Bible Study notes from a class taught 10/7/11

Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

The breath was not just a puff of life, not just physical life, but spiritual life as well, soul life.

Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

God provided all that Adam needed. Two trees were specified to not eat from – the rest were available for eating.. The tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life.

Genesis 2:15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.

Adam was a bondservant of the Lord – a bondservant gardener.  Part of his gardening was also the trees one tree was of life, the other tree death. God gave Adam choice. Adam had to choose to obey God or disobey God.

Matthew 7:17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

The tree bears fruit after its kind. After Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they were barred from the Garden of Eden. It is possible that God did not want them eating from the tree of life because they would have then lived eternally in their sin, and God had plans to help mankind away from their sins. In Heaven every tree that is there is good to eat.

Genesis is silent on the tree of life.  

When our sins are forgiven and we are born again it then becomes possible for us to eat of the tree of life.  It is possible that after the judgment of God we will not be barred from the tree of life.

The tree of life – dependence on God
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil – is man wanting independence from God. Independence from God is death, or separation from God.

Mankind believes the lying promises of satan, and eats from the tree because it looked good. The enemy, satan deceived man, promising him good but delivering death. The fruit looked good to eat – that is the trick of satan, if Eve saw the fruit for what it was, she would never have eaten it.  The fruit of evil was rotten to the core, but by adding an ounce of good, it became acceptable to her sight and she ate it, no questions asked.

This is the same sin that satan did – desiring to be God.  Eve wanted to be like God and know good from evil – it may, on the surface have seemed like a good intention to want to know what is good from what is evil – the problem was it would be in her own mind and she didn’t need that knowledge if she was depending on God, God would steer her away from evil. When there is a mixture of what is good and evil it leads us to the grey area and we begin to accept things that we wouldn’t accept prior to that.  As more and more reaches that grey area, all kinds of evil become acceptable.

Genesis 2:18  And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 

God created Eve.  God did not create Eve because of trial and error. He knew that Adam needed to perceive his need for a woman. God let Adam go through the process of naming the animals, seeing the animals as male and female. Then, after seeing all the animals, Adam would realize that Eve was the only sensible relationship for him.

Eve was complimentary to man, to Adam  She was a help suitable for him. God created relationships.

Genesis 3:1-6 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’?” 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.’” 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.” 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.

The enemy, satan, is subtle. He asks a question that makes the woman doubt the goodness of God, implying that God is holding something back from Adam and Eve by forbidding them to eat of the two trees.  He says, has God said?  The woman answers satan, but she embellished, added more to the instructions God gave – she mentions not just not eating, but not touching.  We are not to add or subtract from what God has said.

Eve acted independently from her husband. She deceived herself in an attempt to become wise. Deception from satan through that question, then she made a choice and did the rest herself. Self-deception drives us to sin.  Not only did Eve eat of the fruit, but she gave some to her husband and he ate. She should have consulted Adam before she acted. They could have made a decision together. Eve should have consulted Adam, deferred to him.  After all, they had a partnership. They should have made the decision together.

Knowledge of Good and Evil does not protect the way simple obedience does. With knowledge of good and evil comes a choice as to what one will choose – good or evil. Simple obedience to God keeps one choosing what is life-giving, not death producing.  There was no evil in the Garden, evil was based on experience and choice.

Once the fruit was consumed the will of man chooses (not God directing) and ultimately man chooses those things that lead to death. We end up yielding to things that are not beneficial to us. Simple obedience to God kept man in a state of innocence, with only one simple rule of what not to do.  Once man disobeyed God’s instructions, he chose not to obey God and that disobedience lead to death. 

The word ADAM means mankind. Adam should have protected his wife, and not let the serpent deceive her. Adam knew what was happening, and he went along with the serpent’s deception.

1 Timothy 2:13-14 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.  

Adam let satan usurp God’s authority.  Adam took of the fruit and ate it and both Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened. Adam could have refused to eat. He could have sacrificed for Eve’s sin. He could have interceded for Eve to God. Neither Adam or Eve acted in accordance with the partnership and relationship that God had established.

Genesis 3:7-13  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. 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. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” 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.” And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Bible Study taught September 29, 2011 (near the feast of Rosh Hashanah)

God does things by seasons. At His assigned Holy Days, heaven is closer and more open. At the time of Rosh Hashanah is an appointed fast for the Jews, and Pastor Don spoke about fasting.

Regarding fasting – it is not just a fast from food. Sometimes a couple will fast from sex for a time for spiritual prayer. It can be a fast of a habit, of television, of Facebook and blogs. 

Pastor Don says that we need to learn to live a fasted life all the time. We can even have a fast of words – so that we are not speaking negative words.

In the book of James it says that no man controls his tongue, it is like a rudder that steers a huge ship. 

Fasting can help us develop willpower, self-control.  There is no mention of willpower in the Scripture. 

The ability of our will is how we are made in God’s image. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit, that is what we call willpower.

Isaiah 58:1 Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

The modern-day church shies away from pointing out transgression

Isaiah 58:2 Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching God.

Notice the passage: as if they were a righteous nation, not forsaking the ordinances of God. God wants our obedience, not just lip-service.

Isaiah 58:3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’ In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and exploit all your laborers.

The people are assuming something. There is no fruit from their fasting. They assumed that if they fasted, God would give them the fruit of their labors, but their fast is not in accordance with what God wants. They are assuming that God did not see their fasting, and thus they have no blessing. But have they done what God told them to do?  They afflicted their souls – ashes, sackcloth, dust, thirst, hunger, etc. They fasted but nothing happened. Something is wrong. If sickness, they assume there is sin, if no prosperity they assume sin. We assume if things are not going the way we expect that something is wrong. 

In the American church, with all the freedom to preach and teach, there is still the same amount (if not more) of divorces in the church as in the secular world. 

Verse three is a wake-up call. No power, no presence, no deliverance.

If you read Deuteronomy Chapters 28-30 you see the blessings and curses God promises the people. If one is keeping God’s commands the diseases of Egypt would not come on the people.  Problem is, the people are not keeping God’s commands.

Even today, the power has left the Church in many instances.

Luke 18:11-14  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

We believe that if we do right actions, God will answer us. 

Leviticus 16:29 This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you.

Leviticus 23:27 Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall bethe Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. 

Pastor Don pointed out that the letter of the Law includes the heart of the law. At the Church the river is flowing. Did you get wet or just stand on the sidelines?

Jeremiah 14:12 When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.

The Israelites were in captivity for seventy years when Jeremiah made this prophesy. 

Fasting is the practice of self control and willpower.  Paul pointed out that it didn’t matter what condition he was in – if he was prosperous or poor he would still live out God’s plan. 

If tragedy strikes, don’t let that take your soul’s joy away. When Job suffered, he knew His Redeemer lives. Jesus is there for us.  

Isaiah 58:4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate, and to strike with the fist of wickedness.You will not fast as you do this day, to make your voice heard on high.

God tells the Israelites not to fast as they are this day. Their fasting won’t force God to hear and answer their prayers.  It isn’t about fasting to get something, to make your voice heard on high. A period of fasting and prayer should cause us to shut up and listen to what God wants to tell us. We are to listen to what the Spirit is saying, and seek to obey that.  We will never find God’s will in our feelings.

Isaiah 58:5  Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?

God is asking us to make sure that the way we are fasting is the way God chooses for us, not the way we think we ought to be fasting.

Isaiah 58:6  Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?

This hits us really hard. It is counterproductive to fast to make God do the activity of help us with our idols. If we look to something or someone to do what God does, it is an idol. Are we looking for a beautiful woman, a trophy wife, a woman with a job, a woman to do for you what God wants to do for you, then it is an idol. 

God tells us the why to fast, not the how-to. We are to be set free from the bonds of wickedness, but this does not tell us how it operates.  It is a spiritual mystery.

Did Jesus fast?  He was not bound by the things mentioned in Isaiah 58, so why did He fast?  He did the 40 day fast in the wilderness after His baptism.  He fasted and prayed often.  

The Apostles did not fast when they had Jesus with them, but fasted after He ascended.

Jesus stayed in the perfect will of His Father and the Holy Spirit. While He was on earth He was man, and needed to pray and fast to stay built up to do His Father’s will. 

Pastor Don asked us – When you are run down do you have the good sense to pray?

Prayer is focused talking to God. If you are not certain how to pray, pray in tongues and let the Father answer.

We should fast the same way.  Be clear about why we are fasting. We can’t be fasting to manipulate God.. We fast because of what it says in Isaiah 58:6 (see above)

The purpose of the fast is for ministerial strength, to serve others by developing our own willpower and self-control, in the absence of fear.

The devil manipulates us by fear, doubt, and unbelief. 

Esther 4:16 Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!

Esther fasted to loose the bonds and release her to deal with the attacks of the devil. It gave her strength to take bold action against the plans of satan and to save her people from perishing. Before she could approach the king, she needed to hear from God, to gain her self-control, willpower, and to hear what the Will of God was for her situation.  She knew what to do and needed strength and determination to go do it.

In Mark 9, the father of a demonically possessed son approaches Jesus, and tells Him that the disciples were not able to cast out the demon that was in his son. To cast this particular devil out required a fasted person. When you don’t see the fruit of your spiritual life, people getting saved, the sick healed, demons cast out, people asking for prayers of deliverance, it may mean that we need to spend more time in fasting and prayer. God will send us people for us to minister to.

We work through the anointing. Jesus came to save those who were lost.

Mark 9:14-18 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. ¹⁵ Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?” Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”

Pastor Don worked on mental wards and have seen people with seizures where it was a demon-possession problem, not a physical issue. When a demon-possessed person is medicated it just slows down the vessel and the demon can’t act out as much. But when the medicine wears off the demon is there and active. It must be cast out. If the problem is medical (brain waves, etc) it means that the Holy Spirit can fix it.

Mark 9:19 He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”

The disciples did not have faith to heal this guy.  Faith is not quantitative, but qualitative. it isn’t that we need more faith, we were all given a measure of faith, and it only takes faith the size of a mustard seed to move mountains.  Many Christians pray for God to increase their faith, they don’t need more faith, they need faith for.

We can have faith for the healing of a headache but not have faith for the healing of a hip injury. As we apply our faith in situations, we build our faith for those circumstances, but we may not have faith for other circumstances. The more we practice faith, the easier it will be to apply faith in new circumstances.

When the disciples were in the boat asleep and the waves came, they cried out to Jesus and He remarked at their lack of faith, reminding them that He fed the 5,000, so if He could do that, and He told them He was crossing over the water, why would they not have faith that the wind and the sea would not destroy their boat?

The disciples had cast out demons in other people, for Jesus sent them out and they came back glowing with reports of their victories.  But when they faced this epileptic demon, they did not maintain their faith. The demon trashed the child around and the disciples thought, oh, maybe we didn’t cast out the demon. And that was enough doubt for the demon to return to the child.

Mark 9:20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.

The demon puts on a show for Jesus.

Now, remember, Jesus is a man, a spirit-filled man. He does not have the omniscience of God at this point, for He is man.

Mark 9:21-22  So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

Jesus speaks with the boy’s father to get information about the situation. Jesus needs the consent of the father to do the healing for the son.

Jesus is having a calm conversation while the devil is trying to distract Jesus with a  show.  

Unless the Holy Spirit directs us to cast out a demon, we are not to walk around casting out demons at random, we can make the person worse than before. If there is nothing done to fill the place vacated by the demon, he can come back and bring more demons to occupy the empty space.

The epilepsy demon is a bully spirit. If the child is under the age of accountability, the parents need to give their permission. If the child is of the age of accountability, he/she can ask for help.

Mark 9:23  Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

Jesus is asking the father to move from unbelief to faith. 

Mark 9:24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

The father prayed saying I believe, help my unbelief.

Mark 9:25  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!”

Jesus acted quickly when He saw the people coming together. Demons want an audience, and with more people assembled, there would be a greater force of unbelief, and the atmosphere would e filled with unbelief.

When we heal or cast out demons we want a faith-filled atmosphere, or at least, if a person doesn’t have faith for healing, that they can be in neutral, suspending their unbelief. Most times when a demon is cast out it is done one-to-one, and not in front of a huge audience. It is better to control the circumstance and the situation.

Jesus commanded the demon to leave and not to enter the person again.  

Mark 9:26-29 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”  So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

This kind of demon only came out by the prayer of faith and fasting. 

Jesus lived a fasted life, so he had no fear, had self-control, and was plugged into the will of God.

Ask yourself, what do I have faith for? What don’t I have faith for? 

Churches have faith for different areas, for example Baptists have strong salvation faith, Methodists have faith for missions, Presbyterians have faith for traditions, etc.  

We all have strong faith for some things, weak faith for others.

The demon convulsed the boy, but Jesus did not panic, he just raised him up, no problem. 

We need to have faith in the power and ability of the Lord.

How does faith come?  Romans 10:17  So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

If we are struggling in sin in any sea and not getting anyone saved, go to God in fasting and prayer to gain strength and self-control in those areas. The enemy knows where we are compromised and those are the areas he will attack.

 I am praying your day is blessed.

Heather

In these end times, when satan is on the prowl seeking whom he may devour, it is so important to keep our focus on who we are in Christ.  God has given us so many promises, and we need to remind ourselves them. I brought this forward because I needed to remind myself of these truths, and I know they will bless you. I used four translations of the scripture NKJ (New King James) AMP (Amplified) NIV (New International Version), and KJV (King James) NASB (New American Standard Bible)

I AM:

1. A child of God (Romans 8:16)
NKJ: The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God
AMP: The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, [assuring us] that we are children of God.
NIV: The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
KJV: The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God
NASB: The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

2. Redeemed from the Hand of the Enemy (Psalms 107:2) 
NKJ:  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy
AMP: Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has delivered from the hand of the adversary
NIV: Let the redeemed of the LORD say this— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe
KJV: Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy
NASB: Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary

3. Forgiven (Colossians 1:13-14)
NKJ:  He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
AMP:  [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,  in Whom we have our redemption through His blood, [which means] the forgiveness of our sins.
NIV: For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
KJV: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins
NASB: For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

4. Saved by Grace through Faith (Ephesians 2:8)
NKJ: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God
AMP: For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God
NIV: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
KJV: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God
NASB: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

5. Justified (Romans 5:1)
NKJ: Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
AMP: Therefore, since we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
NIV: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
KJV: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
NASB: Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

6. Sanctified (1 Corinthians 6:11)
NKJ: And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
AMP: And such some of you were [once]. But you were washed clean (purified by a complete atonement for sin and made free from the guilt of sin), and you were consecrated (set apart, hallowed), and you were justified [pronounced righteous, by trusting] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God.
NIV: And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
KJV: And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
NASB: Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

7. A new Creature (II Corinthians 5:17)
NKJ: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
AMP: Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!
NIV: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
KJV: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
NASB: Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

8. Partaker of His Divine Nature (II Peter 1:4)
NKJ: by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
AMP: By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature.
NIV: Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires
KJV: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust
NASB: For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

9. Redeemed from the Curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13)
NKJ: Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”)
AMP: Christ purchased our freedom [redeeming us] from the curse (doom) of the Law [and its condemnation] by [Himself] becoming a curse for us, for it is written [in the Scriptures], Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (is crucified)
NIV: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
KJV: Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree
NASB: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us–for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”–

10. Delivered from the Powers of Darkness (Colossians 1:13)
NKJ: He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love
AMP: [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love
NIV: For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves
KJV: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son
NASB: For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,

11. Led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14)
NKJ: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
AMP: For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
NIV: because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
KJV: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
NASB: For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

12. A son of God (Romans 8:14)
NKJ: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
AMP: For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
NIV: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God
KJV: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
NASB: For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

13. Kept in Safety Wherever I Go (Psalms 91:11)
NKJ: For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.
AMP: For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service].
NIV: For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways
KJV: For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways
NASB: For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.

14. Getting All my needs Met by Jesus (Philippians 4:19)
NKJ: And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
AMP: And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
NIV: And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
KJV: But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
NASB: And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus

15. Casting All my cares on Jesus (1 Peter 5:7)
NKJ: casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
AMP: Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
NIV: Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
KJV: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you
NASB: casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you

16. Strong in the Lord and in the Power of His Might (Ephesians 6:10)
NKJ: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
AMP: In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].
NIV: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power
KJV: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might
NASB: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

17. Doing All Things Through Christ who strengthens Me (Phil. 4:13)
NKJ: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
AMP: I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency].
NIV: I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
KJV: I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
NASB: I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

18. An Heir of God and a  Joint Her with Jesus (Romans 8:17)
NKJ: and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
AMP: And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory.
NIV: Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
KJV: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
NASB: and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

19. Heir to the Blessings of Abraham (Galatians 3:13-14)
NKJ:  Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),  that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith
AMP:  Christ purchased our freedom [redeeming us] from the curse (doom) of the Law [and its condemnation] by [Himself] becoming a curse for us, for it is written [in the Scriptures], Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (is crucified); to the end that through [their receiving] Christ Jesus, the blessing [promised] to Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, so that we through faith might [all] receive [the realization of] the promise of the [Holy] Spirit.
NIV: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
KJV: Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
NASB: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us–for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”– in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

20. Observing and Doing the Lord’s Commandments (Deut 28:12-14)
NKJ: The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
AMP: The Lord shall open to you His good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain of your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord shall make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you this day and are watchful to do them. And you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
NIV: The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.
KJV: The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them: and thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
NASB: The LORD will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. The LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully, and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

21. Blessed Coming in and Blessed Going out (Deut. 28:6)
NKJ: Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
AMP: Blessed shall you be when you come in and blessed shall you be when you go out.
NIV: You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
KJV: Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
NASB: Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

22. An Heir of Eternal Life (1 John 5:11-12)
NKJ: And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
AMP: And this is that testimony (that evidence): God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who possesses the Son has that life; he who does not possess the Son of God does not have that life.
NIV: And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
KJV: And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life
NASB: And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

23. Blessed with All Spiritual Blessings (Eph. 1:3)
NKJ: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ
AMP: May blessing (praise, laudation, and eulogy) be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm!
NIV: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
KJV: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ
NASB: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

24. Healed by His Stripes (1 Peter 2:24)
NKJ: who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed
AMP: He personally bore our sins in His [own] body on the tree [as on an altar and offered Himself on it], that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.
NIV: He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
KJV: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
NASB: and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

25. Exercising My Authority over the Enemy (Luke 10:19)
NKJ: Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
AMP: Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you.
NIV: I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
KJV: Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
NASB: Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.

26. Above Only and Not Beneath (Deuteronomy 28:13)
NKJ: And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.
AMP: And the Lord shall make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you this day and are watchful to do them.
NIV: The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom
KJV: And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them
NASB: The LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully,

27. More than a Conqueror (Romans 8:37)
NKJ: Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
AMP: Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.
NIV: No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
KJV: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
NASB: But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

28. Establishing God’s Word here on Earth (Matthew 16:19)
NKJ: And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
AMP: I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven.
NIV: I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
KJV: And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
NASB: I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

29. An Overcomer by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of My
      Testimony (Revelation 12:11)
NKJ:  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
AMP: And they have overcome (conquered) him by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony, for they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death [holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing].
NIV: They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
KJV: And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
NASB: And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

30. Daily Overcoming the Devil (I John 4:4)
NKJ: You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
AMP: Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world.
NIV: You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
KJV: Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
NASB: You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

31. Not Moved by What I See (II Corinthians 4:18)
NKJ: while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
AMP: Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting.
NIV: So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
KJV: While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
NASB: while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

32. Walking by Faith and Not by Sight (II Corinthians 5:7)
NKJ: For we walk by faith, not by sight.
AMP: For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance
NIV: We live by faith, not by sight.
KJV: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
NASB: Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

33. Casting Down Van Imaginations (II Corinthians 10:4-5)
NKJ: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ
AMP: For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)
NIV: The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
KJV: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ
NASB: for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

34. Bringing Every Thought into Captivity (II Corinthians 10:5)
NKJ: casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ
AMP: [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)
NIV: We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
KJV: Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ
NASB: We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

35. Being Transformed by Renewing My Mind (Romans 12:1-2)
NKJ: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
AMP: I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].
NIV: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will
KJV: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
NASB: Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

36. A Laborer Together with God (I Corinthians 3:9)
NKJ:  For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.
AMP: For we are fellow workmen (joint promoters, laborers together) with and for God; you are God’s garden and vineyard and field under cultivation, [you are] God’s building.
NIV: For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
KJV: For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
NASB: For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

37. The Righteousness of God in Christ (II Corinthians 5:21)
NKJ: For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
AMP: For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].
NIV: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
KJV: For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
NASB:  He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

38. An Imitator of Jesus (Ephesians 5:1)
NKJ: Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
AMP: Therefore be imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father].
NIV: Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children
KJV: Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children
NASB: Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;

39. The Light of the World (Matthew 5:14)
NKJ: You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
AMP: You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
NIV: You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
KJV: Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
NASB: You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;

40. Blessing the Lord at All Times and Continually Praising the Lord with My Mouth (Psalm 34:1)
NKJ: I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
AMP: I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
NIV: I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips
KJV: I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
NASB: I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

I think Neil Anderson, in the Bondage Breaker uses these affirmations also. It is good to be reminded of these.

Hope you have a blessed Day.

Heather

This Bible study was taught on 9/21/11. Sorry for the format – although I typed this with paragraphs, Xanga is bunching the paragraphs together.

SUSAN FELDER: Facts and Truth

Luke 8:26-39 Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!”  For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.  Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss. Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned. When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.  Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

Truth sets you free.  What’s your legion?  The man had a legion – over 5000 demons in him. The demons were frightened of Jesus. 

The demon possessed man was in a bad way, but he knew who to run to.  He exercised his will and ran to Jesus.

Fact  - the man was demon possessed
Truth – Jesus could set him free.

We make excuses for why we can’t be set free, and the demon wants us to believe those excuses for he needs a body to possess. Demons live through humans and they want us to feel torment. Demons like facts,  - depression, divorce, children suffering, etc. The demons want us to stay in the realm of facts.

In our lives facts can be painful but they are not the truth.

You may feel that the fact is you have a migraine or depression, and it may be real on earth, but it is not the truth. It is not permanent. Facts are temporary, truth is prominent.

The Son of God came to set us free, and by His stripes we are healed. We don’t walk by sight, we walk by faith. Facts are so tangible that we forget the truth. We need to focus on the truth and the truth sets us free.

PASTOR DON – continued the teaching 

We are a spirit who lives in a body and our body has a spiritual experience. 

When we allow our spirit to be subjected to a lower being, we have a natural experience. We have a choice – let our spirits be subject to the flesh, or let our spirits be subject to the Spirit of God. 

We all are subject to our feelings. We want to do things on our own but we need to be subject to the Spirit of God. We are trained by the parents set over us and influenced by our feelings.

Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and Scribes, and to Nicodemus. Jesus commented that the nation didn’t understand, even though they were learned men.

The devil took truth of Jesus, copied facts, and fed his lies to the world, to people. People get the facts, but they forget that the source is Jesus. One example is the book, The Secret, which teaches Biblical facts but leaves out Jesus.

What are we going to let lead our spirits – our flesh or the Holy Spirit? The more we want the Lord and Truth, the less the facts matter. Truth sets us free, but it is conditional – it s based on DO YOU BELIEVE.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Bible study of 9/16/11 – Katherine Briggs (whom we dearly miss at Friday Bible studies) taught a wonderful class on Prophesy.  Unless other wise stated, Bible passages are from the New King James Bible. Kathy began the Bible study with Scriptures and then Pastor Don added further comments.

KATHERINE BRIGGS

According to Webster’s Dictionary, prophesy means: the foretelling or prediction of something to come.  The Scriptures are a book of prophesy. Preaching to the public the interpretation of Scripture. To utter as if by divine inspiration.

It is a spiritual gift:

1 Corinthians 12:10A – …to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy,…

Parents prophesy over their children:

Proverbs 31:1 (King James) The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. 

To be effective and useful, prophecy must be done in love or it profits nothing:

1 Corinthians 13:1-3  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Words of God can speak life into a situation. Ezekiel was instructed to speak to the dry bones.

Ezekiel 37:4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!

Prophecy can illuminate and inspire. It is an anointing of God to enter into a situation to preach, announce, instruct, protect, deliver, or change a situation. It can show what will come, and even the one speaking the prophecy may not know what or when.  For example, Daniel foretelling about the birth of Jesus.

As we saw above, it is a gift of the spirit (1 Corinthians 12:10)  and

2 Peter 1:19-21 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Man does not prophesy, it is holy men of God moved by the Holy Spirit. Prophesy in Scripture is for the Body of Christ.

When we receive a word of prophesy from another, we must test it to make sure that it lines up with the Word of God. If it doesn’t line up with what the Bible teaches it is not from God.  We also need to make sure that the prophesy edifies and lifts us up.  

Matthew 7:20-23 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

1 John 4:1-6 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Prophecy and other gifts of the Spirit flow through God’s power. They are hindered or stopped by doubt. We can hinder a prophesy by stating – IF it will happen. The if sheds doubt.

COMMENTS BY PASTOR DON MOORE

When God speaks in the prophetic, unless God states that it is unconditional, it is conditional.

For example: God sent Jonah to prophesy to the Ninevites. He was going to destroy their land unless they repented.  When they repented and changed their ways, God did not destroy the land.

If God says He will do it, He will.  God does not lie. 

When Hezekiah was told to put his house in order, he turned to the wall and prayed, asking God for more time.  God honored that prayer and Hezekiah lived for fifteen more years. (Sadly, that was not good for Israel. Hezekiah, during those fifteen years, had a son born to him who brought down the destruction of Israel through his evil ways)

Our country, America, is trying to stand on prophesy, but is not meeting the conditions. We are pulling way from being united UNDER GOD. Unless we pull back in line with God’s word, we can pray, and that does not mean God will come and heal our land. His healing of our land is conditional to our obedience to His Word.

Sometimes we want God to change the results of our disobedience, but God does not.  For example, the first child that David had with Bathsheba  (a child conceived in sin) died, even though David prayed that God would spare the child’s life.

Some prophesies are set in stone, others are conditional.

When prophesy comes, we need to have discernment – We can’t always listen to the voice of the prophet – unless the prophet is speaking the Words of God and those words line up with the Bible. If the prophet is saying something contrary to God, it is not a true prophesy and God will not honor a false prophesy.

Personal prophesy is always conditional unless God terminates the conditions.

The prophet may only be able to speak about the condition, but the outcome is between the recipient of the prophesy and God. 

God always looks for someone to stand in the gap until the final judgement comes. There are conditions and ramifications to be paid.

The love of God is not separate from the judgment of God.

Prophesy is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. When we are born again we receive the Holy Spirit within us, but it is not the same as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit that comes with the spiritual gifts. When we are born again we receive an infilling of the Holy Spirit, but the Baptism of the Holy Spirit endues us with Power and the Grace of God. Still, we can have this infilling of the Holy Spirit and do nothing with it. We are to diligently seek the gifts of the Spirit. We need to step forward, in faith, and do what the Lord wants us to do.

When the Holy Spirit fell on the people gathered in the Upper Room, observers thought the people were drunk, but really what was happening was the fulfillment of Joel 2:28-32 – which Peter quotes in the following.

Acts 2:14-21 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: ‘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. 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. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Notice that not only men, but women will prophesy.

We need to seek what God has for us.  We want spiritual gifts to be activated and to operate in the five-fold ministry.

1 Corinthians 12:7-11 details the spiritual gifts.   There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:  for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,  to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.  But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

The gift of word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, healing, working of miracles, prophesy, discerning of spirits, different kinds of tongues, and interpretation of tongues.  Notice that through all these gifts is the SAME SPIRIT – the HOLY SPIRIT operating.

The five-fold ministry – Ephesians 4:11-12 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

The Five-fold ministry are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers –  and all the spiritual gifts and the five-fold ministry are to be used for the equipping of the saints. 

There are other gifts mentioned in the Bible.  

1 Corinthians 12:27-31 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Areall teachers? Are all workers of miracles?  Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?  But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

The gifts are manifested in works of administration and helps.  Never underestimate the kinds of works and help that you do. What happens in the kitchen ministry is important and vital to the Church.  No area of helps is unimportant.

All of the ministries are edified by Christ and to be used for edifying the Body of Christ.

Why did He do it?  Ephesians 4:9-10 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

Jesus, when he walked on earth as man, had to get His power from the Holy Spirit the same way we do. That gives us the courage to act and operate in these gifts and ministries. If Jesus had been born as God on earth, we would have no hope to operate in these giftings, but we can do what Jesus did. Jesus showed us it was possible to do these things He did.

Jesus is raised up to His rightful place in Heaven and soon He will come down to rule and reign and establish His Kingdom on earth.  Jesus defeated the enemy, and we have been given the power and authority to carry out His plans on the earth. 

Jesus, the second Adam, defeated sickness, sin, and death. While He walked on earth, fully man, he did the very things that we are instructed to do. He did them with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, not through His Godhood.  Because He was able to do these things as a man, so should we be able to do them.  When He died and was resurrected, He defeated satan, and then gave us authority over satan and his minions. The devil is defeated, but we still give him power over our lives.  It is a choice. We can either walk in victory over satan or let the enemy hold power over us.

When Jesus was met near the tomb, He told Mary Magdalene not to cling to him because He had to ascend to Heaven and present the perfect blood sacrifice to the Father.  We know God said, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  We want Jesus to say that to us as well.

Ephesians 4:7-10  But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?  He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

Pastor Don taught this Bible study on September 10, 2011 – this was taught after Hurricane Irene, and a question was raised by someone about helping others.  We need to help the brethren first. – We can help others, but we need to make sure that it is done with the goal of reaching others for the Kingdom of God. But we also need to make sure our brethren in need are taken care of.

Matthew 25:41  Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels

The left hand is the place of rejection, cursed. These people did not have a personal relationship with the King and neglected the brethren.

We have to be obedient to the Lord, and be careful how we help others, not wanting to go against the grain of the Lord. We don’t want to be unequally yoked. 

If we are doing what we think we should be doing according to the flesh, we may be disobedient to what God wants. 

Matthew 25:31-40 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

 There are goat nations and sheep nations. Goats do not follow the Lord, they rebel.  There are times when sheep follow goats and that can be to their detriment.

Goats are stubborn and can’t be led. They have a short memory. 

Pastor Don said that there are times when we sin years earlier, and then something bad happens – we forget the seeds of the sin that we had sown years ago and blame God for the disaster, forgetting that we are reaping what we have sown. We need to pray that there is a crop failure for seeds of sin sown much earlier.

There are two kinds of fire – there is a purging fire to cleanse and restore and there is a fire for punishment that lasts forever. 

We need to have faith through the purging fires.  Purging fires hurt, but if we maintain or faith and are obedient, we come out the other side purged. 

Pastor gave an example of David and the census – he said that when David disobeyed God, a plague hit the nation.  God offered David a chance to be punished by men or punished by Him. David asked God to mete out the punishment for he knew that he would fare better with God’s punishment.  God removed his hand of protection and the satan caused a plague to hit the nation.  David said that he accepted the responsibility for his disobedience.  At the right time, God stopped the plague.

But, even though God stayed the punishment, for the rest of David’s life, there was a constant state of war in Israel 

God can mitigate in our favor or against us.

Matthew 25:41-46 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Notice – the least of these (the brethren). They fed and clothed someone – but did they neglect the brethren? The brethren are fellow believers, and we all have a relationship with the Lord. God is going to ask:  How did you treat the brethren.

1 John 3:16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 

John 13:35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. 

We are to do what we do to the glory of Christ. The glory should come back to God

Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 

There will be a judgment.  Pastor asked, would God have us do something if there was no purpose in it? 

Those who, during the tribulation, lived right and held to the Word of God will be given the honor to rule and reign with Christ for one thousand years.  What happened to others?

Some are the Bride of Christ and they were with Jesus at the wedding feast during the tribulation time. They will come back with Him to conquer.

These are the ones who did not get raptured, who are are on earth during the reign of the antichrist and who do not worship the beast or take the mark of the beast.  They will be beheaded for their faith.

Revelation 20:5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

The thousand years is the millennial reign of Christ – The Bride of Christ are already on thrones. Those who died in faith, are already with Christ, but they won’t be reunited with their resurrection bodies until this millennial reign is finished.

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years

This is the best way to be – to be in the rapture, to be the Bride of Christ. Next best, to be in faith, not take the mark of the beast, and resist the antichrist, and they won’t have to face the second death = the second death will have no power over them.

Revelation 20:14-15 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Death, Hades and those who are not found written in the book of life will face the second death – the lake of fire 

Those who die in faith, not taking taking the mark will rule and reign with Jesus for 1000 years as priests of God and Christ.

The culmination of Matthew 25 goats and sheep is fulfilled in Revelation 20.

Joel and Amos speak of the Bride who comes as an obedient and powerful army. 

The end of the story is we win, satan loses.

Praying your day is blessed 

Heather

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We must and should always pray, though.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verse two says it all. No exceptions.

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

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

Have a blessed day.

Heather

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a blessed day.

Heather

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

We continued our study of Joel.  See previous post.

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

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

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

This has not happened yet.

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

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

Pastor Don had us turn to Hosea Chapter Six.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The third day – Moses and the Law.

Then there was David

Then Jesus was the fourth day.  

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

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

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

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

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

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

A harvest is appointed, not a revival.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The priests will plead for God’s mercy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next Bible study will begin to cover parts of Matthew 25

Have a blessed day.

Heather

Bible study taught Friday July 29, 2011 

With the Coming of the Lord, where are the saints? 

God picked the smallest tribe and blessed them and they have remained in existence to this day.

Everyone under covenant with God is protected by God. satan tried to destroy the line that led to the birth of Jesus and in this day and age, the devil is trying to destroy the Jews for if there are no Jews then the Messiah will not come again - 

Most Christians forget that Jesus was a Jew.  The Jews were looking for the Jewish Messiah and Jesus did not come the way they expected – they wanted a conquering King and the first time He came, the Messiah came as a suffering servant.  His second coming will be as a conquering King.  

Just as the prophesies stated, the nation of Israel is surrounded by enemies, and their enemies are getting more and more aggressive.  The main enemy, satan, is trying to wipe out the Jews, but the Lord has promised that a remnant will remain. If satan could wipe out the Jews, then there would be no Jews on earth to say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” as the prophesy states the Jews will do.

God does not lie, so His Word will come true, and therefore there must remain Jews on the earth to fulfill this prophesy.

Mount Zion is going to split, an earthquake will cause it to split in half.  Geologists have shown that there is a fault line running through this mountain and there is also a tunnel running under it.  

The evil of satan will not manifest until there is world domination, the new world order.

We took a glance at the one dollar bill and saw the pyramid with the all-seeing eye of osirus, baal. The pyramid represents the world and when the all seeing eye rests upon the world then the one world government of Revelation 13 will emerge.

Over the pyramid are the words:annuit coeptis – which has to do with Jupiter, he (satan, jupiter) agrees with the cause which has started, the secret plan to take over America and the world.

Novus Ordo Seclorum – the new order of the ages is a code name for the new world order.

Notice that the Roman numerals are for 1776 but May first is the birth date of the illuminati, not July 4 which is our Independence Day.

We spent a bit of time talking about how the Federal Reserve is not federal and not part of our government.  Its manipulation of money is part of what is making the new world order more feasible. The United Nations is also pushing for more of a one world government.  Those in power in our government are also in line with this premise.

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

The Day of the Lord when God wrecks vengeance on the earth for what people did to Jesus, to those who rejected the salvation Jesus died to provide for us.

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

The people are going to come like we have never seen again, even after a series of generations. This is a near prophesy of the destruction of Israel, but also an end time prophesy with an enemy that is going to come to destroy Israel

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

This evokes memories of Moses in the wilderness with the fire that was before them to lead, but now the fire devours leaving desolation behind it.

Joel 2:4-6  Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; and like swift steeds, so they run. With a noise like chariots over mountaintops they leap, like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, like a strong people set in battle array. Before them the people writhe in pain; all faces are drained of color.

This will be the fate of those left on the earth in the end days, the people who are not the Bride of Christ, and they will suffer – believers and nonbelievers, for the tribulation will be tremendous.

Joel 2:7-8 They run like mighty men, they climb the wall like men of war; every one marches in formation, and they do not break ranks. They do not push one another; every one marches in his own column. Though they lunge between the weapons, they are not cut down.

This is the army of the Lord which will not break ranks, these are obedient people who are disciplined. The war goes on, and they obey the orders of the Lord.

Joel 2:9 They run to and fro in the city, they run on the wall; they climb into the houses, they enter at the windows like a thief. 

They enter all parts of the city like a thief.

Joel 2:10-11 The earth quakes before them, the heavens tremble; the sun and moon grow dark, and the stars diminish their brightness. The LORD gives voice before His army, for His camp is very great; for strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; who can endure it? 

This is the Lord’s army in the last days after the rapture.

Joel 2:12-13  “Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. 

God wants the people to repent, to return to the Lord prior to Armageddon.