Bible Study October 24, 2023

Matthew 5:13 – 14 (Message)

““Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.”

Many people today wonder what the purpose in life is and especially what is my personal purpose in life. We were created for a purpose we must find it. Salt has a purpose – to season and preserve food, light has a purpose to show us the way in the dark.

We all have a purpose and if our minds are not focused on the Word then things such as skepticism, a cynical attitude, false religions the list is endless. We must stand against the moral depravity we see in todays culture. Society is speedily running away from the moral truths found in the scriptures. We may have our own ideas but that does not make them correct the source is the scripture.

We need to know God’s truth and be committed to following His guidelines in our lives. Be the salt and the light in a person’s world and begin today. We can begin by reading His Word, then acting on it. Encourage someone, maybe they need a lift of some nature and you can be the lifter of their soul.

Here are the words to Lifter of My Soul by Greg Bostock:

You’ve broken the chains, You’ve opened the door

You’ve given me strength that I never knew before

And this is who You are

Look today for the opportunity to lift a friend up a little higher.

God Bless.

Bible Study October 20,2023

Hebrews 4;16 (Phillips)

“Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with fullest confidence, that we may receive mercy for our failures and grace to help in the hour of need.”

There are people who believe God does not answer their prayers. Mainly because they did not get what they prayed for. God does answer our prayers in one of three ways: He says “Yes”, He says “No” or in many cases He says “Wait.”

When people say that God answered their prayers they usually mean they got what they ask for concerning themselves or another person. Be assured God always answers our prayers in one of the three ways mentioned above. With that said He knows our needs better than we do.

Paul is a great and often used example of praying for something when he asked God to “remove the thorn in his flesh.” We do not know what it was but most likely some painful issue continued to bother him. We see in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 that the answer was “no.” here are Paul’s words: “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Why didn’t He give Paul what he prayed for? It was probably because He had something better for him. Could it have been a path that provided him with a deeper relationship with God? In fact, it could have been for several reasons.

Jesus likewise prayed that the “cup” would be passed from Him as He awaited His death on the cross. God’s answer to Jesus was “no” because that was the plan of salvation for you and me.

God knows what is best for us it is His will.

God Bless.

Bible Study October 19, 2023

Psalm 91:11 (ESV)

“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”

Ever wonder if things will turn out right? We have devastation going on in the Middle East with the terrorist group Hamas killing Jews. Gives us reason to stop and think about the condition of the world but more importantly the condition of our souls.

Do you fear things will interfere with your life? Are you concerned about the future and what it might hold. We are told that God will give His angels charge over us protecting us. However, we must accept that protection, remembering to thank Him for what He does.

There was a poor Chinese woman who one day was walking with her child tied to her back and a little one walking along side of her. All of a sudden a tiger with two young cubs came from nowhere to start following her. The woman who had never attended school or church remembered what a missionary had said to her about Jesus. As the tiger’s claw tore the woman’s arm she cried out “O Jesus help me!” The tiger instead of continuing to attack the tiger turned and ran away.

What are some things that are attacking you? Most likely not a wild animal but there is despair, loneliness, fears, sickness, maybe doubts. As this woman cried out to Jesus we too an do the same thing,

Remember – His angels are guarding you.

God Bless.

Bible Study October 18, 2023

1 Peter 2:1-3

“1-3 Have done, then, with all evil and deceit, all pretense and jealousy and slander. You are babies, new-born in God’s family, and you should be crying out for unadulterated spiritual milk to make you grow up to salvation! And so you will if you have already tasted the goodness of the Lord.” (Phillips)

Do we see the need for our spirit to be fed as we do our bodies? Without food our physical bodies will become malnourished and eventually the body will cease to exist. The same is true for our souls. We monitor what food we eat for our physical needs we should guard what goes into our spirit. Be led by what is wholesome and healthy.

The scriptures provide the spiritual food we need to see our spirit grow and mature. The scriptures are the Bread of Life for our soul. If we fail here we will lose our spiritual vitality.

Many people throughout the world do not have the ability or the privilege to read the Bible. We are blessed with that opportunity we should take advantage of it. Most everyone has a Bible of some type in their home for many having it is a scared thing.

To have a Bible and to read it is another thing. We need to pick it up and read it. The amount you read is not the important thing. What I get out of it to help my spirit develop is the real reason to read it.

Find a passage dig into it, get it in your spirit, then your mind. As one author once said “hide it in your heart.

A small portion digested will provide great value for you.

God Bless.

Bible Study October 16, 2023

2 Corinthians 4:8 (AMP)

“We are pressured in every way [hedged in], but not crushed; perplexed [unsure of finding a way out], but not driven to despair.”

How often do we think about heaven? Is it more on our minds as we hear of the upheaval in Israel and the Middle East? If we understand some Bible prophecy the Bible talks about catastrophes occurring. Within the last two weeks earthquakes have occurred in Afghanistan. I would add catastrophes are nothing new.

Most people who think about and dream of heaven are most likely the more content than those who do not. If we are more moved by the thoughts of heaven we are less likely to be concerned about the material things of this world. We can escape the everyday pressures that some people find themselves under.

This is not escaping the current days troubles as some may claim it is fixing our faith on the future and the One who holds the future. We meet with people every day who give no thought about heaven or their eternity.

In these days of uncertainty what might wander what will happen next but we can be forward- looking Christians who remain confident of the future. Paul wrote to Timothy telling him “if we endure, we shall also reign with Him” (2 Tim. 2:12).

Stay focused on our new home ahead of us.

God Bless.

Bible Study October 13, 2023

Psalm 52:1-12 (AMP)

Cheer for Downtrodden Zion

52 Awake, awake, Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; For the uncircumcised and the unclean Will no longer come into you. 2 Shake yourself from the dust, arise, O captive Jerusalem; Rid yourself of the chains around your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion.

These verses are in response the prayer of 51:9. The Lord calls the people to wake up from their stupor. He has graciously exchanged the shame of the exile and alienation for the glory of His presence.

Is this what we are seeing in Israel today? Have we gone to sleep and failed to remember who God is and what He can and will do for us? It is time to wake up and give thanks for what we have. It is time to wake up and remember who our creator is and His blessings on His people.

Sadly, we see issues come up in our lives and then we pray. What about praying and thanking for such things as:

• Our safety and security,
• Our health,
• Our families,
• Our nation,
• All that He has done for us.

“A Time for Choosing,” delivered on national television on October 27, 1964, by Ronald Reagan. “As for the peace that we would preserve, I wonder who among us would like to approach the wife or mother whose husband or son has died in South Vietnam and ask them if they think this is a peace that should be maintained indefinitely. Do they mean peace, or do they mean we just want to be left in peace? There can be no real peace while one American is dying some place in the world for the rest of us. We’re at war with the most dangerous enemy that has ever faced mankind in his long climb from the swamp to the stars, and it’s been said if we lose that war, and in so doing lose this way of freedom of ours, history will record with the greatest astonishment that those who had the most to lose did the least to prevent its happening. Well I think it’s time we ask ourselves if we still know the freedoms that were intended for us by the Founding Fathers.’

These words ring true for Israel, do we want peace or do we want to be left in peace?

Remember Israel as you pray today.

God Bless.

Bible Study October 12, 2023

Proverbs 8:13 (ESV)

“The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil    and perverted speech I hate.”

As a young child I remember my mother telling me “I should not use the word hate.” I have followed her directions for my lifetime. The word hate is not in my vocabulary yet maybe it should be. Ecclesiastes 7:9 in the Old Testament mentions keeping our tempers under control and all through the scriptures we see the words hate, anger, temper, and they go on.

Is it okay to hate? From a human standpoint we might consider some sin worse than another. As an example murder affects more than the murderer. But thinking a bad thought only affects the one doing the thinking. But God hates all sin He does not distinguish about one sin from the other. There is no good sin.

It seems today we have lost sight of what sin is as we easily accept what we want the scriptures to teach as acceptable. You may think they are acceptable but if so why does a person not speak out against wrongs. Wrong is a wrong today as it was yesterday. We can speak against sin with condemnation.

We need a renewed vision of who God is and the fact that we are sinners in His sight. For the Christ Follower our sin is forgiven and He sees us as righteous. But that does not mean we will live a perfect life. But it does say to us when we do wrong we seek His forgiveness, then forgive ourselves and remain in fellowship.

God loves us despite what we do it is His desire to forgive us and welcome us into the family of God. We cannot excuse our sin or tolerate it we must repent at the time we do wrong and strive to follow Christ every day.

Seek God and know you will find Him.

God Bless.

Bible Study October 11, 2023

James 4:8 (ESV)

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

What do we hold on to that is so very important in this life? I read a story of a little boy who got his hand stuck in a valuable vase one day. No matter how hard he tied he could not free it. His dad told him “to open his hand and hold his fingers out straight as you see me doing then pull.”

His response was “I can’t do that daddy I’ll drop my penny.” How many of us hold onto things like that penny and lose something more valuable? James told us to draw near to God and He will draw close to us. We have to be willing to be drawn. That means He will come to us. We should not let something so small as a penny keep us from God.

The second part of the verse is equally important. Who cleanses our hands? It is us who have the hands. Who purifies our heart? Again it is the one with the heart. Who is the double-minded again the one with the mind.

Too often we wait for God to do everything when we should be making a move toward God. This verse outlines the way we are to do it. What is holding you back? Maybe nothing for many people all things are good with the relationship with the Father.

If there is something surrender it give it away give it to God.

God Bless.