Bible Study July 20, 2023

1 Peter 3:13-16

“In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.”

The Boy Scout motto is “Be Prepared” which was their motto when I was in the scouts a few years ago.

What are we to be prepared for in our lifetime? The simple answer is everything that we face we need to be prepared because we do not know what it might bring. However, thinking about this it is very broad area to be concerned about.

Tony Dungy the former coach of the Indianapolis Colts said when he coached in Pittsburgh Chuck Noll then the head coach said he wanted his staff to know what he was teaching. Players would listen to the coaches out of respect for what they were saying.

Dungy said we are teachers first and the goal was to prepare the players for what they would face in a game.

The same is true when God tells us to go out and speak about Him. He wants us to be ready to tell someone what we believe and why we believe it. Why we accepted Jesus into our lives, why we follow Him.

“Be Prepared” is the same for us as it is the Boy Scouts.

This popped up the other day: “How do people start attending church?”

• A friend invited me – 86%
• Organized visitation – 6%
• Invited by the Pastor – 6%
• Advertising – 2%

Bible Study July 19, 2023

1 Timothy 4:7-8

“Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

God has given us gifts to stir us unto activity for godly purposes. We should be thankful for what He has blessed us with and be ready to use them when called upon. Do not dismiss a blessing from God.

We all get suggestions on how to change things in our lives. I think about professional sports maybe because I am a fan. Recently the Cardinals sent down a promising rookie on the team a man by the name of Jordan Walker to “change” his launch angle on a baseball. He took it well, went back to Memphis and came back a better player – as he admits. Positive help for this young man who took it well and improved.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t always work out. But we can be assured that when God brings something to our mind or spirit, He has a purpose that will not only benefit us but benefit the church and society. No one likes rebuke but we can grow through it and be better for following through.

Jordan Walker was disciplined in his demotion taking it to heart to make him a better hitter. We should be the same way when guidance comes from God or a spiritual brother or sister trying to help us grow in Christ. Test the Spirit is this from God and if so, take it to heart and come back better than ever in Christ.

We should use the same passion we have for business, for family, for all things on the earth to better grow in grace and Jesus.

God Bless.

Bible Study July 18, 2023

Mark 3:14 ESV

” And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach.”

If you follow the Olympics, you may have heard this story about a man named Derek Richmond who was from England. He believed he could win a medal so he entered the 1992 Olympic competition. He had suffered numerous surgeries and complications but he had determination.

He won two heat races and in the semifinals was running and felt a sharp snap in his leg, he had again torn his Achilles tendon and in doing so fell to the track in pain. However, Derek was not one to give up so he got to his feet and limped on toward the goal. He wanted to get across the finish line.

As he was moving forward, he felt a hand on his shoulder thinking it might be an official telling him he did not need to finish but in looking around he saw it was his dad who had come to him. His dad told him he didn’t need to finish but insisting on finishing his dad walked across the finish line with him.

This to me is a father -son relationship which I find more important that finishing the Olympic race. Our children need to know we are there for them. The journey can be difficult for some, not everyone but everyone needs to know mom and dad have their backs through it all.

We may not always know the exact words to say but we can be there. God has the words for us that can be found in His scriptures that He has given us and they provide great wisdom for us. But we must read His Word to gain His understanding.

God Bless.

Bible Study July 17, 2023

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

English Standard Version

12 “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Temptation to comes to all of us in some form or another but it comes in our weakest moments. God is faithful as He was to the Israelites whom He led out of Egyptian captivity. Yet, they succumbed to temptation, by worshipping false idols and on several occasions outright rebellion.

It is easy today to be distracted as we go along our paths of daily routine thinking we are not susceptible to temptation that we can handle anything at that point Beware!

There is so advice that can help us along.

• Stay rooted in the Word – read the scriptures daily,
• Do not try to go it alone, find an accountability partner to join with you,
• Find, and join a Bible believing church that teaches the Word of God without reservation. If they do not follow the scriptures fine on that does,
• Stay close to God by talking to Him on a daily basis, let Him know you are out here (although He already knows that but He wants to hear from us).

Remember He will lead, we must be willing to follow.

God Bless.

June 9, 2023

Job allowed fear to enter his life.

Mark 4:36-40

New Living Translation

36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. 38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” 39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Earlier today I was reading about Job and the problems he faced in his life with all that happened to him. He had seven sons and three daughters, 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, 500 she asses, and a very great household. But he also had one other thing he had fear. So often we read the scriptures and miss the subtle things. God had put a hedge around Job that hedge was God himself. The Bible says he continually offered sacrifices for his children in Job 1:4-5. “It may be that my sons have sinned.” He had the fear they had sinned.

Fear got into Job as it did with the disciples we read above. Faith replaces fear and conversely fear can replace faith. Which is better for the believer? The scriptures say Job continually offered sacrifices out of fear something would happen to his children.

Satan is the author of fear in our lives, God is a good God, Satan is the enemy. The scriptures tell us the hedge was placed around Job by God and Job allowed the hedge to be breached because of his fear.

June 8

I’m going to continue down the path we began yesterday in sharing some insights from “Kicking Over Sacred Cows” by Charles Capps.

Capps says Satan came for three reasons: kill, steal, and destroy. Jesus said I come that you may have life. What a contrast yet people follow the devil daily to destruction. In the Old Testament there is not much said about the devil. They lived under the covenant law and as long as they followed the law – all was well. But many times the Israelites were rebellious against God and there we consequences. We see one instance where they said “We wish we would have stayed in Egypt. We’re going to all die in the wilderness.” Sure enough serpents came, bit them, and many died.  They believed that the serpents came from God but if they were obedient there was no need for the serpents to come. This was a result of their disobedience.

It was their disobedience that caused their death. God does nurture (chasten) us but it is for our good. It is not abuse but teaching. We taught our children what was right if they disobeyed, they were reprimanded and shown what was right (trained) the same is true for us from God. God gets blamed for many things he never did. Capps says if God lived on the earth and did some of the things, he is accused of He’d spend all His time in the penitentiary.

Think about this for a moment – God is a Spirit; He chastens us by spiritual means. He does not bring on physical illness. It is our spirit that lives on that is the concern of God the Father. He teaches us for profit. Many people believe that sickness is from God – here is thought to ponder if sickness were a chastisement for us then everyone who is sick would become more holy. According to Capps if sickness was a chastisement the sicker you got the more righteous you become.

Many people believe God will whip us, beat us down until we come into line with Him. That is simply not true for if it was then He would save everybody but He has given us free will to choose the path to follow.

Faith is what it takes to follow God. It is the faith he has given to all of and it begins by our believing what he said in His Word “rightly dividing it.”

June 7

I’m going to continue down the path we began yesterday in sharing some insights from “Kicking Over Sacred Cows” by Charles Capps.

How many of us if asked this simple question, “Are trials and troubles blessings in your life?” I know many people would answer that question in the affirmative. That is some of the teaching people receive. God gave me cancer so He could teach me something. If He did teach you something, what was it? The same is true with problems, finances, relationships. God cannot give both problems and grace. He is our God of grace.

Fact is, sickness comes from Satan – Why you ask, there is no sickness in heaven so how could it come from God?

Trials and troubles come from Satan in order to steal, kill, and destroy our soul, our relationships, and our families. If he can steal your joy, peace, your knowledge of the scripture or make you misunderstand it then he has you.

Let us consider this thought. Does everything that happens to us – do we consider that God’s will for our life? If we have an automobile accident is that God’s will? I honestly do not believe it was God’s will for my son to die in an automobile accident Satan caused the accident not God.

But I do believe that God will “chasten” us but that is not a bad thing. Chasten from Strongs Concordance means “to nurture.” It is the same idea that we as fathers nurture and teach our children. As parents we do not give our children things that will hurt them but we nurture them helping them to develop into the person they can become.

Well the same thing is true with God an obedient child does not need anything but encouragement that is our responsibility to help them grow, God has given us His Word to help us grow and we must rightly divide the Word.  2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” We rightly divide the Word.

God is a good God who would not bring trouble into your life. Be encouraged, study His Word in order that we can overcome the ruler of this world by rightly dividing the Word.

What happens when we begin to believe that God gives us problems, we then have exchanged God for Satan. John said the Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth. The Holy Spirit is the one to perfect the church not the devil.

Satan came to destroy us not to give us life.