Category Archives: Bible Study

Don’t let Pride Lead to Your fall.

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Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

1 Corinthians‬ ‭10:12‬ ‭ESV‬‬
Photo by Tara Winstead on Pexels.com

In the previous verses of chapter 10, Paul is reminding the Corinthians of the sins of the Isralites in the wilderness and how those sins led to their destruction. In verse 11 he notes that these things were recorded in the Word for our instruction. 

When I read verse 12 I see it as a warning against pride. This is probably because of my own history. I became a Christian as a teenager during the Jesus movement of the 70’s. I was convinced that I would never abandon my faith, but that is exactly what I did once I got out on my own. 

I spent the next twenty years on a spiritual roller coaster … never feeling I could measure up to God’s standards, which is true. None of us can, which is why He sent Jesus to take on the punishment of our sins. I would give in to temptation and instead of running to God for forgiveness, I would run away in shame. God spent years tolerating my prodigal lifestyle, but He never stopped pursuing me. 

At some point, I finally got it. I let go of my pride and acknowledged, God, I cannot do this on my own. I determined that moving forward, WHEN (not if) I sinned, I would humbly run to God, repent and ask for His forgiveness, instead of using my failures as a excuse to give up. 

You may ask, what does that have to do with pride. I was trying to serve God in my own strength. When I failed, I let condemnation and shame drive me to just give up. Trust me, I have blown it many times since I made the commitment to fight for my faith. I have allowed God to teach me through the consequences of my actions and my faith is now deeper than it’s ever been. 

My relationship with God isn’t based on my performance. It’s based on my love for God and dependance on Him. 

I KNOW there is a constant war between my flesh and my spirit, and like Paul, I realize I cannot win this war through willpower. 

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.

(Romans 7:15-19 ESV)

Even Paul, a pillar of the faith, acknowledged his sin struggle. These verses reflect a humble spirit. He doesn’t excuse his sin, but realizes he cannot win this spiritual war on his own. God will always make a way of escape when we are tempted, the problem is we often choose to ignore it. 

Prayer: Lord, I am so thankful that You never give up on me. I am so thankful that You love me in spite of my sinful nature. Thank You for your unfailing mercy. Lord, keep me humble. When I am weak, You are strong. 

I long for the day when my spirit will be set free from this fleshly body which continually wars against my spirit. Thank You Father for clothing me in the righteousness of Christ, and helping me to see that in the flesh, my righteousness is like filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6) My reliance is on You Jesus, and the blood of the cross. I am more than a conqueror IN CHRIST. 

Remain Steadfast

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Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

‭‭James‬ ‭1:12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

In this section of James 1, James is talking about the testing of our faith. He goes on in verse 13 to remind us that God does not tempt us with evil. When we are tempted to sin it’s generally because of our fleshly desires. When we are able to overcome temptation we develop spiritual maturity, not through willpower, but through dependence on God.

While this verse is addressing the reward of being steadfast in temptation, I think it’s equally applicable to remaining steadfast in the storms of life. The enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy. (John 10:10) Then, he tries to twist the narrative and blame God for his destruction.

God loves His children. He isn’t up in Heaven thinking of ways to make our lives miserable, to see if we will remain faithful. Life’s miseries are the result of living in a fallen world. God will test our obedience, but He will never tempt us to sin. Any parent who loves their child sets healthy boundaries for them (rules of obedience). And every parent will tell you, children will test those boundaries. They don’t enjoy having to discipline their children, but they must, if they want to raise healthy, well adjusted adults who function well in society.

Prayer: Lord, when I am faced with temptation, give me the strength to overcome, so that I can become steadfast in my faith. When I do sin, help me to be quick to repent.  Father, I know the boundaries You have given me are for my good. I know You are trying to protect me, not deprive me. 

Lord, when Iife throws hardship or pain my way, remind me that You are with me. I never have to suffer alone. Protect my heart from anger and bitterness. Help me to respond in ways that are life giving, knowing that this is just a season, it will pass. 

Nothing I have endured can compare to what Jesus willingly did for me, so I will strive to endure with patience. Thank You Lord for giving us the perfect example for how to navigate this life. 

Beautiful Feet

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How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news
Romans 10:15 ESV

In the previous verses of Romans Chapter 10, Paul is talking about the gift of salvation for all. Christianity was a new religion at this time, even though it was birthed in Jewish tradition and God’s promise to Abraham to make him the “father of many nations”.

Living in America, it can be easy to think everyone here knows who Jesus is. Who am I to push my religion on others? That mindset is a problem. Culture has tried to silence the voice of the church but God has promised the gates of hell will not prevail.

Knowing about Jesus and knowing Him are two very different things. Sharing our faith isn’t about pushing religion on anyone, it’s about giving hope to those who have never experienced the goodness of God’s grace. It’s about the power of redemption.

Every believer is an ambassador for Christ. When I walk out my front door, I enter the mission field. When I log on to social media, I enter the mission field.

How do my words and actions reflect my faith? Do they create a hunger to know God in those I impact? Does my walk line up with my talk? Are the shoes on my feet shod with the “preparation of the gospel of peace”? (Ephesians 6:15)

Prayer: Lord, give me beautiful feet, ready and willing to share the good news of the gospel with anyone who needs it.

Give me courage and remind me, even if someone rejects my words, I am planting seeds of faith in their hearts.

Help me to overcome the fear of rejection. Let my love for Yyou, and others be a driving force in my willingness to share my faith, regardless of the cost or outcome. amen

It’s our time to SHINE

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“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”” John 13:35 ESV

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As I read this scripture this morning God brought me to a new place. I love how personal He is. God has called us to a place of love and unity. That unity, or lack thereof, has a major influence on how unbelievers see Christians.  There are many evils that seek to separate us and drive us apart because the enemy knows a divided house cannot stand.

Crisis tends to bring people together. 9/11 was a perfect example. With COVID-19 however, we are being told to physically isolate ourselves, at a time when being with our tribe is even more comforting.

My challenge to you today is this: How can God use you during this time of isolation? I’ve seen some very creative ways people are reaching out to others without putting themselves or others in danger. Driveby birthday parties, singing outside nursing home windows and apartment balconies are just a few examples.  One of our small groups from church wrote thank you cards to doctors and had one of the doctors who attends our church deliver them to his co-workers.

There are endless opportunities for us to SHINE right now. Will you take advantage of this time? Call or text someone each day, to encourage them and let them know they are in your thoughts and prayers. Start a Facebook group among friends to gather socially online. Connect with family over Zoom. Send cards, write letters. Drop off a meal to a senior or single, etc.

I’d love to hear your ideas of ways we can SHINE during this time. Please share in the comments so your ideas can spur and inspire others.

Blessings!

~ Deb ~

 

The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts

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As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:” 1 Peter‬ ‭4:10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Normally when someone gives us a gift it is for our benefit. God is no different, yet His word tells us to use our spiritual gifts to serve others. He gives us stewardship over our gifts.

How does serving others benefit us? It benefits us in two powerful ways:

  1. It gives purpose and meaning to our lives. Those who spend their lives using their talents to serve and benefit others experience a satisfaction that far exceeds a life of selfish ambition. Do you want your life to ‘make a difference’? Leave your mark on humanity by using your God given gifts to serve others. (“The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew‬ ‭23:11-12‬ ‭ESV‬‬)
  2. When We are good stewards of God’s gifts, we are storing eternal treasures in Heaven. Whatever possessions we acquire in this life will be left behind at our death. If our lives have been spent gratifying our own desires our reward will not stand the test of eternity. However, when our lives have been lived with eternity in mind, serving God and others, we will reap a reward that cannot be destroyed by death. (“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Matthew‬ ‭6:19-20‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

Pray: Father, thank you for the spiritual gifts You’ve given me. Help me be a good and faithful steward of these gifts. Lord, use my life to bless others. Help me to find meaning and purpose to life by pouring out my life in service to You and others. Amen

24/7 Praise

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From the rising of the sun to it’s going down the Lord’s name is to be praised. (Psalms 113:3 NKJV)

I have always loved music … especially praise/worship music. It’s hard to explain, but when I worship the Lord, it’s like a taste of Heaven on Earth. Praise takes us into His presence.

I’ve been reading a book called, “Imagine Heaven” by John Burke. The book shares a glimpse of Heaven through the stories of people who have survived near death experiences. One of the things people consistently report is the glorious worship in Heaven through music. I can’t wait to hear it. There is nothing in this world to compare with the glory that awaits us! In Heaven everything praises the Lord, including plant life.

He is worthy to be praised! My encouragement to you today is to lift your eyes toward Heaven and embrace His presence. The things of Earth (problems, trials, heartache) dim in comparison to His glory.

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. (1Corinthians 2:9 NKJV)

God’s Best is in the Waiting

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But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:31 NKJV

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I don’t know about you, but if I am honest, I don’t like waiting. We live in a world of instant gratification. We want what we want, and we want it now.

I remember my Father teaching me the benefit of ‘delayed gratification’ as a young child. When the Beatles became popular in America he took me to a store to purchase one of their albums. Unfortunately, they were sold out. They did have singles available (aka 45’s). My dad gave me an option, you can have the single now, or wait until the album comes in and get that. As a preteen it was almost unbearable to think of leaving that store empty handed. In the end, I took his advice and chose well. With much anticipation I then waited for the album to be restocked. It’s a lesson I never forgot. The things we value are worth waiting for. 

There are several things I’m still waiting for in life. I’m sure you can relate. I confess, I don’t understand God’s timing, but I trust it. I trust it because I have seen the brokenness that results when I try to make things happen on my own. 

As difficult as it may seem, God has a purpose in the waiting. His timing is always perfect. I’ve often wondered how many times I missed out on God’s best because I settled for the “single” instead of waiting on the “album”. 

One way I can apply today’s verse is this … if I am weary or faint, I can examine my heart and ask myself, what is it I am trying to do in my own strength or timing instead of waiting on the Lord? Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying we should sit around and do nothing. God calls us to GO, to be doers of the Word.

The difference is, when we flow in His timing:

  • our strength is renewed
  • we can soar like eagles above the difficulty of trying to figure everything out ourselves
  •  we can run and not grow weary
  •  we can walk and not faint

PRAYER: Father, thank You for Your perfect timing. Thank You for the promise of renewed strength when we learn to wait expectantly on You. Help me to be so sensitive to Your voice that I know when to run and when to wait. Help me to never run ahead of You. 

Lord, I may not always understand the delay in Your promise, but I trust You. I know Your Word will not return void. You are not a man that You should lie.

Forgive me for the many times I have missed Your best for my life because I tried to take matters into my own hands instead of waiting on You. Thank You for protecting me even while allowing me to reap the consequences of my actions. You are a good, good Father.

Amen

 

Overcoming Temptation

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“But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4:4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

img_1609In Matthew 4:1-12 We see Jesus being led into the wilderness, by the Holy Spirit, to be tempted by Satan. After Jesus fasted for forty day’s Satan’s first temptation was for Jesus to turn stones into bread, to satisfy His physical hunger. While Jesus certainly could have done this, I believe His response was an indication that God had not released Him from His fast. Jesus was waiting for a WORD from God.

Even though Jesus was fully man, He was also fully God and He with the Father when Satan attempted to take over the throne. He recognized His enemy. He knew how to respond to the tempter.

Here are three valuable lessons we can learn from these verses.

◾️ We do not have to fight the enemy in our own strength. Jesus did not respond to Satan out of emotion or logic. He responded with faith in God’s voice as the guiding force of His life. If we want to overcome the enemy we too have to learn to distinguish all other voices from the voice of the Father.
◾️ Satan knows The Word. Just because someone quotes scripture to you doesn’t mean they are a true messenger from God. When Jesus responded to the first temptation with, “It is written”, Satan changed his strategy. He shifted to quoting scripture out of context. He challenged Jesus to throw Himself off the pinnacle of the temple. Satan tried to bully Jesus into proving He was the Son of God. Jesus was confident in His relationship with the Father. He had nothing to prove, especially to His enemy! 2 Timothy 2:15(KJV) admonishes us … “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” It takes time to develop knowledge of the Word. As a Christian this must be a priority in our life if we want to be victorious. We cannot rely on others to spoon feed us the Word. We have to learn to feed ourselves. People can twist scripture to justify just about anything. When we know of heart of God we have a better understanding of His written Word.
◾️ The Word is a weapon. Even though Jesus was the Son of God, He responded to temptation with, “It is written”. Hebrews 4:12NKJV tells us: “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Jesus could have rebuked Satan at the first temptation, but I believe chose to withstand the temptation to show you and I that we can overcome by following His example. Take a proactive approach to temptation instead of a reactive approach. Most of us know the things that are a struggle for us to overcome. Look up, write down, and memorize scriptures that address your issues, or encourage you to press through. Have those scriptures ready and available when you need them.
PRAYER: Father, I thank You that Your Word is more powerful than any temptation I will ever face. Thank You for the written Word, and for the voice of the Holy Spirit whom You sent to teach, lead and empower us. Give me the wisdom to discern Your voice over the voice of the enemy. As I study Your Word, Father birth spiritual insight and revelation within me. I am eternally thankful that, “greater is He that is within me, than he that is in the world”! Amen

He is Worth the Cost

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When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” 
Mark 8:34‭-‬35 NKJV

1544619082004_imageJesus didn’t pull any punches. He didn’t water down His message to attract people. He wanted them to know the cost of following Him was great; but the reward was greater.

In the verse following Jesus asks, “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?”

The cross represents life to us, because of the resurrection of Christ, but to the crowd Jesus was addressing that day it was a symbol of death. They, like many of our brothers and sisters around the world knew that following Jesus could very well mean death to them. The fact that they were willing to remain faithful to His call in spite of the cost speaks volumes about the radical impact Jesus has on people.

I often wonder what would happen in America if following Christ became a crime punishable by death. While we enjoy the freedom to worship, this is still a reality for Christians in many nations today. The profound truth is that persecution produces purity, and purity births revival. No matter how hard the enemy tries, he cannot silence or defeat the blood of Christ!

We are living in a time predicted in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”

While it is the love of God that draws men to repentance, I also believe a time of sifting in coming. We reap what we sow – good or bad – and a time of harvest is inevitable. The sheep will be separated from the goats.

In my lifetime I have seen the acceptance of Christianity in our culture greatly decline. Unfortunately many times the church has responded by shifting from preaching the cost Jesus proclaimed in Mark 8 to a message that focuses on salvation without repentance and transformation. This only results in a powerless church!

Jesus said we would do even greater works than He did. Can you imagine the impact the church (the body of Christ) would have if we sought to minister to the world the way Jesus did? Do we truly believe in the power of God to save the lost, heal the sick, raise the dead, deliver the captive? Are we fervently seeking Him to use US to continue the ministry of Christ?    

I am challenged today by these verses to examine myself and ask, am I truly willing to take up my cross to follow Him? Am I willing to lay down my life; not just in death but in serving God and others? Why do I not see the greater works Jesus spoke of as fruit in my life?

My prayer today is that the resurrection power of Jesus would become so evident through His people that the lost would run to Him like the multitudes that followed Him in His time on Earth, and would be so convinced of the prize of Him that they (we) recognize that He is worth the cost!

 

Temporary Praise or Godly Reward?

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“But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that you charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” Matthew 6:3-4 (NKJV)

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Matthew 6:3-4 is an eye-opener for those of us who struggle with the need for approval and validation from others. Generally when I read about charity I think of financial giving; but this morning as I read this verse God reminded me that the motive behind what I do is just as important as the act itself. Who am I trying to please?

I am a people pleaser. I’m getting better at learning to say no, and checking my motives for what I say yes to, but it’s difficult. I want to please God and others. Clearly I cannot do both. Why? Because I have to choose between the approval of man or the reward of God. The approval of man is temporary; the reward of God eternal. It should be a simple choice … but it usually isn’t. 

If I feel the need to boast of my good deeds could it be that I don’t trust God to reward me for what I do in secret? Why settle for a ‘pat on the back’ from people when you can receive an open reward from the Lord Himself?

Motive is the key factor in determining when and what to share. Is my desire to glorify God or myself? Sometimes it isn’t pride that drives us to share our good deeds. Sometimes it is excitement over the fruit produced by that deed, especially when if it had a life changing impact on someone. Sometimes the things we share can be an encouragement to others and even a motivator to spur others to serve. Just be sure to check your motives and be honest with yourself about your intent. The reward of the Lord will far surpass any self gratification we receive from the praise of men.