup for the Millennial reign.

Next Bible study will begin to cover parts of Matthew 25

Have a blessed day.

Heather