Friday Bible Study notes from June 18, 2010

God is going to save the House of Israel in the Last Days, we need to read the heart of His message. God is speaking about a time in the future after the dispersion (there is a near and far prophesy in this passage). It may not look in the natural the way God is describing it, but in the supernatural God is calling the Jews to return. There will be a remnant in Israel. There has been a move of Christianity over the whole World, but there will come a time when Jews will go to Yeshua and say that He is their Messiah. We are ingrafted into the vine of the Jews, but one day all will be on the same vine as ONE NEW MAN. 

Ezekiel 38 speaks of the nature of the Islamic people, marshalled  supernaturally against Israel, and God's judgment upon them.

The dry bone scenario reflects spiritually to Israel, but there is a parallel for the Church, for the Church is also dry.

Ezekiel is instructed to SPEAK to the bones, we need to speak more, for God moves on those who hear His voice - you can't hear His voice if you are not speaking it out loud. We don't need to think more, we need to SPEAK God's Words.

Be careful about deciding who we think will be going to Heaven or not. Look beyond the name over the door and outward appearances. Why stay "dry" when food and water (Word of God) is served. 

Someone asked about cremation, and Pastor Don said that he would answer but did not want people panicking over historical choices that were made by themselves or other family matters. No matter what decision we made in error before we knew the facts, there is nothing impossible for God, and if someone was cremated, there is no reason why God cannot restore their bodies in the rapture. Don't forget that some people have died in fires, were martyred in fire, buried at sea, etc. and God can restore them. But with knowledge and a chance to choose, we may want to make a different decision regarding cremation.  Here is what he said. The Judeo-Christian religion buried their dead, not cremated them. Only evil people got burned. Pagans and idol worshippers got burned. Jews and early Christians buried their dead and after a year, when the body decomposed, the bones were dug up and put into a bone box and stored in a crypt. Joseph requested that his bones NOT remain in Egypt. 

Pastor Don continued, we did not make our bodies so we have no right to destroy them. We want to avoid cremation, and choose burial. Right now there is a push to cremate, and most people choose cremation because of financial reasons, it is cheaper. People did not remember that cremation was a pagan thing. But with knowledge that we have, choosing burial is the right thing to do. But God can find anyone, with just a tiny piece of DNA. And God will find those lost at sea, and however their bodies have been destroyed. Nothing is too hard for God. But we are responsible for what we know, and God expects us to take action accordingly

We have a blood covenant with God. The devil wants us to take authority over our bodies as if we are God. While there is no place in scripture that specifically denies cremation or specifically states burial as a law we can see what was done in the past and act accordingly.

Pastor Don then continued with Ezekiel 37 saying that today the church is dead, for they are not operating under the Word or the power of God.

Acts 1:5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

The Baptism of the Holy is not about being born again.  After the Baptism of repentance which was the Baptism of John, we have other baptisms available to us.  There are five: Baptism into faith (born again), Baptism into Christ, Baptism in the Father, Baptism into the Body of Christ, and Baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Pastor Don taught on these in another Bible study.  You can find this study at this link.)

The baptism of John and the baptism of the Holy Spirit are different.

The Bible is its own dictionary. The Word of God is the Water of God. 

The amount of light is based on your obedience and yielding. This means you need to suppress part of your natural life and yield to receive something from the Spirit that you may not understand. 

Baptized means whelmed, immersed. 
Obedience = you yield your decision process, yield to the unknown, not know where or when.

Acts 1:6-7 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 

Jesus is not talking about restoring the kingdom at that time, it has to do with yielding obedience and seeing the supernatural situation, the big picture. Focusing only on the natural weapon causes us to stop receiving from God.

Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

It is not only focusing on the theological issues, but stepping out in obedience. We will have power. This is not the Greek word "exusia" which means authority, but rather "dunamis" which implies power, dynamite power to enable us to do what God has commanded.

Pastor Don gave the example of a policeman in a uniform stopping traffic. His uniform provides exusia, or authority, which causes the traffic to stop. If a car decided to not obey the authority of the policeman his uniform would not protect him from injury, but the authority that the uniform represents is what exusia is.

The word "exusia" is used in John 1:12 NKJV But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

John 1:12 KJV But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name

The word "right" and "power" is exusia.

The problem is that exusia and dunamis were both translated indiscriminately as power or authority, which obscured the real meanings of some of the verses.

John 1:12 speaks of "as many as received him."

Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

This word "power" is "dunamis". Everyone has the Holy Spirit when they are born again, but that doesn't mean that they have the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus wanted them to become witnesses to the Lord, and that comes with "dunamis" or power. Jesus demonstrated power through what He did in signs and wonders. 

When we are born again we realize that 100% of spiritual/physical attacks are demonic and we need to apply our faith. God will not put sickness on a person, but He can take away His hand of protection and permit satan to affect a person. God gives life and gives it more abundantly. We also open the way to sickness and death when we disobey God or sin, for then we open a way for satan to attack us.

Acts 2:1-4 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, andone sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The sound of the mighty wind of Heaven

The first outpouring of the Holy Spirit came to 120 members in the upper room - male and female. Women were included, even though women were not accorded much respect in Jewish tradition - they could not testify in court, etc. The fire that came upon those people was powerful, and most of them were martyred. When we ask the "fire of the Holy Spirit" to fall, we need to be careful, for the fire on the heads of the 120 were the ones martyred. The fire would have appeared like heat waves. The fire was purging them of the leaven of the Jews and the churches grew, and the biases.

Acts 2:17-18 (see above) speaks of the sons and daughters prophesying - speaking forth the word of God. Prophesying can be either preaching the Word of God or speaking of the future. This happened also to the men and maid servants.

For prophesy to be accurate, it must be accompanied with the renewing of the mind and confidence in the power of God.

God gives us an anointing to give us power to have the authority to go to the next level. There is a transference of the anointing.

God certifies and equips us to do what He wants us to do. 

If the Church is doing stuff that is not what God called the Church to do, God will not provide the anointing to do something other than what He wants the Church to do.

In Acts we never see the experience of the tongues of flame again. 

In the 1930's a major church meeting in Munich had a similar experience and many of the members were martyred.

After a vision and experiences the 120 in the upper room were empowered to do what God wanted done, if they did not have that power from God they would have failed. 

What is important is obedience and yielding.

To obey you have to yield then you can receive. To yield we have to bypass our carnal nature.

Luke 3:16-17 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.” 

Spiritually this is the same fire, but literal, not the same experience as the Apostles had in the Upper room. 

The Holy Spirit is the source of equipping of the saints. the Holy Spirit experience is the same even if you don't see flames, for it is the purging fire of the Holy Spirit. We need to be aware of everything that gets in the way of the Holy Spirit to do His will with you and through you.

For the Holy Spirit to trust us with power to be effective, we need to not only talk the talk but walk the walk. We may not understand or like what it is that we are to do, but we want to obey Him. We have the same power down here that is in Heaven.

Galatians speaks about grieving the Holy Spirit.  We can also refuse to yield and obey what God is telling us to do. 

There are things (sinful or distracting us from God's purpose) that we can do when we are born again, that once the Holy Spirit comes within us, we can no longer do. We are convicted of things that before God had not shown us needed to be changed. (Note from Heather, a few summers ago I got addicted to doing Sodoku puzzles - the number puzzles. I found myself doing them far too many hours of the day and neglecting the reading and writing that I should have been doing for God. The Holy Spirit convicted me of stopping doing those puzzles. I threw out all the books and increased my productivity, while not sinful, it was a distraction.)

Pastor Don spoke of it as, "New level, new devil." Every uncleanness has to go as we move to new levels. More will be required of us as we advance in the Kingdom.

Someone asked Pastor Don about the demoniac of the Gadarines, wondering why Jesus put the demoniac spirits into pigs, then the pigs ran over the cliff and drowned in the water. Pastor Don explained that pigs were considered unclean animals by the Jews, they were scavengers who ate anything left out for them. The sons of Gad asked for land on the side of the Jordan opposite of the Promised Land. They did not cross over to occupy. As time went by the tribe of Gad began to raise pigs, unclean animals according to the laws of God. The demons asked Jesus if he had come before His time, for they knew that their time on earth was limited. Jesus was not coming as God, but as man, so he commanded the demons to leave the man. The demons 5000 to 6000 demons were in this man, and they asked to be put into the pigs, for demons want a body to inhabit. But once they inhabit a body they seek to destroy it. So the pigs went over the cliff and died. Demons seek to kill and destroy whom they can. The Gadarines asked Jesus to leave the area.

Jesus sent them a powerful message of lining up with the will of God, but they refused to do so. 

I love our Bible studies because we are free to ask questions and discuss what we have learned. They are awesome studies and we always come away filled with so much information from the Word that we can apply to our lives.

I pray you are abundantly blessed today.

Heather

Bible Study - Sunday June 13, 2010

John 6:32-33 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 

John 6:37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.

The process of salvation is integrally connected to our ability to know we have security. If we know He is for us and on our side we behave differently from those in the World. Knowing WHOSE we are is more important than knowing who we think we are.

The problem comes because many believers have had bad earthly experiences, and we carry those memories and images over into spiritual turf. Believers are waiting for God to drop the other shoe and hurt or disappoint them. Pastor Don calls this "infantile paranoia,"  The way we were treated by family and friends, cause us to think everyone will treat us the same way.

We walk around with a chip on our shoulder and defend ourselves in situations where you don't need to do so. This can be a self-fulfilling prophesy for if we behave the way we think we have to in order to defend ourselves from supposed hurts, we will see the same results we saw in the past, for people will respond to our defenses. We spend a lot of energy and effort in this endeavor.

Pastor asked us to ask ourselves, "How am I playing life's game?"

The key to playing it well is to remain teachable all our life.

What factors contributed to the receiving of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2?

Acts 1, both men and women were cowards. Jesus was arrested and they ran away and hid. Peter was questioned by a servant girl and denied Jesus three times.  He spoke bold words to Jesus about how he would stand by Jesus, said all the right things.  It is easy to be bold until pressure is applied.  ALL the disciples spoke proud words, and then hid when the chips were down. They went into the upper room COWARDS, and came out speaking in tongues with interpretation, and endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit - they became BOLD for Christ.

The people heard the tongues in their own languages. We don't know if the disciples spoke tongues and people translated the strange tongue into their own language in their minds, or if the disciples spoke different foreign languages. Either way, people from around the known world gathered and could understand the disciples in their native language.

Under the power of the Holy Spirit Peter spoke to the crowds (3000 plus), not fearing the consequences, failure or death. He who was once afraid now had the courage to speak, and people were saved.

FEAR OF FAILURE KEEPS US FROM BEING ALL THAT WE CAN BECOME. We need to brag on ourselves in the Lord, reminding ourselves, "Look at what the Lord has done."

We then looked at Peter's sermon.

Acts 2:14-16 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 

He was able to link their current experience to what the prophet Joel prophesied.

Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.

In earlier days the Holy Spirit would rest on a person, but now, with the Holy Spirit in them, the Holy Spirit could do more through them than when He rested on just one or two people. With Pentecost, a different era has emerged, and all generations of the World are affected by the Spirit working through all believers -male and female, young and old. it is ALL FLESH.

Acts 2:18-20  And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapor 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.

Prophesy.  We are beginning to see some of these signs in the earth beneath now, and some will come in the end days.

In 2012-2015 all the Jewish holidays will have eclipses, and the moon turning blood red.

Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.’

This verse implies also the opposite - those who DO NOT call on the name of the Lord WILL NOT be saved.

AS BELIEVERS THERE ARE FOUR THINGS WE NEED TO DO TO BE USED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

1. DEPEND UPON CHRIST, not our own resources. You need the supernatural help of God to see supernatural things occur. We need to depend upon Christ to give us strategies in the midst of what we are trying to do. We want to depend on Christ not only in emergencies, but we want to seek God even in the smallest things. If we practice with little things, when we face harder things our faith will be less likely to be shaken.

2. GIVE SMALL SACRIFICIAL OFFERINGS. Ask God what He wants us to give as sacrificial offerings and obey Him in this. We can't out give God.

3. COMMUNION WITH HIM.  Have communion at home with your self or with your family. Get together and have communion with God, be present with God. Keep a sense of His presence in your life when you are doing things - go fishing with God, when you are doing the dishes, at work, practice the presence of God with you.

4. BE OBEDIENT TO CHRIST. If we are obedient to Him we increase our ability to hear from Him. He speaks to us in that still small voice, but when He gives us instructions we need to take the step of obedience. When God says, "don't."  DON'T.  When God says, "do."  DO. 

Praying this teaching blesses you.

Heather

This is a Bible study taught on June 11, 2010.

Ezekiel 37 is a vision of Israel through God's eyes in the Last Days.  Dry Bones.

I am putting verses 1-10 up for your reference, we were familiar with the Dry Bones, so we moved straight to verse 11 in our class discussion. I had missed a Friday Bible study because of driving my daughter to check out colleges so she could decide between the ones that chose her. She ultimately picked University of Richmond, but not until she had seen all of the benefits of each college.  So there are a few weeks here and there where my notes skip - it was college tours.

Ezekiel 37:1-10 The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.”  Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.”’”  So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.  Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’”  So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. 

Ezekiel 37:11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ 

The dry bones are the whole house of Israel. This is a prophetic window.  Ezekiel is giving encouragement to the exiles, letting them know that they will be returning to their land, but things are bleak for the nation of Israel right now because of their disobedience.  When Jesus comes there will be a gathering of all who have not heard the truth of Christ, that messed the total message. The dry bones are dry because of lack of water - and water is the Word. The Gentiles failed to share the love of Jesus with the Jews and allowed ostracism of the Jews to occur. There sadly was persecution of the Jews by Christians which did not help the spread of the love of Jesus.

Ezekiel 37:12-13  Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I amthe LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves.

God will open graves. There is a future, a hope that will be fulfilled.

Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

Ezekiel 37:14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it,” says the LORD.’”

This verse has not been fulfilled yet, but will be, and we are seeing more and more Jews returning to the land.

Ezekiel 37:15-17 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,  “As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand. 

Judah - the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and Ephraim are engrafted into one nation again. We are part of this for we are engrafted through the tribe of Judah because of Jesus. Judah means praise and in the last 50 years God has returned praise to the sanctuaries of the Gentiles.

Hosea 6:1  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. 

In the last days there will be a return to God.

Hosea 6:2 After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. 

Two days revive us, on the third day he raises us up.  Third day, going to Heaven or the Rapture. 

Pastor Don did research on every scripture that mentions the third day, and says that it all relates to the Rapture, from Genesis to Revelation.

Pastor Don said that every Jew is not truly a Jew, for many do not have circumcised hearts.

Acts 10:35-39 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all— that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. 

When we fear God (love Him with awe and respect) we will do right from love of God. Lots of people do not behave like you and me.

There will be 144,000 Jewish evangelists to go and evangelize the world. This will not come until we have done our job.

We tend to think in our definitions, but God does exactly what He says. When He told Adam and Eve that in the day they ate of the fruit they would die - it was not one day in an earthly clock, but rather to God a day is as 1000 years.

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.

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

God's day is different. After the rebellion of the people on earth, God shortened lifespan to 70 or 80 years.

Ps 90:10 The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

The people in Adam's day never lived beyond 1000 years, the oldest was Methuselah who lived 969 years, others died at younger ages.

First God reduced the age from less than 1000 years to 120 years.  Genesis 6:3  And the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” 

Pastor Don pointed out that 50 years is a Jubilee, and if you take 120 and multiply it by 50 you get 6,000 years, the period of man.  We are now coming into the last days.

Hosea 6:2 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 a rapture verse.

We are in the 7th day. There are seven angels, seven candlesticks, seven days of the week.  Seven is God's perfect number. After God finished creation on the seventh day He rested. 

Day One: Noah & the Flood - End of Adam - Noah built the Ark - righteousness by work
Day Two:  Abraham - Abraham achieved righteousness by faith, not by works.

Enoch walked with God and was no more, there were no commandments at the time of Abraham. When Cain gave the bad offering, God told him to do well, and it would go well with him, but he chose to do evil. When asked about killing Abel, Cain answered, "Am I my brother's keeper."  The earth was crying out with Abel's blood.  There needed to be a revival in the Land, that came from Abraham.

Day Three:  MOSES - the law was given to the people.  This gave man the chance to attain righteousness through the law, but we are not able to do that, for in our own power we are not able to attain righteousness. God was raising mankind, to begin to restore him to the place that was lost through Adam and Eve.

We have righteousness by Work, righteousness by faith, righteousness by obeying the law. Faith without works is dead.  And we are unable to keep the Law in our own power or by our own work. The Law was given to us to show us our need for a Savior. Until that time Moses built the Ark and we met God at the Mercy seat, and the Mercy of God covers sin. But it cannot eradicate sin. Elijah came really close, but for the most part man made sacrifices to cover sin, but could not rid himself of sin.  

We needed Day Four - JESUS, EMMANUEL, GOD WITH US. Who opened up the way of SALVATION BY THE GRACE OF GOD. - a new revival. We could not achieve salvation by works, by faith or by the Law. Jesus made the Law simple - LOVE GOD and LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.

Jesus made it possible to ONLY CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD AND YOU SHALL BE SAVED. We mess up, but God gave us a way to come to Him. 

Day Five and Six are the Church age, 

Sometime after that, in God's Timing will be the rapture of the Church and the Tribulation.  

Day 7 will be RESTING WITH GOD 

We are in the sixth day, the 6000 years of mankind, but according to all that Jesus prophesied, we are coming closer to the End days.

Jesus gave the parable of the servants who were sleeping. Many in the Church today are asleep, unaware of the times, and only a handful are awake and aware.  The Holy Spirit (since Pentecost in the Upper Room) has been with us 2000 years.  We won't have any more revivals.  God has provided EVERY possible way to get to Him. If you have faith you can know God. If you are able to keep the Law you can know God. The Holy Spirit helps us to know God. 

God promises that in the end days He will be in our hearts, and we won't be able to say, "The God of the Bible."  For we will know Him. God is making Himself known to people in obscure places, where no one has been able to travel to share the Gospel.  Sometimes missionaries have gone to these obscure places and the people recognize the Jesus they teach is the one who had already shown Himself to them.

God is concerned for every man, and wants all to have the opportunity to either accept or reject Him - He wants none to be lost, but if a person willingly chooses to reject God, He will honor that and not force Himself into their lives.

The salvation of the heart is truth, for we know Him in our hearts. 

Hosea 6:3 Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth. 

The latter and the former rain.

Hosea 6:4 O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you? For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, and like the early dew it goes away. 

Jews and Gentiles - one new man.

Hosea 6:5-6 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of My mouth; and your judgments are like light that goes forth. For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. 

God wants mercy and not sacrifice, and wants knowledge of Him more than offerings.

Hosea 6:10-11 I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the harlotry of Ephraim; Israel is defiled. Also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed for you,  when I return the captives of My people.

The Jews have returned back to Israel, the Gentiles and Jews are one new man.  The former and the latter rain.

Ezekiel 37:16-17 “As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand. 

Judah and Israel (dry bones) and God will restore them. The Gentiles and Israel will be joined together as one new man. In the last days the Messianic Jews are in agreement with Christians.  Revelation 5:11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, This is from many nations, tribes, cultures, etc.

Ezekiel 37:21-22 Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land;  and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again.

David will be king over us forever, he will rule and reign under Christ. Jesus is the King over the whole planet. Jesus will sit on David's throne. There will be kings over areas, kings over kingdoms, but Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

We pray that all of scripture will be fulfilled.

Jerusalem is facing major challenges. Iran is rapidly approaching full nuclear power and would gladly destroy Israel. Five years ago our country prevented Israel from taking down Iranian nuclear plants, and because of that Iran is closer to nuclear power than ever before.

Israel is not yet the way God wants it to be, for much of Israel is secular, into idolatry and sex and drugs. They are not living the life that God desired for their best. God cannot intervene until the words of the prophet are fulfilled. 

Psalm 118:25-25 Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.

Luke 13:3 5ee! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’”

When Jerusalem cries out to God in these End Times, God will come and deliver His Bride. 

We keep praying, "Come, Lord Jesus."  But in order for that to happen things are going to get bad on the earth. There will be lawlessness, blood in the streets, and chaos all over the world. 

We need to be asking God to give us the strength to deal with what is going on and for us to prosper so that we can help the kingdom. 

Pastor Don pointed out that some people get upset with the idea of God's Judgment, but he asked us to consider that if we had roaches or rats in our house, wouldn't we seek an exterminator. God is judging to protect His children from enemies that would hurt and destroy them.

I pray your day is blessed.

Heather

Bible study, end of May

Isaiah 35:1-3 The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the excellency of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 

This is an excellent healing scripture for injuries - strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees.

Isaiah 35:4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted,  “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” 

With Vengeance. This seems like a paradox - Don't be afraid, your God is coming with vengeance. The wrath of God is not for us. That does not mean that things will not disturb us, that we don't lose stuff or we will not be tormented in our minds. If we have a sense of entitlement without God's purpose, we may lose what we feel we are entitled to.  God does not want us so motivated by things that they become idols to us. Be grateful for what you have. In God's plan, when He brings His vengeance on the world it is for the time when things are turned upside down. When the system of the antichrist is in position, and the antichrist's system goes down, anything we have invested in the antichrist system will go down with it. But we don't have to worry, for our hope is in the Lord.

We need to return to the time when we enjoyed SIMPLE JOYS, joys that correctly placed our trust in the Lord. God brings a time of recompense, and pays back evil for what evil did. But God will save the believe.  

Pastor Don suggested a great movie - Oh Brother, Where art Thou?  Then he told his favorite joke about a man sitting on the roof of his house during a flood. A boat comes by and offers him a ride - and the man replies, "No thank you, God is going to save me."  He gives the same response when a helicopter comes by. And a few other ways of rescue present themselves. Finally the flood drowns the man and in Heaven he asks God, "I though you were going to save me."  God said I sent the helicopter, the boat, etc, and you did not take them.  Sometimes what we think God will do to save us isn't what He does, we need to keep our eyes open and recognize God's hand in some of the natural events of our lives.

Isaiah Chapter 34 is the Judgment of the Nations.

Isaiah 35 is the Glory of His Coming and His Wrath.

We are experiencing wrath now, but God will bring greater wrath. Research and you will see that the incidence of earthquakes are increasing - and their intensity is increasing. At one point there will be an earthquake where whole islands are gone and everything changes. 

The Glory of Zion will look like the wrath of God poured out on the earth. God will be vindicating the saints who have been killed. 

Isaiah 35:4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” 

If God tells us to NOT BE AFRAID, there must be things happening that could make us truthfully fearful. On 9-11 we lost our sense of invincibility and gained a sense of fear. Prior to that terrorist attacks were in other countries. Even with the political unrest of today we are not to be afraid.

Isaiah 35:5-6 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. 

Water in the wilderness - water is a symbol of the Word of God, and when we are in a place of stress it is like we are in the wilderness. God will provide His Word in our distress.

Isaiah 35:7 The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water; in the habitation of jackals, where each lay, there shall be grass with reeds and rushes. 

Rivers of Living water, signs and wonders. When we live in the abundance of the Word of God, people look at things a little differently.

Pastor Don suggested the movie "The Book of Eli" as a "wake-up kind of a movie, where Eli tries to preserve the scriptures.
He also told us that the new Shrek movie is family friendly.

We need to rethink stuff that comes from unconventional sources.

The water in verse 7 replenishes. The Euphrates dries up before the Coming of the Lord. When He comes He replenishes the water.

Isaiah 35:8 A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others.  Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray. 

Does God love us, even fools? God saves even fools. He chooses the stupid and those who make bad choices.  We cannot be prideful in ourselves, but rather in God who chooses us.

Isaiah 35:9-10 No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; it shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

With singing. Bring it to places that have been cursed, that are against God. 

Pastor Don spoke of Ezekiel 37-38, and pointed out that the United States is not mentioned in these prophesies. The passage in Isaiah speaks of Israel returning to Jerusalem.  It mentions in Ezekiel 37 and 38 that a nation that is not a nation, USA is a republic not a democracy. And there will be a coalition led from a land far away.

Ezekiel 36:19-21 So I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the countries; I judged them according to their ways and their deeds. When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned My holy name—when they said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD,and yet they have gone out of His land.’ But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went. 

The Jews were dispersed throughout the nations, and the influence of the nations has made them more secular and carnal. Many Jewish people are attracted to the new age. Many Jewish people are more interested in money, avarice, greed and ideas. But God will still redeem a remnant and reawaken their love for Him.

Ezekiel 36:22-24 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD,” says the Lord GOD, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land."

Now there are more Jews in Israel than Jews in New York City.  There is a shift to Israel. Even secular Jews want a trip to Israel.

Ezekiel 36:25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 

Lots of the Word of God on you and you will be clean, washed with the water of the Word.

Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 

A heart of flesh, God softens our hearts.

Ezekiel 36:27-28 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. 

Ezekiel 36:29-30 I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations.

No famine

Ezekiel 36:31  Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations. 

They will loathe themselves.

Ezekiel 36:32 Not for your sake do I do this,” says the Lord GOD, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!” 

God does it for Himself, 

Ezekiel 38:2 Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,

Gog is a spirit over Magog. This is a spirit in the same way that in the book of Daniel there was a Prince of Persia, and the angel who visited Daniel needed the help of Archangel Michael to fight this prince for 21 days before he could reach Daniel with the answer to his prayer. Right now the devil is the one who has power over the earth, because Adam and Eve gave him that power. But that will change in the end days. 

Ezekiel 38:13 Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, ‘Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’”’ 

Tarshish is what we call "Turkey" today. It is not the Roman Empire, but Islam that we will find the battle with. The Muslims believe that the Mahdi is coming to destroy the people of the Book (the Jews) and the Christians. They want world-wide domination of Islam.

Our assignment was to read Ezekiel 37 - the World view trumps culture. If the world view does not agree with the Word of God you need to reject the culture. 

Bible study from 5/14/10

Think about what you are singing. We all sing the old song, "When we all get to Heaven."  The truth is that we don't have to wait until we die and go to Heaven to get the promises of God. They are available here on earth.

Isaiah 32:1-2 Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice. A man will be as a hiding place from the wind, and a cover from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. 

This is a Messianic vision of Christ. Isn't Jesus all of what this is? 

Isaiah 32:3 The eyes of those who see will not be dim, and the ears of those who hear will listen. 

I got eyes, I got ears.

Isaiah 32:4-8 Also the heart of the rash will understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly. The foolish person will no longer be called generous, nor the miser said to be bountiful; for the foolish person will speak foolishness, and his heart will work iniquity: to practice ungodliness, to utter error against the LORD, to keep the hungry unsatisfied, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.  Also the schemes of the schemer are evil; he devises wicked plans to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaks justice. But a generous man devises generous things, and by generosity he shall stand.

The evil one will be unseated by the King of Righteousness. The enemy tries to destroy the poor, sow seeds and destroy the poor with lying words.  Wanting us to spend extravagantly, instead of helping the poor and needy and doing the work of the Kingdom.

Isaiah 32:9 Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice; you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech. 

Women, don't be complacent, hear the Word of the Lord and obey.

Isaiah 32:10-11 In a year and some days you will be troubled, you complacent women; for the vintage will fail, the gathering will not come. Tremble, you women who are at ease; be troubled, you complacent ones; strip yourselves, make yourselves bare, and gird sackcloth on your waists. 

Why women?  God has special warnings for men and women. They are different. In the family there is division of labor, and that brings order to the world.

Isaiah 32:12-13 People shall mourn upon their breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.  On the land of my people will come up thorns and briers, yes, on all the happy homes in the joyous city; 

God did not design men and women to compete in the market place or start taking authority over and against the family. Women are not to be demeaned for their desires to do. Men can open their eyes and see - David got in trouble when he saw Bathsheba. The feminine nature can pose a problem for women, if they fall into feelings and error. Eve saw the fruit and it appeared good to her. Together women and men can help each other to not be deceived.

Genesis 3:13 And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 

She should have said it in reverse.  I ate, the serpent deceived me. If the desire was not in her, she would not have done wrong. The serpent would not have targeted her if she wasn't looking at the fruit. 

The problem begins in verse 1 of Chapter 3. Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

The devil targeted the woman, not the man. What did he see that caused him to target her?  The woman had to have given a sign or something about her that caused the devil to conclude that he could get a toe-hold in her life.

Genesis 3:2-3 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 

She has the right information - don't mess with the fruit on this tree. Did she have full revelation?  No.  She functioned under presumption, did not know that there were different facets of death. God asked her to be obedient even if she did not have full information. Presumption will eat a relationship alive. The devil figured it out, watching her behavior and realized he could affect her behavior. He watched her behavior in the garden. She didn't have the information and fell to presumption.  Emotions cause you to be presumptuous, you have a feeling.

Genesis 3:4-5 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 

The devil always tells the truth, but adds in a lie. Our emotional presumption cause us to believe him. Gossip is not such a problem with men because guys will put it down saying, "I don't want to hear it." The devil gets Eve to react from her emotions rather than obedience.

Genesis 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 

To solidify her position Eve manipulates. She plays Jezebel and gives some of the fruit to Adam to eat. Jezebel would not have been effective in enticing Ahab if he had told her to stop. But he wanted that vineyard. Jezebel wanted Ahab's power and attacked the head. Ahab needed to set the woman down and tell her, "No." Adam should have set Eve down and told her, "No." Adam saw the conversation, was aware of the serpent. He sees her eat the fruit and should have stepped on the serpent's head. He should have told the serpent to be quiet. When Jesus (the seed of the woman) comes he will bruise the serpent's head, but Adam could have taken care of it early on in the Garden.  Adam could have added his dominion and protected his wife against the lying serpent. He should have been able to say, "I didn't eat the fruit, the woman did. But I will die for her."  Make a sacrificial offer.

Genesis 3:7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 

Shame has entered the world. The devil beats women in the realm of the emotions and feeling real feelings which are not accurate or the truth. Not based on what you do. Our emotions can lie to us. Eve did not respect her husband. If a man is respected he can put up without love. A woman can't live without feeling loved. 

The serpent told the woman a half truth and a half truth is a lie. Both Adam and Eve feel shame. No matter what door is opened, sin is sin. Adam did not obey God, he chose to obey his wife. What she had Adam do was wrong.

Genesis 3:8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 

They hid, as if you can hide from God.

Genesis 3:9 Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” 

The Lord SAID to Adam, an order. Ahab, even with weak backbone and not standing up to Jezebel, was still responsible for what went down in his hose. Adam should have told Eve, "Don't eat the fruit. I have a better plan." God wants to teach the man to be in charge. God asks Adam a question, not because God doesn't know the answer. He knows. He wants Adam to take stock of what happened. He wants to get us to the truth.

Genesis 3:10-12 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” 

Adam should have replied, "Yes, I ate."  Instead he threw the blame back on the woman and also on God who gave Adam the woman.

Genesis 3:13 And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 

She opts out by blaming the serpent who deceived her.

Genesis 3:14 So the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.

God curses the devil.

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” 

God explains the curse. This is the prophesy of the Virgin Birth, for a woman does not have "seed."  But for Jesus, God cannot use a mortal man to produce seed, he will use the Holy Spirit. Between your seed (satan) ad her Seed (The Messiah).  There will be no sperm to fertilize Mary's seed.

Pastor Don spoke of visions and dreams. What we see with our eyes is compelling.  The Glory of God captivates us, and no one who truly sees the Lord can describe Him. Every time we make a decision on appearance we are wrong. King Saul was tall and handsome, but he had no character. Jesus is beyond our comprehension.

Genesis 3:16 To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” 

In the Garden Eve would have popped out babies with no pain, but now her birth will be painful.  Her desire is for her husband and her husband will rule her - that is a curse, not a blessing. A woman would rather have the power of the man, she is going to want to rule, but the man is in charge. She will need to yield to him. He will be the decisive one in the family and that will be a problem for the woman. That is why we ended up with the women's lib movement, women were frustrated, and are still frustrated today.

Genesis 3:17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life."

Adam put Eve in position over God, and heeded his wife. Because of that the ground will be cursed for Adam's sake. Man cannot base his decisions on the beauty and sexiness of his wife. When sex is cut off, unholy relationships will emerge. Porn is worshipping women as an idol. The eye is the window of the soul.

There is a warning in 2 Timothy 3:1-4 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 

This should bring admonition and fear to man. We are seeing these sins becoming rampant.

2 Timothy 3:5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

Its basis is demonic, for it is a FORM of godliness. 

We are seeing some of this even in the Church. Churches are denying the total Word of God, saying what they believe the Holy Spirit can do and can't do. They are claiming that the gifts of the Spirit are no longer in effect.  They are denying the power of God. We need to rethink our traditions and line our faith up with what the Word of God tells us about God. If the gifts of the Spirit ceased with the disciples we have to ask ourselves why they were still in effect 100 to 400 years after Christ.  The power of God brings us to repentance where we say that we need Jesus in our life. The power of God can set people free, protect marriages.  We need more than religion, we need truth. Pray until God shows up, until the revelation and power of God is released. 

Pray to God to have Him reveal the truth in His Word. Shouldn't the Word release power off the page to us?

Psalm 4:1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; have mercy on me, and hear my prayer. 

We are told to meditate on the Word of God. Meditate is not what the New Age is telling us. It means to mutter over and over the Word of God. Not emptying our mind so that any spirit can come in and take root. Rather, we fill our minds with the Word of God, the Truth of God. .

Jesus will not manifest Himself and leave you in your mess. When you are ready and reach out to Him, He will pull you out of your mess, but only when you are ready for this to happen.

Matthew 6:7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 

This is not saying that you never pray the same request, but rather it is the heart of your prayer. Are you believing that because of your diligence in repeating a prayer over and over that you will make the miracle happen?  That is a vain repetition. We do things that we deem will produce spiritual outcome by our doing of them. Jesus wants your heart to participate in the prayer, not just mindless repetition. To cleanse and sanctify yourself is Biblical. To ask for forgiveness of sin, was hands, clean, etc does not produce sanctification, but we do these things out of respect for God.  We must repent of our sins before going to the altar, but when we repent, we know that He has forgiven us.  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. 

We can repeat and it is not always a vain repetition. If we are repeating a prayer, building our faith in God by doing so it is not a vain repetition. For example if you are hurt and asking for healing, you may repeat over and over, "By His stripes I am healed." Repeat it over and over until you believe it in your Spirit, knowing the truth of it.  We aren't repeating it to work on God, but rather repeating it until we fully believe it.

Psalm 4:7-8 You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased. I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

God will meet us in our distress and we won't have to worry. We can lie down and sleep in peace.

Pastor Don pointed out that Psalm 4 is a good Psalm to read when you are stressed out and can't sleep. Keep reading it out loud, silently, fill your mind with the Psalm and it will help you to sleep. He pointed out that we need to shut down our mind, for we can worry over situations endlessly, and our mind can stress us to death.

2 Timothy 3:1-5  But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 

These sinful behaviors will only increase in the last days, and they will hurt us as man beats up on man.

2 Timothy 3:6-7 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Gullible women. This points back to Genesis and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Eve believed the lies of the serpent. She could have rejected those words and held on to what God had told Adam. She wanted wisdom to be like God, and we still see this kind of wisdom creeping into households today. People are seeking knowledge, but it is not knowledge of the Truth. That is what the new age and other false doctrines are, knowledge, but not knowledge of the Truth. They listen to what they FEEL is the truth, they end up trapped in lies, captive and gullible. 

Written to the Elect Lady, 2 John gives a powerful warning against deceptive teachings.

2 John 7-11 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.  Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.

Isaiah 32:9 Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice; you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech. 

Women, please listen up. This is a prophetic scripture right before the Messiah comes. 

Isaiah 32:10 In a year and some days you will be troubled, you complacent women; for the vintage will fail, the gathering will not come.

In a year and some days the vintage will fail.

Isaiah 32:11 Tremble, you women who are at ease; be troubled, you complacent ones; strip yourselves, make yourselves bare, and gird sackcloth on your waists. 

Repent, get hooked up with God again.  

Genesis 3 => Isaiah 32 => 2 Timothy

mentally causes us to observe complacency. 

Pastor Don spoke to us that Y2K was practice for what will be coming. We want to be ready to be Jesus' Bride (male and females are His Bride). DO NOT BE COMPLACENT.

How do we spend our time? Get ready for Jesus coming and reach out to others so that as many as possible are prepared.

Pastor Don pointed out that 70% of church membership is women, generally. At Living Word Chapel there are more men attending than the norm.

We need to build up communication and retake the airwaves - have a good Christian presence on Facebook and blogs. 

Be selective about what we choose to entertain us, TV, Movies, Books. Don't let garbage in.

Take every opportunity to evangelize and reach out to others to share the Lord.

I pray you are blessed by this teaching. 

Heather

Sunday Service 5/2/10

Pentecost - The Feast of Weeks - Pente means 50, and this feast occurs fifty days after Passover. The Law was given after the first Passover.

Passover, the Feast of Unleavened bread, is the spring barley harvest. The wheat harvest followed 50 days later.  The last grain to grow is corn. Barley represents the first influx of believers - the disciples. The wheat represents the Five-Fold ministry. Jesus is the firstfruits. 

The Israelites say that Pentecost was the time when God appeared on the mountain and talked with Moses, handing down the Law, the Ten Commandments. There were also 633 other laws kept by the people, which were based on the framework of the Ten Commandments.

Jesus reduces this framework to two commandments - to love the Lord and Love your neighbor as yourself. These two commandments only break down when you do not love yourself. If I can't rule my house, how can I rule God? I need to be in my right mind to deal with my stuff, then I can love my neighbors as I love myself.

IT'S ABOUT LOVE!

God established the law 1000's of years before Christ, and it is still relevant to the Church today. But we are not under the law, like the Israelites were before Christ came. There was no Church before Pentecost.  God gave the Law and Jesus gave the Church. The gifts were given to man at Pentecost. 

We are to be Kings and priests of the Kingdom. Our testimony should be I saw what Jesus did and I am doing it. We are to be obedient to God, to have our hearts right before God. Exodus 20, the Ten Commandments shows us how to be holy.  Anything you set, holy, sanctified, before God.

Exodus 20:1-3 And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me." 

NONE - ZERO gods before GOD!

Exodus 20:4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;

DON'T EVEN MAKE IT!. Don't tempt the Lord because you think a statue is cute. Don't tempt yourself.  That collection of angels, or imps, should not be in your house. Someone might think to bow down or cross themselves before them. Be careful of the things of the flesh that might have a spiritual nature attached to inanimate objects that have no power. Are there any exceptions?  NO!  Angels have been on the earth, but we don't worship angels. We must make a spiritual decision about what we love more, our idols or God. To be holy we need to be WHOLY HOLY. Some denominations permit statues in the sanctuary. If God wrote that we are NOT TO MAKE A CARVED IMAGE, that should apply to ALL CARVED IMAGES.  Since God wrote the Law, He wants us to obey it.

Exodus 20:5-7 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. 

Jesus is NOT a curse word. You will be held guilty for the curse words that have crossed your lips.

Exodus 20:8-11 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. 

This is not to be turned into legalism. The SABBATH means to REST, recline, contemplate, think through, wholly focus on the Lord. We are to keep a day Holy to the Lord. What day?  Saturday?  Sunday? Friday Night?  God is the Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus told us that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

Hebrews 4:9-10 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. ¹⁰ For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

Jesus kept healing people on the Sabbath, and got in trouble for not obeying the legalistic Sabbath that the Scribes and Pharisees set up. We are to have a Sabbath Day, a day that we set aside to spend with God. It does not have to be a specific day of the week, but needs to be one of the seven days. It is to be a day holy to the Lord, a day to not do customary work. There was also to be a Sabbath year, where the fields were to be at rest. The Israelites did not keep the Sabbath year and because of that they ended up in slavery to others for not keeping the Sabbath. God knows that we need a day of rest. 

We tend to overindulge, which is turning the world upside down. We are to rest and enjoy the Lord, not spend the time in overindulgence in activities, etc. In one underdeveloped country they did an experiment of creating an 8 day week, and after two months there were psychological problems among the people. We are wired for a seven day week with six days of work and one day of rest.

Know that there is no day that is not holy to the Lord.  Every day is holy to the Lord.

Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you. 

This is a law that we are to honor our father and mother, it is the only law that comes with a promise that if we do it our days will be long on the land. The law does not specify that we are to only honor our parents if they were good parents, we are to honor our parents - good or bad.  Honor them just because they were your parents. WE have no right to judge. We don't know what you dad had to go through to become the person that he became. Honor them, PERIOD! NO EXCUSES. Be there for them.  Look out after them. It is the Lord that gave you health, life, wisdom, prosperity, peace in the valley.  If your parents are dead and you didn't take care of them, ask God for mercy and forgiveness. Repent for what you did not do for your parents.

Exodus 20:13 You shall not murder. 

This is not just physical murder, but character assassination.  Jesus told the people that if you even demean another person you are committing murder.

Exodus 20:14 You shall not commit adultery. 

Jesus expanded adultery to more than the physical act, even looking at another person or desiring them in your heart is considered adultery. We have the right to throw out porn that is in our house. Porn is a poison that destroys relationships. They eyes lead to considering adultery in our hearts.

Exodus 20:15 You shall not steal. 

Don't take what doesn't belong to you.

Exodus 20:16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 

Do not gossip, don't misrepresent the truth regarding another.

Exodus 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.

Be grateful for what God has provided for you. Don't covet what your neighbor has. 

Exodus 20:18-20 Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off.  Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.”

God appeared to Moses and the people, and the people were frightened. They wanted Moses to speak to God and relay what God said to them. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. The people were terrified. 

Keeping the Ten Commandments blesses people. The Ten Commandments were to show the people that they, in their own power, would not be able to keep them. That they needed a Savior.

When Jesus died on the Cross the veil to the Holy of Holies was torn, top to bottom. We no longer needed a High Priest, and intermediary to approach God. We could boldly go to the throne room of God and speak directly to Him.

Keeping the commandments is a blessing. We are grafted into the Kingdom because of what Jesus did for us. That does not mean that we scrap the commandments, for they were meant to make our life better. Just because we think that something is not hurting us does not mean that it isn't hearting us.

Pastor Don pointed out that the incidence of autism has increased in our society today. 35 years ago it was 1 in 10-20,000 people. Two years ago it was 1 in 150 people. Now it is 1 in 120 people. 

There is an increase in violent crime and many things that were common morals have now changed. The Ten Commandments have been taken out of the schools and schools are suffering.

It is better to do things God's way. Keep the Ten Commandments and 663 laws. 

Jesus pointed out that what comes out of us is what defiles us. To obey the Law brings fulfillment to man. Listen to the heart of God, and know that He has our best in mind.

The beginning of wisdom is obedience to God. 

We want our children to do what is right out of honor and love for us, not because they are scared. You can't teach a kid to honor and respect you. 

(Heather's note) Before I was saved I used to think that the Ten Commandments and God's laws were ways to take away fun and put impossible ideals on us. Now I realize how loving the Commandments are, how God gave them to us to make our lives better, not to repress us. It is from love that the Law comes.  That sure changed my perspective in thinking about the Commandments.

Praying your day is blessed.

Heather

Bible study from 4-30-10

God will come through on the 11th hour. God will not part the Red Sea in advance of the coming Egyptian Army, he will do it at the right time. Don't doubt, permit, expect or speak the worst. Leave room for God to do His thing.

Isaiah 32:1 Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice.

A Messianic blessing for the Kingdom of God. This chapter reads like the Proverbs giving us nuggets of wisdom.

Isaiah 32:2 A man will be as a hiding place from the wind, and a cover from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. 

Who does this describe?  Jesus, who is our hiding place, etc.

Isaiah 32:3-4 The eyes of those who see will not be dim, and the ears of those who hear will listen. Also the heart of the rash will understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly. 

This is a prophesy of the coming of the Lord with all His benefits and blessings.

Isaiah 32:5-6 The foolish person will no longer be called generous, nor the miser said to be bountiful; for the foolish person will speak foolishness, and his heart will work iniquity: to practice ungodliness, to utter error against the LORD, to keep the hungry unsatisfied, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. 

This reads like a Proverb. The understanding of man and the wisdom of man cause us to err against the Lord. Christ gets unseated if we focus on our own understanding.

1 Corinthians 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 

Pastors and shepherds are not to declare the wisdom of the world, but rather the Word of God.

1 Corinthians 2:2-5 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Paul came not with human wisdom, but in a demonstration of the Spirit and power. God fulfills, with blessings and wide rivers of faith. The power of God is not just words. Sermons and homilies are not enough. Even satan can use nice words, persuasive words that deceive people.

The wisdom of man is foolishness. The wisdom of God looks like foolishness to man, but God comes with demonstrations of power.  If you are preaching but there is no demonstration of power it is a social gospel.

Wisdom among the mature, causes us to look deeply in the Word. When we are in need of correction do we receive the correction?  The immature want to defend and justify what they are doing. 

Pastor Don was raised a Baptist Child, and the Baptists are great for getting people saved, but there is not so much faith in Jesus healing people. They give life to the Lord based on preaching. But Jesus healed the sick, preached the gospel, and then people were saved. We have been doing it backwards, we have been preaching salvation, then you can get healed or freed. 

A person once questioned: What if we pray to a Tootsie Roll?  Nothing happens. If we pray to God and nothing happens, what distinguishes God from a Tootsie Roll?  Answer: Signs and wonders. 

TL Osborne was a Methodist minister who wanted to plant the Gospel in India. He could not get people saved there and asked God why.  The Indians said that they believe for gods, but why is the Christian God different.  TL Osborn began to pray and preach the Gospel and people began to be healed. This distinguished God from the Hindu deities.

THE BOOK OF ACTS IS NOT COMPLETED.

The Bible is true and we can do what it says we can do.  We should be looking like the book of Acts.

1 Corinthians 2:6-7 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,

What was once mystery is not mystery anymore for God ordained them to be revealed for our glory. God wants you to do spiritual exploits so you can get some of His glory. Not just TL Osborne, but we should be building up testimonies of miracles, signs, wonders, words of knowledge and supernatural words of wisdom through God working through us. We need to know who we are in Christ. These should be simple to us as Christ works through us.

1 Corinthians 2:8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

The rulers of this age did not know the mysteries concerning Jesus (Cross, grave, resurrection, and second coming).

1 Corinthians 2:9-12 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

God reveals these mysteries to us through His Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:13-14 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Natural man cannot understand those things taught Spirit to Spirit. The Spiritual understanding has nothing to do with college degrees or intellect.

1 Corinthians 2:15-16 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

We want the mind of Christ which gives us understanding.

Isaiah 32:5-6 The foolish person will no longer be called generous, nor the miser said to be bountiful; for the foolish person will speak foolishness, and his heart will work iniquity: to practice ungodliness, to utter error against the LORD, to keep the hungry unsatisfied, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. 

There are three ways sin occurs according to this passage.

1. Works of iniquity - (sins) you do not in accordance with God's will. To practice ungodliness - keeping on doing sins that you love, even when you know that you are sinning.
2. transgressions against another person
3. Sin  - violating God's commandments.

Nate Holcomb, a pastor that Pastor Don listened to on either radio or  television spoke on Psalm 51:4  Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight—that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge. 

David had arranged that Uriah would be killed to cover up David's sin of adultery with Bathsheba. When confronted by the prophet Nathan, David said that he sinned against God. He confessed his iniquity.  As king and man of God, David had a burden of conviction that he had sinned against God, violated God's law. He did not want God's Spirit taken from him.

If we understand this, we have to be aware of our iniquity, and realize that not only is our sin hurting us, but we are responsible for others, and our sin hurts them. We want to move forward and do God's will. But if we are holding iniquity in our lives it presents a problem when we are out in the market place. If God says I'll do it and we go, OK. Iniquity causes us to feel we are not worthy, it also causes us to strike out at each other. If we are mad at God, we hide from God. If we transgress against God or others we hide out from them. The truth is that whether we sin in secret or publicly God still sees it. If we ask for forgiveness, God forgives and it is past. There may be repercussions from the seeds of sin we planted, but in God's eyes we are forgiven.

Sometimes we want to justify iniquity by putting ourselves down. But if we put our iniquity above God's forgiveness, our past iniquity becomes an idol. What the devil brings against you about past sins will keep you from doing what you are called to do. If the enemy can get you to devalue yourself he can keep you from being what you are called to be.  People are dying to hear that they are acceptable to God with their sins. 

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. 

We mess up and God cleans us up. 

Psalm 19:12-13 Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression. 

Get me straight so that I don't have sins or secret faults. Let me not have presumptuous sins.

Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear

If I don't deal with my iniquity, It interferes with my ability to communicate with God. We cannot rid ourselves of iniquity without God helping us. We want to stay in line with God's will. We can get out of his will, which is why we must self-check our thoughts and intents to make sure we are under God's perfect will for our lives.

Isaiah 32:7 Also the schemes of the schemer are evil; he devises wicked plans to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaks justice. 

God will change my value system. When I serve God He will increase my value. People who show up are the ones who are promoted. Jesus washed feet, no rabbi of his day would have done that. Jesus gets down and washes away the dirt. He teaches that we are to take the lower seat, which is the way to promotion. To seek to serve, not to be served. Our value system of what is important has to change. We need to allow God to change our value system.  

Isaiah 32:16-20 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places, though hail comes down on the forest, and the city is brought low in humiliation. Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send out freely the feet of the ox and the donkey.

All waters = ALL PEOPLE.  When we are rebellious it is out of our filth.  Let's not get out of God's will.  

Praying you have a blessed day.

Heather

Teaching from 4-16-10

Isaiah 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.” 

To gain knowledge we gain it precept upon precept, line upon line.

Isaiah 28:11-12 For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, to whom He said, “This is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest,” and, “This is the refreshing”; yet they would not hear. 

God speaks to us with tongues, gifts, signs, wonders in the supernatural. It can be in a language that we cannot hear or understand in the natural.

Isaiah 28:13 But the word of the LORD was to them, “Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little,”  that they might go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and caught. 

Precept upon precept. What does it mean to fall backward, be broken and snared, and caught? After this process comes refreshing. In the literal people fall backward, are broken, snared, and caught by God. But figuratively, in the prophetic process we are refreshed if God is ministering to us. Or we can fall backward, fall from the way of God, and get caught in a snare. 

WHEN THE FLESH OF MAN COMES IN CONTACT WITH THE POWER OF GOD SOMETHING HAS GOT TO GIVE AND IT WON'T BE GOD. You are going to fall down. 

What happens when we fall down? We can be on the floor thinking about things that we are not ordinarily thinking about. We are taken by the Spirit and the Spirit begins to minister to us. It is a supernatural experience, where we receive messages, visions, etc.  This happened to Paul on the road to Damascus, Peter on the roof, to the priests in Solomon's temple, to John in Patmos. 

If a person is yielded to receive something, God will give it to him.

Isaiah 28:14 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scornful men, who rule this people who are in Jerusalem, 

Therefore (when you see "therefore" you have to wonder what it is THERE FOR).  Scornful leaders.

Isaiah 28:15 Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through,  it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.”

Sheol is the grave. If you reject the promises of God, and make lies your refuge, you will end up lying to yourself. You will end up scornful and finding answers that are not God's. 

We all have lies that we tell ourselves and play games with ourselves. We fall in line with the lie and end up facing persecution caused by believing the lie.

Isaiah 28:5-6 On that day the LORD of hosts will be for a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of His people, for a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. 

There are special rewards for people of discernment. What does the Bible say?  Some bend the scriptures or teach things that God never said.

For example, Swindoll used 1 Corinthians 13:8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. to say that signs and wonders stopped. That they were completed, finished with the disciples. But in context we see that this verse does not imply this at all. Not all prophesies have been fulfilled. There is no new Temple, and we have not reached the end of the Bible's prophesied events. When we reach the end of the Bible, then prophesies will cease for they will then no longer be necessary for we will be with Christ.  While we are still on the earth we need tongues, gifts, and prophesies. 

The end of the age - AION is a mental concept. There is no clock, no passage of time, in the eternal. God is God of all the ages, and He moves from AION to AION, which is not clock time (Chronos time). 

God deals with EVENTS IN TIME.

We want EVENTS BY TIME. 

With tongues in the Spirit before God. Your spirit speaks thought to thought with God's Spirit, your mind speaks mind to mind. We are seeking to have the mind of Christ.  Our Spirit can give us knowledge, detailed understanding of something. We want to make our minds line up with what the Spirit of God is saying to us.

1 Corinthians says that where there is knowledge, it will vanish away. Knowledge has not passed away. Gnosis - knowledge of the mysteries of God. Knowledge of the things about God. We stop seeing the things of God when we stay in the presence of God.

1 Corinthians 13:9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 

If prophesy has passes away why is Paul still prophesying? 

1 Corinthians 13:10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 

Has perfection come yet? NO! What is perfect and perfection? This whole passage pivots on verse 10, and things have not passed away because we have not achieved perfection. Only the Word of God is perfect. The words of men and demons are not perfect. We are being BROUGHT TO PERFECTION. But we are not perfect yet. What did Jesus say was perfect?

Matthew 5:48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

We measure perfection by God. None of us are perfect like God is perfect. Only God is perfect. 

Matthew 19:16-17 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”  So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 

Jesus the man was in an imperfect physical body - He as God is perfect, but in the physical His body was physical, not Spirit. He had to depend on the Holy Spirit for instruction, but as God He knows all.  But in the physical, He needed guidance from the Holy Spirit.

We will not have this perfect faith until Revelation 21. 

1 Corinthians 13:11-12 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 

If there was no need for gifts of the Spirit we would be seeing clearly, not dimly. Are we seeing face to face? NO!  We only know in part. There still is more power available that we have not used. The limitation is with our thinking. We talk ourselves out of what God can do. We limit ourselves and limit our knowledge and understanding. The Lord gives us gifts to use so that we place the enemy under our feet. The effects of the devil are still on the earth so we need all the gifts we can have available to us. Say thank you to God for the gifts of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:3-4  But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.

Paul wanted the prophesies to be edifying to people, but that does not mean that we don't speak in tongues. We still need our personal prayer language to edify ourselves.  Paul said. 1 Corinthians 14:18-19 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. Paul told the people he spoke in tongues more than all of those he was teaching. Should we not use the same gifts that Paul used? 

The flowing of the Spirit is likened to living water. Pastor Don said that once he was at a meeting where there were over 500 people speaking in tongues and it sounded like a waterfall - rivers of living water.

Praying you are edified and blessed.

Heather

Taught 4-15-2010

VICKY'S TEACHING:

In her Bible studies Vicki has been spending a long time studying Philemon and God has not let her move beyond this book. When she came to visit us from Florida Pastor Don asked her to teach on a Thursday Night Bible Study.

Philemon 1-3 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philemon was a friend of Paul. In that time rich landowners had slaves and anywhere from 1/5 to 1/3 of the total population of the Roman Empire were considered property. Paul did not consider himself a prisoner of the Romans, but rather a prisoner of Jesus Christ. 

Philemon 4 I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, 

Paul prayed for Philemon. We should pray and thank God for each other.

Philemon 5 hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints,

They obeyed Jesus and showed love and faith toward God and toward each other.

Philemon 6 that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

This is an effective sharing of faith and a good witness. Jesus put us into the Word to be a light to the world. Jesus is in us and we are His little lights.

Philemon 7  For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

This good word of what they are doing brought Paul and Timothy great joy and consolation, it refreshed their hearts. Their spirits bore witness one to another.

After this greeting and encouraging word, Paul speaks to Philemon regarding Onesimus. Onesimus was acting as Paul's slave for the time being. He was bright and intelligent, but before he came to Paul he had run away from Philemon. A runaway slave was considered the lowest of the low in society, and was offered no protection in the law. He would receive severe punishment for running away. But when he ran away he met Paul and became a Christian. 

The name "Onesimus" means profitable, useful.

Philemon 8-10 Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ— I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, 

When Paul called Onesimus his son, he was speaking of his spiritual son. 

Philemon 11 who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me. 

Onesimus was profitable and helpful for Paul. He ministered to Paul and Paul liked him very much.

Philemon 12 I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, 

Paul is sending him back for he belonged to Philemon. Paul asked Philemon to receive him with the heart of Paul who loves him very much. Paul purposed in his own heart to intercede for Onesimus. Jesus intercedes for us. When we intercede for others we have a great prayer partner (Jesus).  Paul was also exercising the ministry of reconciliation, imitating Jesus here.  Jesus reconciles us to God, and we now carry the mercy of reconciliation.  We are assigned as ministers of reconciliation to plead on the behalf of others.

Romans 5:10-11 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

We have received this by Jesus' life, and rejoice in it.  

Romans 5:10-11 AMP For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more [certain], now that we are reconciled, that we shall be saved (daily delivered from sin's dominion) through His [resurrection] life. Not only so, but we also rejoice and exultingly glory in God [in His love and perfection] through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have now received and enjoy [our] reconciliation.

We are DAILY DELIVERED!

2 Corinthians 5:17-20 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 

We are new creations. New Christians reconciled to the Lord, and we need to be reconciled Christian to Christian as well.

Philemon 13  whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel. 

Paul wanted to keep Onesimus with him to minister to Paul while he was in prison.

Philemon 14 But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary. 

But would not do it without Philemon's consent. Paul wanted to do the right thing. 

When Paul wrote to anyone He always had something good to say first. He gave honest complements, and then dealt with the difficult words of correction.

Philemon 15 For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, 

Maybe God arranged this according to his divine purpose. 

Philemon 16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

Paul wanted Philemon to receive Onesimus as a brother in Christ.  Without this Onesimus could be punished, beaten, or killed. That does not mean that Philemon would be freed from slavery, but rather that he would be forgiven for his sin of running away.  Philemon was a man of integrity and would show mercy, even when Onesimus did wrong. 

Vicki shared a quote but I did not catch the author - mercy comes down from heaven to earth so that man may practice reconciliation.

Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

Imitate God and show mercy. Do not imitate evil, imitate God. Paul tactfully requested that Philemon make a decision based on Christ.  What would Jesus do.  Remember in verse 11 Paul told Philemon that they were fellow servants in Christ. Paul never requested abolition of slavery or urged slaves to rebel. He wanted Christians, slaves or free to be brothers and sisters in Christ.  In Jesus social distinction was inclusive.

Ephesians 6:5-9 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

Colossians 3:22-25 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.  But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

Colossians 4:1 Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

With new life comes new behaviors, and the old behavior comes off. Mercy and forgiveness are put on. Vicki calls it CIA - Christianity In Action.

Christ Is Available to all.  Christ Is All in all.

Colossians 3:9-11 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

Galatians 3:28-29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

The first century Jews used to pray, "Thank God I'm not a Gentile, a slave or a woman."

Onesimus' life changed, and he needed to do the right thing and make restitution of the wrong that he did.

Philemon 17-18 If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me. But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account.

This is a picture of Jesus. If wronged, Jesus says, "Put it on my account." We all owe a debt that we cannot pay.  Jesus paid our debt, the debt that we can never repay Him for. Onesimus could not repay Philemon.  Paul tells Philemon to follow him like he is following Christ.

Philemon 19 I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay—not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides. 

Paul writing in his own hand made this promise legally binding. But Paul reminded Philemon that he lead Philemon to the Lord, and that is a major debt that Philemon should consider.

Philemon 20-21 Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord. Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 

If Philemon does what is right it will bring joy to Paul's soul.  Paul is saying, let's see if I taught you right.  Then he points out that he has confidence in Philemon that he will do the right thing.

Philemon 22-25 But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you. Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Lessons from Philemon to apply in our lives.

1. Tactfulness
2. Grace
3. Word of praise or encouragement before dealing with a problem. Change your vision and look for the good.
4. No barriers or walls between believers. Respect all believers. All are one in Christ. Do good to all no matter their rank.  Galatians 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
5. Forgiveness - Forgive quickly, unforgiveness is not good for you. Be quick to forgive and repent faster.
6. Intercede for believers like Jesus intercedes for us.
7. Restitution
8. Reconciliation

Onesimus was an unprofitable slave, but once he accepted Jesus, and became a brother in Christ, he became a profitable member of God's family. We want to bear fruit for the Body of Christ.  We were all slaves, slaves to sin. Now that we are forgiven we can be fruitful members for His Kingdom. We are no longer in the prison of the devil, but profitable and acceptable to the Lord and His Kingdom.

Tradition tells us that Onesimus became a bishop in Berea and dealt with people with tact and grace.

This book shows us how to deal with people like Jesus dealt with us. Our lives are changed when we come to Christ and that changes how we react to things. When we have a right relationship with God we seek to reconcile people to God and restore broken relationships.

PASTOR DON MOORE'S TEACHING.

Philemon 15  For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever,

Pastor Don said that all of us have circumstances and situations that are distasteful, depressing experiences. They seem like detours and obstacles.  Where we are here has nothing to do with where we're going. It may not be apparent where we are in the midst of thing. We may ask ourselves, "Why am I going through this? How is this a part of the process?"  We may not understand the mundane ridiculous things in the moment, and not understand or appreciate what is going on in the moment.  We may wish that things would change, but the hurtful things may be set there purposefully to grow us and reposition us to what God has for is.  These things may be necessary to draw us back on track.

We may be fishing where we can't catch fish. We can get out of position unless we get higher, change our attitude and see God's perspective. We may not be seeing what we want to be, but from God's perspective we may see where we are to be to catch fish. 

If Paul's life had not crossed Onesimus' life, it could be a difficult situation for Onesimus. Onesimus would have been in a difficult situation because of his slavery. It was necessary for him to meet Paul and be restored to Philemon. All of this was part of God's plan for his perfection.

God has a plan for our perfection. Where you are may be a necessary place for you to be to get you to the place where God has placed someone to help you get back on course.

Praying this blesses you.

Taught April 10, 2010

Responsibilities of a prophet are listed in Jeremiah 31

What is our responsibility and how are we to accomplish it?

Isaiah 28:1-8 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower which is at the head of the verdant valleys, to those who are overcome with wine! Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, who will bring them down to the earth with His hand. The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, will be trampled underfoot; and the glorious beauty is a fading flower which is at the head of the verdant valley, like the first fruit before the summer, which an observer sees; he eats it up while it is still in his hand. In that day the LORD of hosts will be for a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of His people, for a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. But they also have erred through wine, and through intoxicating drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink, they are swallowed up by wine, they are out of the way through intoxicating drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filth; no place is clean.

Ephraim and Samaria, this shows what to do and what not to do so that no bad decision is made.

IN THAT DAY - end times term. God is going to deal with a REMNANT.  Their understanding of justice is shaky and they are caught up in wine and intoxication, over use and abuse. If you are over indulgent with anything it opens the way for evil spirits and/or influence of wine that causes us to make a error, then we can get swallowed up. Judgments hurt people, and God wants us to stay within His parameters, so that we are not hurt. There is a cultural divide.

How did these problems get into the temple? God speaks about the filth. 

Isaiah 28:9 Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? 

Isaiah is talking to the priests and prophets, telling them that they need to move from the milk to the meat of the Word. They ought to have gained a little knowledge and obeyed it.

In the above verses we see that the crown of pride is drunkenness, intoxicating drink leads to error, bad judgment, vomit, bad vision. and this leads to the destruction of kingdoms. Verse seven shows that the priests and prophets erred through wine, they erred in vision and stumbled in judgment.

Verse 9 that the teachings need to take people above and beyond baby stuff.  They need to teach doctrine based on scripture, line upon line, precept upon precept. 

Isaiah 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little. 

Precept upon precept is a general rule or command, a doctrine, foundational thinking. No one verse of scripture stands alone. You can't get a full understanding of God's teachings based on one scripture by itself. If you study the whole scripture you can't create doctrines independent of scripture.  Your revelation can't stand by itself. It has to be confirmed by scripture line upon line, here a little, there a little. A teaching on a passage of scripture has to be supported by other books of the Bible. 

Matthew 18:16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’

Deuteronomy 17:6 Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 

(Heather's note, I put two verses to confirm this idea, there are others)  Let the word be established by two or three witnesses.

Paul would present something and it was supported by the prophets. Pastor Don pointed out that Ecclesiastes has some great teachings of Solomon but we also need to understand that it was written by a depressed person and all that he said about God is not true. For example when he says that when a man dies it is the same as a dog dies, that is not something that God would say. But some who read this book take this as sayings from the Lord. Song of Solomon is a vision of Christ and written with understanding, but it is the same author as Ecclesiastes. Solomon wrote some of his teachings after he figured out that he messed up his life. We need to cross reference the different witnesses. 

When you read scripture ask:  Who is saying it?  Who are they talking to?  What are they talking about? 

Solomon is an example of the wisest man to walk on the planet, but he was not acting spiritually wise.

The devil tries to get us fixated and then we begin to live in error. For example there are pastors now who want to only see God as loving, not as judge. They are proposing a thing called "universal salvation" that there will be no judgment, that all will be saved no matter what, even if they haven't accepted Christ. They are implying that we can get saved through the back door, without judgment. Pastor Don said that many people would say that if this hurts you more than me, they want to spare themselves.

1 Corinthians 2:6-11 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

Solomon was the smartest man on the planet but he did not know the deep things of God. When the wisdom of God takes over then we can understand the deep things of God.

2 Corinthians 4:3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 

It is veiled, covered, hidden. Those perishing in hell and those on earth who are not listening to the truth, are erring in their vision.

2 Corinthians 4:4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

The god of this age (satan) can blind the eyes, this can also veil truth in the believers. If there is unbelief in certain areas of our lives we can be blinded in that area. No one is a total believer. 

Those who only believe that Jesus was a great prophet sent to redeem Israel don't believe the whole Gospel. They only believe part of it. Sadly, even believers today do not believe the whole gospel. 

God is vast, and God's promises are ALL yes and amen. We put limitations on the Word and what we think God can do. We keep score of our failures and not our victories in Christ. Trusting God includes expectancy and hope. Stop pushing the river, you only make a mess.  Stand still and the river will clear itself. If you muck around in the river you make it muddy.

Prayer of preparation - prepare to be bold and accept it. But know that it will happen in God's timing which includes you being prepared to be able to step into the promise. If you go beyond where God wants you, your talents can take you places your character cannot sustain you.

Isaiah 28:11-13 For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, to whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” and, “This is the refreshing”; yet they would not hear. But the word of the LORD was to them, “Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little,” that they might go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and caught. 

Another tongue

Isaiah 28:13 AMP Therefore the word of the Lord will be to them [merely monotonous repeatings of]: precept upon precept, precept upon precept, rule upon rule, rule upon rule; here a little, there a little--that they may go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and taken.

Stammering lips and another tongue. This could be a literal stuttering talk or a foreign language that they do not understand.  If you look at historical view, Moses is a stutterer and stammerer, and in the natural he felt he could not talk to the people. God permitted Aaron to be the spokesperson, so that Moses would receive the vision and Aaron would speak to the people.  But this does not fit the above.

But the Assyrians do not stutter. 

In Acts 2 the Holy Spirit came down with the gifts of the Spirit and tongues. 

He will speak to the people, and what does it say?

A prophetic message, where the wary can get rested and refreshed. The prophet tears down and destroys, but then builds up again.

God did that, but the people did not hear.

In Isaiah 28:13 it mentions the people fall backward, broken and are caught.  There is falling in the Spirit, keeling over, broken in the presence of God, and then you hear form God. He can rebuild on a new and better foundation. Personality and ego has to fall and be broken. Yes, Lord, you caught my attention.

Isaiah 28:14-15 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scornful men, who rule this people who are in Jerusalem, because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.”

Unless we are broken with the truth, we will end up making lies our refuge and that is a covenant with death. Listen to God and learn from Him precept upon precept, line upon line, then we will not be snared and taken by the enemy.

Praying your day is blessed. I am trying to catch up with my notes, and today is another wonderful Friday Bible study.  Don't forget, you are welcome if you find yourself in the West Hurley, NY area.

God bless you.

Heather