How to Depend on the Holy Spirit

Similar to "How to depend on the Holy Spirit" would be:

1. How to trust God (Prov 3:5; Ps 31:14).
   
2. How to live by faith (Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38; Hab 2:4)?
3. How to live by the Spirit (Gal 5:16, 25)?
   

So how do you depend on the Holy Spirit? Learn or consider the following:

1. Accept "No" from God. Lean not on your own understanding (Prov 3:5). Don't insist on your own way (Prov 14:12; 16:25).
2. Waiting (Isa 40:31). Expect waiting. Enjoy waiting. To God a thousand years are like a day and vice versa (Ps 90:4; 2 Pet 3:8). To God nothing is too slow or too fast.
3. Patience (Ps 37:7; Prov 16:32; 25:15; Lam 3:27; 1 Cor 13:4; Jas 5:7-8; 2 Pet 1:6; Gal 5:22; 6:9; Rom 8:25; 12:12).
   
4. God wants you to want Him more than anything/everything else (Lk 11:13).
5. God wants you to love Him by loving others (Mt 22:37-39; Mk 12:29-31).
   

Fearing a Human Being

It is perhaps natural to fear a powerful man. For instance, it might be natural to fear your boss, since he or she has the authority to fire you.

As a Christian, it might also be natural to fear a Christian leader who is in a position of authority. Some might think that the Christian leader is closer to heaven than you. Thus, you might seek your leader's approval and blessing by regarding it as being similar or equivalent to the approval and blessing of God.

But Prov 29:25 states explicitly that fearing a man, any man, even a good man, or a Christian leader, is not wise. "Fearing people is a dangerous trap" (Prov 29:25, NLT). "The fear of man is a snare" (Prov 29:25, HCSB). "The fear of man brings a snare" (Prov 29:25, NASB).

In fact, fearing a human being traps you and snares you. Fear is paralyzing. It clouds objectivity. It mushes your brain.

Why?

You think that your blessing and happiness depends on a man...rather than God.

Therefore, according to Prov 29:25, the ONLY safe place to be is to trust God, which by default means that you do not live in fear of a human being. The early Christians were bold and courageous to testify about Christ before the angry religious authorities (Ac 4:13). They prayed for boldness (Ac 4:29). When questioned and threatened by the religious leaders, the apostle Peter said, "We must obey God rather than human beings!" (Ac 5:29)

The only caveat I might add is that to not fear man DOES NOT MEAN to treat any person rudely, disrespectfully or dismissively.

How The Holy Spirit Helped Me To Marry

One of the best stories of my life is that in 1981 the Holy Spirit led me to marry a woman I did not really want to marry, because she looked rather tough and domineering to my eyes. I had shared about this in a blog entitled If Not For UBF I Would Not Have Married.

I was hoping to marry a demure, petite, frail, fragile and foxy sort of woman. But the Holy Spirit did not grant me my wish. Instead, the Holy Spirit compelled me to marry her by faith in God, trusting and believing that God knew me better than I knew myself. Last year I shared about 12 things I learned after 32 happy years of marriage.

Indeed the Holy Spirit hindered my hope to marry a foxy woman and led me to marry a woman I was deathly afraid of marrying. Yet, now looking back it was without a doubt one of the principle leadings of the Holy Spirit in my life.

Gospel-Centered Wholesome Christian Living

Where is the gospel as we considered the ABCs of Wholesome (Practical) Christian Living?

• Accountability: God personally took accountability for us by sending His Son to die for our sins (1 Cor 15:3), though God could have treated us as our sins deserve (Ps 103:10).

• Beauty: For us to behold the beauty of God (Ps 27:4), Jesus was marred beyond human likeness (Isa 52:14).

• Boldness: Jesus is our Lion King and slain Lamb (Rev 5:5-6), who boldly, without flinching, tasted death (Heb 2:17) for us, so that we, through him, might be as bold as a lion (Prov 28:1).
  

• Community: For us to enjoy a loving community (Ps 133:1), Jesus had to lose his eternal community with His Father on the Cross (Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34; Ps 22:1).

• Delight: To love and delight in us, God had to turn away from the Son He loves (Jn 3:16).

• Daily: "Daily" throughout eternity Jesus was in the bosom of the Father (Jn 1:18, NASB). But for three days in the grave Jesus was cut off from the land of the living (Isa 53:8), so that we may have the joy of fellowship with God daily (Ps 119:97; 1:2).
  

• Experience: For us to taste and see the goodness of God (Ps 34:8), Jesus had to be cut off from the land of the living (Isa 53:8), cut off from the goodness and love of his Father.

• Father: Jesus lost his Father so that we might be restored to our Everlasting Father.
  

• Friendship: On the cross Jesus lost his eternal friendship with God, so that we might no longer remain enemies but become friends of God (Jn 15:15), and friends with each other (Ps 133:1).
  

• Freedom: Jesus freely gave up his life for our sins, so that he, through the Spirit (2 Cor 3:17), might set us free (Gal 5:1).

• Forgetfulness: We can be self-forgetful (1 Cor 4:3-4), only because through Christ being cursed in our place for us (Gal 3:3), God "forgets" our sins (Ps 103:12).
  

• Gentleness: The Father was most brutal toward his Son so that He might be most gentle with us (Mt 11:29).
  

• Goal: Jesus' goal was to die in obedience to the Father's will, so that our goal may be to live (Phil 3:14; Jn 10:10b; 1 Cor 10:31).
  

Other themes to consider:

• C is for Confession (Prov 28:13; Jas 5:16).
  

• D is for Discipline (1 Cor 9:24-27).
  

• F is for Fear (Prov 29:25).

• G is for Gossip (Prov 16:28; 17:9; 18:18).
  

How does the Holy Spirit work? (Tue, 7 pm, 8/26/14)

Acts 16:6-40; 16:6b, 7b, NLT

"... the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time." "... again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there."

1. How sensitive do you think you are to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in your life?
2. Generally, do you do whatever you want (feel), or do you intentionally seek the Holy Spirit's leading, or both? Explain.
   
3. Discuss this quote by A.W. Tozer: "If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference. If the Holy spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95 percent of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference." Do you agree? Why? Why not?
   
4. Describe how the Holy Spirit guided Paul's team on his second missionary journey (Ac 16:6-8)? Have you been aware of how the Holy Spirit has stopped you from doing what you want?
5. What is the meaning of Paul's vision at Troas (Ac 16:9)? What did Paul do as a result (Ac 16:10)? [Notice the pronoun "we."] What do you learn about the Holy Spirit through this vision?
6. Following his vision, what did Paul do practically (Ac 16:11-13)? How did Lydia come to believe (Ac 16:14)? What did she and her household do (Ac 16:15)? What is the Holy Spirit's work when the gospel is preached (1 Cor 2:12-14)?
7. How did Paul help a slave girl (Ac 16:16-18)? What did her owners do and why (Ac 16:19-24; 2 Tim 3:12)?
8. How did Paul and Silas respond to flogging and imprisonment (Ac 16:25)? What happened (Ac 16:26)? How did the jailer and his family come to faith (Ac 16:27-34)? How did Paul use his citizenship to protect the new church at Philippi (35-40)?
   

N.T. Wright on the Atonement

"Jesus, the innocent one, was drawing on to himself the holy wrath of God against human sin in general, so that human sinners like you and me can find, as we look at the cross, that the load of sin and guilt we have been carrying is taken away from us. Jesus takes it on himself, and somehow absorbs it, so that when we look back there is nothing there. Our sins have been dealt with, and we need never carry their burden again."

"On the cross Jesus took on himself that separation from God which all other men know. He did not deserve it; he had done nothing to warrant being cut off from God; but as he identified himself totally with sinful humanity, the punishment which that sinful humanity deserved was laid fairly and squarely on his shoulders… That is why he shrank, in Gethsemane, from drinking the 'cup' offered to him. He knew it to be the cup of God's wrath. On the cross, Jesus drank that cup to the dregs, so that his sinful people might not drink it. He drank it to the dregs. He finished it, finished the bitter cup both physically and spiritually… Here is the bill, and on it the word 'finished' – 'paid in full.' The debt is paid. The punishment has been taken. Salvation is accomplished."

Quoted from: Dont Tell Me N.T. Wright Denies Penal Substitution.

Boldness

παρρησία (parrēsia occurs 31 times in NT) means "free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness, assurance," "outspokenness, liberality," "freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech:

1. openly, frankly, i.e without concealment.

2. without ambiguity or circumlocution.

Some occurrences of παρρησί:

• People observe Jesus as speaking publicly and openly (Jn 7:26).
• Jesus declares that he spoke openly to the world (Jn 18:20).
• "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus" (Ac 4:13, NIV). "Courage" is also translated "boldness" (Ac 4:13, ESV, HCSB, NLT) and "confidence" (Ac 4:13, NASB).
• Amidst threats, the early Christians prayed to speak the word of God with boldness and confidence (Ac 4:29) and they did (Ac 4:31).
  
• While in a Roman prison for two years Paul "proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all (full) boldness and without hindrance!" (Ac 28:31, NIV).
• Because of what Christ has accomplished, "we may approach God with freedom (boldness) and confidence" (Eph 3:12).
• Paul asked the Ephesians to pray for him to have boldness (fearlessness) to proclaim and make known the mystery of the gospel (Eph 6:19).
• Because of Christ our high priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, we may boldly approach God's throne to receive mercy (Heb 4:16).
• We may have boldness/confidence in prayer (1 Jn 5:14).
  

Christian Leadership Assessment

1. What is your understanding about being a leader?
2. Other than Jesus, who might be your model leader?
3. Do you perceive that God has called you to be a leader? In what way?
4. How might you serve God as a leader of his church?
5. What are your strengths? Your weaknesses? How self-aware do you think you are?
6. Are you led by the Spirit?
7. How is your life of prayer, silence, solitude, contemplation, meditation?
8. How much or how often do you read the Bible? Read books?
9. Are you self-controlled? Reactive? Easily angered?
10. How well do you take criticism? Being challenged? Over-ruled?

Previous posts related to Leadership:

1. Leadership (Deut 1:9-18): Describes Moses' leadership.
   
2. Good Leaders Delegate Without Trying to Control Others.
   
3. Critiqueing My Leadership Practice and My Sermon on Leadership.
   
4. Healthy and Unhealthy Leadership.

How to be bold

Know and believe the following:

1. God's love for us never changes (Jer 31:3; Heb 13:8).
2. God is good (Ps 100:5).
3. God is working all things for our good (Rom 8:28).
4. God will complete his work in us (Phil 1:5).
5. God protects his people (Gen 15:1; Ps 18:2).
6. We are precious to God (Ps 72:14; 116:15; Isa 43:4).
7. In God we fear no man (Prov 29:25).
8. God is with us forever (Isa 7:14; Mt 1:23; 28:20).

Boldness, Confidence, Courage

"...the righteous are as bold as a lion" (Prov 28:1b).

"...the godly are as bold as lions" (Prov 28:1b, NLT).

"Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident" (Ps 27:3).

"But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high" (Ps 3:3).

"This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Josh 1:9, NLT).

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline" (2 Tim 1:7, NLT).

Here are a gazillion quotes:

• "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." Goethe.

• "Freedom lies in being bold." Robert Frost.

• "Boldness be my friend!" William Shakespeare.

• "No great discovery was ever made without a bold guess." Isaac Newton.

• "Even God lends a hand to honest boldness." Menander (Greek dramatist, 342 BC - 291 BC).

• "Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise." Horace (Roman poet, 65 BC - 8 BC).

•  "The boldness of his mind was sheathed in a scabbard of politeness." Dumas Malone (historian, Jefferson biographer).

• "Men sometimes speak as if humility and meekness would rob us of what is noble and bold and manlike. O that all would believe that this is the nobility of the kingdom of heaven..." Andrew Murray, Humility.

• "...after the resurrection, that strange boldness had come upon the disciples." Alfred Noyes (English poet, 1880-1958).

• "Love, like Fortune, favours the bold." Bucchianeri (author).

• "Past boldness is no assurance of future boldness. Boldness demands continual reliance on God's spirit." Andy Stanley.

• "To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence." Mark Twain.

• "We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot." Eleanor Roosevelt.

• "Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained." Marie Curie.

• "Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy." Dale Carnegie.

• "Fear stifles our thinking and actions. It creates indecisiveness that results in stagnation. I have known talented people who procrastinate indefinitely rather than risk failure. Lost opportunities cause erosion of confidence, and the downward spiral..." Charles Stanley.

• "With confidence you have won before your have started." Marcus Garvey (Jamaican political leader, 1887-1940).

• "Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I am with you, therefore no harm can befall you; all is very, very well. Do this in complete faith and confidence." Pope John Paul II.

My Top 100 Bible Verses

...in no particular order (starting with the first 11):

1. Rom 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
2. Gen 50:20, NLT: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people."
3. Ac 20:24: "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task...the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God" (Ac 20:24, NLT).
4. Ac 20:27, ESV: "...for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God."
5. Mt 6:33, NLT: "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."
6. Prov 3:5-6, NLT: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."
7. Jn 1:12-13: "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."
8. Ps 119:97, NLT: "Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long."
9. Prov 28:1, NLT: "...the godly are as bold as lions."
10. Phil 3:14: "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
11. 1 Cor 10:31: "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

Victory Through The Lamb: A Guide to Revelation in Plain Language

Reading or studying Revelation has always felt daunting and overwhelming to many Christians. But Mark Wilson has written "a guide to Revelation in plain language," as the title states. In the non-technical language of everyman, Wilson explains Revelation's many mysteries, which is so characteristic of apocalyptic literature. Most of the confusing signs, symbols and varied imagery of Revelation find its origins throughout the Old Testament. Victory Through The Lamb is readable, understandable and insightful, even for those who have not previously read or studied Revelation.

Each and every chapter begins with a martyr account, followed by Wilson's own English translation of the Greek text of Revelation. The martyr stories are gut wrenching, in particular the recent martyrdom of three Christians in eastern Turkey in the city of Malatya on April 18, 2007. This shocked Turkey's small Christian community as well as many Turkish citizens. Wilson and his wife have lived in Turkey since 2004 and were able to attend their funeral, together with many other Christians from around Turkey. The vivid stories of these and earlier martyrdoms set the mood of the reader into the correct frame of mind for understanding and interpreting Revelation.

Despite the suffering, persecution and martyrdom of countless Christians throughout the ages, it is indeed true that their premature, untimely and seemingly tragic deaths were not a defeat but a victory precisely because it was obtained thought the Lamb who was slain for the sins of the world. Together with the repeated themes of suffering, persecution, tribulation, trials and witness, Wilson emphasizes in each chapter the predominant theme of victory.

The Contents are:

• Prologue
• Chapter 1: Victory in the Seven Churches (1:1–3:22)
• Chapter 2: Victory of the Lamb (4:1–5:14)
• Chapter 3: Victory of the Large Multitude (6:1–9:21)
• Chapter 4: Victory of the Two Witnesses (10:1–11:19)
• Chapter 5: Victory of the Male Child, the Woman, and Her Offspring (12:1–17)
• Chapter 6: Victory over the Beasts (13:1–18)
• Chapter 7: Victory of the 144,000 and the Harvest of the Victors (14:1–20)
• Chapter 8: Victory in the Song of Moses and of the Lamb (15:1–16:21)
• Chapter 9: Victory over Mystery Babylon (17:1–19:10)
• Chapter 10: Victory over the Lamb's Enemies (19:11–20:15)
• Chapter 11: Victory in the New Heaven and New Earth (21:1–22:5)
• Chapter 12: Victory at Jesus' Second Coming (22:6–21)
• Epilogue - In the Presence of Martyrs: A Reflection from Turkey in 2007

Thanks to Weaver Book Company and Cross Focused Reviews for sending me a copy of this book to review.

Healed at Last: Separating Biblical Truth from Myth

Scott Blackwell, the author, was stricken with meningitis at age three. As a result, he suffered serious health issues, the most noticeable being that he walks with a severe limp. He addresses the apparent conflict between the God who is able to heal a stricken person of diseases and ailments, yet often does not do so physically, as God did not with him. Yet Scott declares without a doubt that God has indeed healed him profoundly and wholly through Christ, even if God did not heal him physically. Reading his book reminds me of the often passionate dichotomy and disagreement between Charismatics (God can and does heal today) and Cessationists (God no longer heals people today as in the time of Jesus and Acts). Scott writes a balanced biblical account between these two sometimes extreme positions that disses the other side.

This paragraph in chap. 6 (p. 134) perhaps captures well Scott's book: "This is why I become anxious when I read endless volumes that exhort the faithful to embrace the power and authority of the kingdom now, but use language that makes it clear that embracing the kingdom is not so much for the glory of Christ and the advance of his rule as it is for bolstering our own self-esteem, benefit or prosperity. The 'power' language of the apostle Paul is almost never connected to healing, or even to evangelism. Rather, Paul uses such language to encourage and exhort the saints to: ...perseverance, faith, hope, love, spiritual stamina, endurance under trail, and growing conformity to Jesus Christ."

Though the book deals extensively with healing, it is primarily a glorious proclamation of the gospel and a proclamation of Christ, from whom and through whom we receive complete healing. Like our salvation and the coming of the kingdom that is already, but not yet, so is our healing: In Christ, we are already healed, yet not yet...till he comes again.

Thanks to Matthias Media and Cross Focused Reviews for a hard copy of this book in exchange for writing a book review.

A Life Goal, A Single Master Passion

 

From the Sun sermon, D is for Daily, we considered two questions:

1. What do you do with your life daily?
   
2. What do you think about daily?

Then we considered 10 practical applications. Among them, we suggested:

1. Think about your life goal.
2. Develop a single master passion for your life.

Based on these two points, the following questions were asked:

1. What is your life goal?
2. Have you thought long and hard about your life goal?
3. Do you have a single master passion for your life?
4. How do you find your life goal and develop a single master passion for your life?

The apostle Paul states and declares what the sole motivation for his life is in the following verses:

1. Single purpose of life: Testify to the gospel of God's grace (Ac 20:24).
2. First importance to pass on to others: The gospel (1 Cor 15:3-4).
3. Single goal of life: To know Christ (Phil 3:10) and him crucified (1 Cor 2:2), to take hold of Christ (Phil 3:12), to live for Christ (Gal 2:20).
4. One thing to never be ashamed of: The gospel (Rom 1:16).
   
5. To know himself progressively more and more (1 Cor 15:9; Eph 3:8; 1 Tim 1:15).
   

Read the Bible Daily (8/9/14): Preaching Notes

"Oh, how I love your instructions (law)! I think about them all day long" (Ps 119:97, NLT). "Instead, his delight is in the Lord's instruction (law), and he meditates on it day and night" (Ps 1:2, HSCB). "This book of instruction (law) must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite (meditate on) it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do" (Josh 1:8, HSCB).

Theme: We are what we think about. What do you think about? [C is for Contemplation, or DD for Daily Devotion or Daily Delight, or M is for Meditation/or Mind, or R is for Reflection, or S for Silence and Solitude, or T is for Think.]

1 in 5 Christians (19%) read their Bibles [2012 Lifeway survey]. 1 in 4 Christians (26%) read their Bibles regularly (4x/wk or more), [2013 American Bible Society poll]. The majority (57%) read their Bibles 4x/yr or less. Why so infrequently? Doug Birdsall, president of ABS, says, "I see the problem as analogous to obesity in America. We have an awful lot of people who realize they're overweight, but they don't follow a diet. People realize the Bible has values that would help us in our spiritual health, but they just don't read it."

3 questions:

1. Are you living your life right?
2. Are you loving your family/others right?
3. Are we doing church right.

I. The Importance of the Mind

A man is what he thinks about all day long. We (You) are what we (you) think about all day long. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

But 83% of Americans do not spend any part of their day just thinking. "2% of the people think; 3% of the people think they think; and 95% of the people would rather die than think." George Bernard Shaw. Emotion (anger, loneliness, jealousy, woundedness, fear, worry, anxiety, etc) may hinder productive thinking.

• "Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny." Ralph Waldo Emerson.
• "I think, therefore, I am." Rene Descartes.
• "All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become."  Buddha.
• "Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think." Benjamin Disraeli.
• "You are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are!"
• "Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."  Phil 4:8, NLT.
• "Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things."  2 Tim 2:7, NLT.
• "Love God...with all your mind."  Mk 12:30.

 II. What To Do with the Mind Daily

1. Know why you do what you do.
2. Read the Bible. (Read it, recite it, think, pray, reflect, contemplate, meditate what it says, share and teach it.)
3. Read books.
4. Have dialogue and engagement.
5. Live in community [& solitude].
6. Enjoy life to the full.

1. Paul's singular purpose of life - Ac 20:24; 1 Cor 15:3-4; Phil 3:10; Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 15:10; Eph 3:8; 1 Tim 1:15.

 

2. Purpose of reading the Bible is to live in the presence of God. Not to read the Bible legalistically, superstitiously or out of guilt.

 

(3) (4) "Reading makes a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man." Francis Bacon (English philosopher).

 

Practical Application/Suggestions: Grow/increase in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man (Lk 2:52).

1. Pray & think first about your day when you wake up.
2. Do something else before drinking coffee.
3. Read your Bible and pray before checking your email.
4. Think often about your life goal.
5. Develop a single master passion for your life.
6. Plan/schedule your Bible reading and reading books.
7. Remember the grace of Jesus throughout the day.
8. Practice the presence of God throughout the day.
9. Share and engage with one another often.
10. Teach the Bible to someone else.

Read the sermon online. What I write is for reading. What I preach is for listening. I welcome critiques and comments.

Questions to Assess Your Bible Reading

 

1.    How often do you read the Bible? Do you read the Bible daily? A few times a week? Not that often?

 

2.    How much time do you spend reading (meditating on) the Bible? Reading books, blogs or magazines?

 

3.     When you read the Bible how much of it do you usually read? A few verses at the time? A few chapters? 5-10 chap.?

 

4.    What do you know about your Bible?

a.    How many N.T. books are there? How many books of the Bible did Paul write?

 

b.    Can you recite in order the first 10 books of the N.T.? The first 20 books? All the N.T. books?

 

c.     How many O.T. books are there? Who are the 4 major prophets? What are the 5 poetic books?

 

d.    Can you recite in order the first 10 books of the O.T.? The first 20 books?

 

5.    What does Ps 119:97, Ps 1:2, Josh 1:8 encourage us regarding Scripture? Do you love reading it? Why or why not? Does it taste sweet to your taste (Ps 119:103; 34:8; Eze 3:3; Rev 10:9)? What surprising result does it promise (Ps 1:3; Josh 1:8b)? What is Scripture able to do (2 Tim 3:15)? Useful for (2 Tim 3:16-17; Ps 119:105)?

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.    Ralph Waldo Emerson says, "A man is what he thinks about all day long?" What do you think about all day long?

 

 

7.    Read Phil 4:8, 2 Tim 2:7; Mk 8:30. What does these verses suggest about the life of the mind? Reflect on these:

 

·        "All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become."  Buddha.

 

·        "Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think." Benjamin Disraeli.

 

·        "Reading makes a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man." Francis Bacon.

 

·         "2% of the people think; 3% of the people think they think; and 95% of the people would rather die than think." George Bernard Shaw.

 

 

 

8.    Do you know why you do what you do (1 Cor 10:31)? Why is this important? What was Paul's motivation and driving force (Ac 20:24; 1 Cor 2:2; 15:3-4; Phil 3:10)? What motivation do you have to read the Bible?

 

 

 

 

9.What is West Loop Church about? "About us" on our website says, "Our foundational belief is that the Gospel is central and crucial to the life of the church. We believe that a church where the gospel is preached and proclaimed produces a gospel church and a gospel community, and enables the gospel to be lived out in every area of our lives and expression as a Christian." What are your spontaneous thoughts about this statement regarding our foundational belief? Would you like to state it differently?

Conscience, Courage, Honesty

CONSCIENCE:

"A clear conscience is the greatest armor." Chinese proverb.

"There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience." French proverb.

"You ask me what forces me to speak? a strange thing; my conscience." Victor Hugo, Les Miserables.

"A clear conscience laughs at false accusations." Author Unknown.

"I believe that we cannot live better than in seeking to become better, nor more agreeably than having a clear conscience." Socrates.

"Happiness consists of three things; Someone to love, work to do, and a clear conscience. " Anonymous.

"I want to make this perfectly clear: you can be sure that I will never be a yes-man except to my own conscience." Charles Edison

"A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory."

COURAGE:

"You will never do anything in this world without courage." Aristotle.

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." Churchill.

"Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities... because it is the quality which guarantees all others."

"Courage is the main quality of leadership...no matter where it is exercised. Usually it implies some risk--especially in new undertakings." Walt Disney.

"Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway." John Wayne. (Life's hard. It's even harder when you're stupid.")

"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what." Atticus Finch, Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird.

"Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It's knowing you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do."

Honesty:

"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." Oscar Wilde.

"Honesty is the first chapter of the book wisdom." Thomas Jefferson.

"Truth never damages a cause that is just." Mahatma Gandhi.

"Anything is better than lies and deceit." Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina.

"It is not easy to keep silent when silence is a lie." Victor Hugo.

"Nothing in this world is harder than speaking the truth, nothing easier than flattery." Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

How often do Christians read the Bible

A 2013 ABS (American Bible Society) poll says Americans love the Bible but don't read it much. 88% of respondents said they own a Bible, 80% think the Bible is sacred, 61% wish they read the Bible more, and the average household has 4.4 Bibles. Doug Birdsall, president of American Bible Society, said he sees a reason for why the Bible isn't connecting with people: "I see the problem as analogous to obesity in America. We have an awful lot of people who realize they're overweight, but they don't follow a diet. People realize the Bible has values that would help us in our spiritual health, but they just don't read it." If they do read it, the majority (57%) only read their Bibles four times a year or less. Only 26% of Americans said they read their Bible on a regular basis (four or more times a week). Younger people also seem to be moving away from the Bible. A majority (57%) of those ages 18-28 read their Bibles less than three times a year, if at all. [The Barna Group conducted "The State of the Bible 2013" study for ABS, using 1,005 telephone interviews and 1,078 online surveys with a margin of error for the combined data of plus or minus 2 percentage points.]

A 2012 LifeWay survey of 2,900 Protestant churchgoers found that  while 90% "desire to please and honor Jesus in all I do," only 19% personally read the Bible every day. Most Christians don't read the Bible much. Only 1 in 5 Christians read the Bible daily. The responses to how often they personally read the Bible are: "Every Day" (19%). "Rarely/Never" (18%). A few times a week (25%). "Once a Week" (14%). "Once a Month" or "A Few Times a Month" (22%). This LifeWay research survey concluded: "The impact of the Word of God on people's lives is seen in the relationship between Bible engagement and turning from wrongdoings and choosing to obey God – two indicators of higher Bible engagement scores. Such tangible life changes show the transformational impact of Bible engagement in the life of a disciple of Christ." LifeWay Research president Ed Stetzer said, "Almost all churchgoers want to honor God, but more than a third indicate obedience is not something they have done when it is costly to them."

A Celebration of God's Word (Psalm 119)

Psalm 119 is a celebration of God's gift of the Scriptures and uses ten synonyms for God's word:

1. law (25 times).
2. testimonies (22).
3. ways (5).
4. precepts (21).
5. statutes (21).
6. commandments (21).
7. judgment(s) (19).
8. word(s) (25).
9. sayings (19).
10. path (5).

The psalmist gives several responses to the Scriptures:

1. obey/keep/observe his word (Ps 119:4, 5, 8, 17, 34, 44, 56-57, 60, 67, 88, 100-101, 129, 134, 145, 167-168).
2. meditate on his word (Ps 119:5, 23, 27, 48, 78, 97, 99, 148).
3. rejoice in the word (Ps 119:14, 162).
4. delight in the word (Ps 119:16, 24, 35, 47, 70, 77, 92, 143, 174).
5. love God's word (Ps 119:47-48, 97, 113, 119, 127, 159, 163, 165, 167).
6. asking God to revive him by the word or as he obeyed the word (Ps 119:25, 40, 88, 107, 149, 154, 156, 159).

Overview:

1. God's word brings happiness and blessing (Ps 119:1-8, 1-2).
2. God's word provides protection against sin (Ps 119:9-16, 11).
3. God's word is wonderful and delightful (Ps 119:17-24, 18, 24).
4. God's word strengthens amid sorrow (Ps 119:25-32, 28).
5. God's word produces the fear of God (Ps 119:33-40, 38, 120).
6. God's word enables one to answer anyone who taunts them (Ps 119:41-48, 42).
7. God's word gives hope amid suffering (Ps 119:49-56, 49-50, 23, 42).
8. God's word is our sufficient portion (Ps 119:57-64, 57; 16:5; 73:26).
9. God's word is better than much money (Ps 119:65-72, 72; 37:16; Prov 15:16).
10. God's word gives a good testimony (Ps 119:73-80, 74, 79-80).
11. God's word is trustworthy even while languishing (Ps 119:81-88, 83, 86).
12. God's word is eternal (Ps 119:89-96).
13. God's word is sweet (Ps 119:97-104, 97, 103).
14. God's word gives guidance (Ps 119:105-112, 105).
15. God's word is a secure refuge (Ps 119:113-120, 114).
16. God's word vindicates (Ps 119:121-128, 122).
17. God's word is wonderful (Ps 119:129-136, 129).
18. God's word is righteous (Ps 119:137-144, 138, 144).
19. God's word is truth (Ps 119:145-152, 151-152, 160).
20. God's word delivers and preserves (Ps 119:153-160, 153, 156).
21. God's word gives great peace (Ps 119:161-168, 165).
22. God's word saves the strays (Ps 119:169-176, 176).

ABCs of Practical Christian Living: Review and Overview

1. Accountability: Who are you accountable for (Gal 6:1)? To (Heb 3:13)?
   
2. Beauty: Are you enraptured by the beauty of Christ (Ps 27:4)? Or by a sense of duty?
3. Community: Do you sense the unity of Christian community (Ps 133:1)? Or the pressure of a wish dream?
   
4. Delight: Are you happy? How do you find delight (Ps 37:4)?
5. Experience: Do you taste the goodness of God (Ps 34:8; 1 Pet 2:3)? Or is it just head knowledge?
6. Father: Do you know your father and your Father's love for you (Ps 103:13)?
   
7. Freedom: Is your Christian life one of freedom (Gal 5:1; Jn 8:36)? Or a sense of slavery?
   
8. Friendship: Do you have true friends who stab you in the front (Prov 27:5-6)?
9. Forgetfulness: Are you self-forgetful (1 Cor 4:3-4)? Or easily hurt and offended by others?
10. HHHOT: Are you happy, honest, humble, open and transparent?
11. Gentleness: Are you strong enough to be gentle with others (Phil 4:5)?
    

Gentleness

Philippians 4:5

"Let your gentleness be evident to all" (Phil 4:5, NIV). "Let your reasonableness be known to everyone" (Phil 4:5, ESV). "Let your gentle spirit be known to all men" (Phil 4:5, NASB). "Let your graciousness be known to everyone" (Phil 4:5, HCSB). "Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do" (Phil 4:5, NLT).

The word "ἐπιεικής" (epieikēs) means gentle, mild, forbearing, fair, reasonable, moderate, equitable, yielding. In various English Bibles it is translated as "gentleness" (NIV), "reasonableness" (ESV), "gentle spirit" (NASB), "graciousness" (HCSB) and "considerate" (NLT). This word is used five times in five verses in the NT (1 Tim 3:3; Tit 3:2; Jas 3:17; 1 Pet 2:18). In context:

• An overseer or elder or pastor should not be violent but gentle (1 Tim 3:3).

• The people of God should slander no one, be peaceable and considerate (Tit 3:2).

• The wisdom that comes from heaven is pure, peace-loving, considerate (Jas 3:17).

Jesus says about himself, "I am gentle and humble (or lowly) in heart" (Mt 11:29), or "I am humble and gentle at heart" (Mt 11:29, NLT).

A closely related word "πραότης" (praotēs) means mildness, gentleness, meekness, kindness. It also means properly, temperate, displaying the right blend of force and reserve (gentleness). It is "strength in gentleness." It avoids unnecessary harshness, yet without compromising or being too slow to use necessary force. This word is used nine times in the NT. Some verses are:

• Paul appealing to the Corinthians by the meekness and gentleness of Christ (2 Cor 10:1).

• The fruit of the Spirit includes meekness (Gal 5:23).

• Paul encourages Christians in Galatia who are spiritual to restore those caught in a sin gently (Gal 6:1).

• Paul encourages the Christians in Ephesus to be completely humble and gentle (Eph 4:2).

• Paul states that God's chosen people are to clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness (Col 3:12).

• Paul encourages Timothy to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness (1 Tim 6:11).

• Paul says that to those who oppose him, Timothy must gently instruct (2 Tim 2:25).

• Paul instructs Titus to encourage Christians "to show perfect courtesy toward all people" (Tit 3:2, ESV), "to be gentle toward everyone" (Tit 3:2, NIV), to show "every consideration for all men" (Tit 3:2, NASB), and to "show true humility to everyone" (Tit 3:2, NLT).

1 Pet 3:15 says, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness (πραΰτης) and respect."

Are Christians gentle? Gentleness, humility, meekness, mildness, kindness, consideration are attributes of Christ and the attributes that are attractive to all people. Yet when we think of Christians these attributes may not stand out prominently as being descriptive of some of us. Instead, we might think of Christians as rude, judgmental, sanctimonious, condescending, ungracious, critical, etc. It should seem evident that such traits are not common in the world, and sometimes do not even seem common in the church either.

Random Verses about Kingdom and Church

ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia; 115 times in 12 verses): An assembly (of Israelites, of Christians); a congregation; a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place. Mt 16:18; 18:17; Ac 20:28; 1 Cor 3:6; 12:28; Eph 1:22; 3:10; 5:23-24; Col 1:18, 24; 1 Tim 3:15

βασιλεία (basileia; 160 times translated into different words): a kingdom, the territory subject to the rule of a king. Mk 1:15; Mt 6:10, 33; Lk 9:2; 17:21.

Are You Self-Forgetful?

1 Corinthians 4:3-4 "I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me."

Sad fact: It is quite possible for Christians to do all sorts of morally virtuous "biblical" things, such as serving God faithfully and sacrificially in church, when our hearts might still be filled with pride, fear, or a desire for power, control, praise, honor and recognition.

These thoughts are based on Tim Keller's excellent small book, The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, which I blogged about: Pride and Ego. Arrogance (1 Cor 4:6, 18) is indeed the root cause of division in the church. This is why Paul pleads, "...no more boasting about human leaders!" (1 Cor 3:21)

Key Question(s):

• What are the marks of a heart that has been radically changed by the grace of God?
• What are the marks of a supernaturally changed heart?
• If we trust in Jesus, what should our hearts--changed at the root by the grace of God--look like in real life?

Questions for reflection:

1. Are you easily hurt by others? Are you still trying to prove something to yourself and others?
2. Are you trying to validate yourself and your life by your accomplishments and achievements? Your career? Your children? Your ministry? By how much others recognize you, regard you or respect you?
3. Read Psalm 139:23-24. Ask God to show you your heart, to show you the places you look for self-worth and the ways you try to find your sense of identity.
4. Explain to someone else how the gospel can (and should) transform our sense of identity. How much do you experience that transformed sense of identity? In what ways has God's Word encouraged you or challenged you? Are you sure?
   
5. Has God given you what you need to enable you to develop true gospel-humility and the freedom of self-forgetfulness?