March 20, 2012
At the rate I am going it is going to take me years to get through the New Testament. :) There is just so much to process with Jesus' own words.
This week is Fanning the Flame services at church. As always, we have really enjoyed them. Dr. Bob Laurent spoke on Sunday night. He is a professor of the Old Testament. I would love to take his classes. He is just fascinating to listen to. Here are a couple of his points.
He spoke about how the Israelites got in such a mess and how Christians today find themselves in such messes. They have lost the "awe" of God. Signs that you may be in danger of losing the "awe" of who HE is.
Dr Ronald Smith
Are you on fire or beating the bush? Are we in our own "self" protection program, or are we God-reliant? As a child Moses was saved from certain death by God. When Moses sees the injustice of what is happening to his fellow Israelites (God's people) he takes matters into his own hand and kills the Egyptian. And now here he is (in his own "self" protection program hiding as a shepherd) and God calls him by name. God knows where we are even if we are hiding. God doesn't give up on us. He pursues us. He is there if we will look up and respond, "This is Holy Ground." You never make things better by your own hand! Only God's plan works.
When we get real, God will go to the lowest rung to save us. Moses relied on his rod, again using "self" protection. God told him to throw it down and it was revealed for what it was—a snake (the devil). Any time we are trying to do "self" protection it is a tool of Satan. Once it was revealed for what it was, God told him to pick it back up. Truth was revealed. Now he, (and it) could be used because God gave it to him. It was no longer a rod of "self" protection. It was now an instrument of God. Then Dr. Smith asked this question, "What won't you give up?" What is it that you are trying to use to protect yourself? What is God asking you to throw down? Are you on fire? Or, are you beating around the bush?
Dr. Laurent, Ron Williams, and Dr. Smith ALL emphasized that the Old Testament is not just about the Law. Dr. Smith, "The Old Testament is the Gospel." Look at Hebrews 11, they are all people from the Old Testament. Oh my goodness. My words (my journal from Genesis – II Chronicles 11 that I had to send to my sister and brother-in-law when it got caught up in "the storm") gave them the Gospel! I knew it was God's words and truth was spoken, but I never thought about it as being the Gospel. Thank you Jesus for giving me the opportunity to share the truth about you!
David Leeder
He spoke about relationship. The most important relationship we have in life is our relationship with God. Some people settle for knowing about God. They "know" church, they "know" Bible, they "know" about, but they don't have an active and alive current relationship. The present reality of God in their life is gone. But where is God? How is it possible to lose God? Leeder gave the example of the lost axe head in II Kings 6. We can lose God in our busyness of serving God—doing, but not being. Another way we can lose God is in the midst of adversity. Job lost everything and in Job 23 asked "Where are you?" to God. His third example was Revelations 2 where the people lost their first love. You can lose God when you allow other things to take priority in your life. So, how can we find God again?
Psalm 42 - A renewed longing for Him. You will never experience something you don't long for. "I am desperate for you."
Psalm 63 - Where your treasure is your heart is (Matthew 6).
Colossians 3 - Set your mind/heart on things above.
You will never discover something if you are not searching for it.
Jeremiah 29:13 - When you search for me with all your heart you will find me – I will let you find me.
Psalm 51 - A renewed commitment to Him. Realizing that where I am is not where I should be. Where I am is not where I need to be.
How is it between you and God today? Have you lost God? Where did you lose Him? II Kings 6 - where did you lose it? To find it/God you must go back to where you lost Him. Where you lost the blessing is where you must go back to in order for the blessing to be restored. You must learn to trust God again. There are no short-cuts. You must go back to the fork in the road. Revelation 2:5 - Remember. Repent. Restore.
We thoroughly enjoyed the Fanning the Flame services again. It was beautiful weather each night, but each night the church was full. So glad we went. Now—back to Matthew 5.
Next Entry: Matthew 5:1–48 (Continued)
At the rate I am going it is going to take me years to get through the New Testament. :) There is just so much to process with Jesus' own words.
This week is Fanning the Flame services at church. As always, we have really enjoyed them. Dr. Bob Laurent spoke on Sunday night. He is a professor of the Old Testament. I would love to take his classes. He is just fascinating to listen to. Here are a couple of his points.
- Nowhere in the Old Testament does it indicate that the sacrifices were for intentional sins
- The Old Testament points to the need for God's grace
- The Old Testament isn't just about "the law"
- Confession—when you get rid of the sin. God already knows. It is when you are freed.
- You're never closer to God than when you run risks
- Your faith comes alive during battle
- Who are you touching for Jesus?
- The importance of ONE-ness with God.
- Love the unlovely. Touch the untouchable.
He spoke about how the Israelites got in such a mess and how Christians today find themselves in such messes. They have lost the "awe" of God. Signs that you may be in danger of losing the "awe" of who HE is.
- You lose sight of God's greatness and goodness
- Your view of sin becomes small
- You choose compromise over conviction
- You choose happiness over holiness
- Your life becomes about "you" and not about God
- Your worship becomes casual
Dr Ronald Smith
Are you on fire or beating the bush? Are we in our own "self" protection program, or are we God-reliant? As a child Moses was saved from certain death by God. When Moses sees the injustice of what is happening to his fellow Israelites (God's people) he takes matters into his own hand and kills the Egyptian. And now here he is (in his own "self" protection program hiding as a shepherd) and God calls him by name. God knows where we are even if we are hiding. God doesn't give up on us. He pursues us. He is there if we will look up and respond, "This is Holy Ground." You never make things better by your own hand! Only God's plan works.
When we get real, God will go to the lowest rung to save us. Moses relied on his rod, again using "self" protection. God told him to throw it down and it was revealed for what it was—a snake (the devil). Any time we are trying to do "self" protection it is a tool of Satan. Once it was revealed for what it was, God told him to pick it back up. Truth was revealed. Now he, (and it) could be used because God gave it to him. It was no longer a rod of "self" protection. It was now an instrument of God. Then Dr. Smith asked this question, "What won't you give up?" What is it that you are trying to use to protect yourself? What is God asking you to throw down? Are you on fire? Or, are you beating around the bush?
Dr. Laurent, Ron Williams, and Dr. Smith ALL emphasized that the Old Testament is not just about the Law. Dr. Smith, "The Old Testament is the Gospel." Look at Hebrews 11, they are all people from the Old Testament. Oh my goodness. My words (my journal from Genesis – II Chronicles 11 that I had to send to my sister and brother-in-law when it got caught up in "the storm") gave them the Gospel! I knew it was God's words and truth was spoken, but I never thought about it as being the Gospel. Thank you Jesus for giving me the opportunity to share the truth about you!
David Leeder
He spoke about relationship. The most important relationship we have in life is our relationship with God. Some people settle for knowing about God. They "know" church, they "know" Bible, they "know" about, but they don't have an active and alive current relationship. The present reality of God in their life is gone. But where is God? How is it possible to lose God? Leeder gave the example of the lost axe head in II Kings 6. We can lose God in our busyness of serving God—doing, but not being. Another way we can lose God is in the midst of adversity. Job lost everything and in Job 23 asked "Where are you?" to God. His third example was Revelations 2 where the people lost their first love. You can lose God when you allow other things to take priority in your life. So, how can we find God again?
Psalm 42 - A renewed longing for Him. You will never experience something you don't long for. "I am desperate for you."
Psalm 63 - Where your treasure is your heart is (Matthew 6).
Colossians 3 - Set your mind/heart on things above.
You will never discover something if you are not searching for it.
Jeremiah 29:13 - When you search for me with all your heart you will find me – I will let you find me.
Psalm 51 - A renewed commitment to Him. Realizing that where I am is not where I should be. Where I am is not where I need to be.
How is it between you and God today? Have you lost God? Where did you lose Him? II Kings 6 - where did you lose it? To find it/God you must go back to where you lost Him. Where you lost the blessing is where you must go back to in order for the blessing to be restored. You must learn to trust God again. There are no short-cuts. You must go back to the fork in the road. Revelation 2:5 - Remember. Repent. Restore.
We thoroughly enjoyed the Fanning the Flame services again. It was beautiful weather each night, but each night the church was full. So glad we went. Now—back to Matthew 5.
Next Entry: Matthew 5:1–48 (Continued)
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