IBS Lamentations 3:22-26 (11-24-14)

Inductive Bible Study for Lamentations 3:22-26 (11-24-14)

"Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!" The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."

I read this passage about a week ago and I was struck at how incredible the love of God is. I love the song by Ascend the Hill called The Love of God. The chorus goes "Could we with ink the oceans fill and were the skies of parchment made, were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade, to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry, nor could the scroll contain the whole though stretched from sky to sky." With all the resources we have in this world, we couldn't write the love of God in its entirety. I can't comprehend it, nor should I! There would be no mystery or awe if we could understand everything about God.

So the first part of this passage says that we are not consumed because of Gods mercy and compassion. We are a people who are constantly in defiance of God and we deserve to be consumed by His anger. So why does He continue to be patient and allow us to spit in His face? It's because He gives us all a chance - usually many chances - to turn from our sin and throw ourselves on His compassion. The next part says that His mercies are new every morning and His faithfulness is great. We get a "second chance" every single morning, all the days of our lives. I'm reminded of 2 Timothy 2:13, which says "If we are faithless, He remains faithful". Even when we completely reject Him, He promises to love us and forgive us if we ask.

The next part says that God is our portion and we hope in Him. All of Him is so much more than enough for us! Hope is to believe and trust that something is going to happen. We have confidence that when God promises us something, it will happen. I was reading in 1 Peter and I came across 5:11. It says "Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord - that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful." Job's life is an example of how God is good to those who seek Him - Job waited quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

I struggle every day with fear, anger and anxiety... but God. I am waiting on the Lord, I am seeking Him and I hope in His salvation. God is my portion - He is my everything. I am not going to let these things move me because I know where my Help comes from! I may not know where I'm going or what I'm doing, but I do know that nothing is too hard for the Lord. My God is faithful and I trust in Him.

IBS Hebrews 7:25 (11-16-14)

Inductive Bible Study for Hebrews 7:25 (11-16-14)

"Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."

First of all, let's get some context and understand what the "therefore" is there for. This passage is talking about priesthood and covenants, and how Jesus has an unchangeable priesthood. We have a better covenant because of Jesus. The priests under the Levitical law had to offer sacrifices to God for themselves (daily) in addition to the sacrifices they offered for the people (daily). In contrast, Jesus did this once and for all when He offered Himself for our sin. The better covenant is then that instead of continually having to be covered by the blood of sacrifices, we can choose to be cleansed once by the blood of the perfect Sacrifice. 

Sawa sawa (okay in Ki'Swahili), now we know that the "therefore" is there to say "because of Jesus' one-time, all-covering sacrifice". Jesus is able to save to the uttermost. Uttermost. That's kind of a weird word. It means: most remote or outermost; farthest; of the greatest or highest degree or quantity. Wow. Jesus is able to save the most far-gone person, the person farthest from God, the person who has sinned in the highest degree! Not too long ago, I felt like I couldn't come to God because I had been faking a relationship with Him my whole life, I thought I was too far gone to be saved. This verse throws my argument away. 

So the next part says "those who come to God through Him". It takes a realization that I cannot make it on my own and a crushing of my pride to see that I need someone besides myself to help me in order to come to God through Jesus. Anyone can try to go to God, but we often don't see that we can't go directly to God because of our sin. John 14:6 says (Jesus is speaking): "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." I didn't like that I had to go to Jesus - to humble myself and admit my sin - in order to get to God. However, Jesus is the only Way to God!

We see that Jesus is able to save anyone out of their sin if they are willing to surrender to Him. The next part says "He always lives to make intercession for them". What is intercession? To intercede is to plead or act on behalf of someone, to attempt to reconcile differences between two peoples, to mediate. Jesus is our Mediator and He lives to plead our case before God. Our case is that we are sinners and we have no hope of going to heaven unless we surrender to Jesus and allow Him to save us. Once we are saved by Jesus, Satan has no way to bring us to hell. Our debts have been paid by Jesus' sacrifice. He steps in our place and shows God that He has paid our debt and has cleansed our sin with His perfect blood. 

These are the very basics of the Christian faith, yet I didn't truly understand this until this past year. I didn't see that Jesus needed to intercede for me to the Father. I am in awe of Jesus' sacrifice and that He loves to show God that we belong to Him. I'm going to write "Jesus saves to the uttermost" on my hand and in my journal to remind me that there is nothing too hard for Him. 

IBS Hebrews 4:15-16 (11-7-14)

Inductive Bible Study for Hebrews 4:15-16 (11-7-14)

"For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

So I'm home now, in good old New Hampshire, and there have been a massive amount of changes since I left. Half of my family lives in another house and it's weird. I feel so alone sometimes - but God is comforting me and showing me that He feels what I'm going through. The verse before (14) says "let us hold fast to our confession". Sometimes it's hard to hold fast to my confession. Sometimes I just want to give up and run away from everything and everyone. I have made a confession of my faith in my Savior and I am to fully rely on Him to meet all my needs.

It's so easy to get caught up in the cares and lusts of this world and that's why it's so important to be surrendered to Christ. I've really been struggling these last few days - and God uses my daily devotions time and time again to push me towards Him. How crazy is it that God, the King and Maker of this universe, can empathize with us in our temptations and struggles? It boggles my mind. Really. He is so much bigger and stronger than we can even imagine, yet He understands our pain. He WANTED to understand our pain. He WANTED to bear the cross for us so that we could have a relationship with Him. Jesus Christ was tempted in all points that we have been, are and will be tempted - yet He did not sin. 

They say that God won't ever give you more than you can handle. That's a lie. He won't tempt you beyond what you're able to bear, but He will most definitely give us more than we take. What's the point of needing Him if we can handle everything on our own? He doesn't say to come to Him even though our burden is already light - He says "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28. The weight of this world is constantly on our shoulders, until we give it to Him. I will never be free of the need to be strong on my own until my heart understand that His strength is made perfect in my weakness. 

We don't have to be afraid to come to God. Yes, I am ashamed sometimes to make my requests known to God. Yes, I am embarrassed sometimes when I've sinned and don't want to confess for fear of condemnation. But none of my feelings matter - Jesus didn't die for my feelings, He died for my sins. I don't need to be scared because Jesus knows exactly what I'm going through. So instead of being fearful, let us come boldly to the throne of grace. Wow. Having boldness is to not hesitate in fear, to be courageous and daring. We can take courage in the fact that our God loves us with a love we can't even comprehend, a love that has no end. 

So we can expect to obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need (which would be all the time). Our God is truly an awesome God. He is glad when His children come before Him, and He desires to bestow upon us grace and mercy. I do not deserve His love at all, yet He pours it out on me every day. I'm going to write these verses down in the front of my new journal, so that I can remember that my God understands what I'm going through and that He wants to give me grace and help in my time of need. 

IBS Isaiah 43:1b-2 (10-19-14)

Inductive Bible Study on Isaiah 43:1b-2 (10-19-14)

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you."

I'm reading in Isaiah for my devotions and I came across this verse. I was encouraged and comforted. God is speaking to His people here - telling them to not be afraid because He will be with them no matter what they're going through. I love the illustration of going through water and fire - He promises that the water won't overflow them and that the fire won't burn them. My question about this verse is "How do they know for sure that God will protect His people?". The answer is right there - they belong to God and He has redeemed them.

What does the word redeem mean? The definition is to buy back or purchase. God has paid for us and we now are His. How incredible is that? I'm just sitting here, wondering how much it took for God to pay for us. I know that He accomplished that by pouring out His wrath on His Son, but I don't think I'll fully grasp that until Heaven, when I can feel the scars in His hands and side. 1 Corinthians 6:20 says "For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." Jesus knew the cost of redeeming those He loved and He asked if there was any other way. If Jesus was scared of the torture and death to come, we can be assured that it was an incredibly costly purchase.

Just because we belong to God doesn't mean trials won't come. This verse clearly says that water and fire WILL come, but that God will be with us every step of the way. I'm reminded of Joshua 1:9 - "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for The Lord your God is with you wherever you go." My class and I memorized this verse during a Kid's Club in Kenya and it's stuck with me since. I don't want to forget that my life was bought at a price and really doesn't belong to me. I'm going to write "I have redeemed you, you are Mine" on my hand. 

IBS 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (9-23-14)

Inductive Bible Study for 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (9-23-14)

“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Today during my devotions, I was meditating on the Word and praying. I also looked back on previous months in my journal to reflect on the change that God has done in me. For example, last month on the 23^rd was my birthday, and I prayed fervently for my family instead of making a wish as I blew out my candles. I kept going further back - July 23^rd, June 23^rd, and so on. I finally got to January 23^rd and found that I had written about my parents and my conflicted heart about my ex-boyfriend. I looked at the next day (24^th) and saw that it was on this day that I surrendered to the Holy Spirit for the first time. All these pressures in my life had driven me to see my incredible need to relinquish control to my Savior.

That was the night that Pastor Mike had given the invitation to surrender to the Spirit. I wrote “I was fighting so hard for the first couple minutes during the invitation - I did NOT want God to have His Way in me. I was content to just be saved, and I didn’t want Him to have my whole heart. I broke down and went forward - I was bawling. I needed the Holy Spirit to have my life, I had been making a mess of my life. I have so much peace inside now.” I can’t even describe the peace and joy that flooded over me in those precious moments of brokenness. I’m not sure when I got saved, but that night was the first time I experienced true freedom from fear, depression and the need for control. I saw my neediness, my distresses and all my imperfections.

These verses talk about when Paul was asking God to take away a thorn in his flesh, and God tells him that His grace is sufficient. I begged God to make my life perfect and take away the pain I was feeling, but I see now that these things were vital to me seeing my need for Jesus. God’s strength is made perfect in my weakness. If I had never gone through pain and heartache, I never would have been broken. If I had kept struggling (in vain) to stay strong on my own, I never would have had to admit that I needed anyone else to help me. I am not strong because of anything I’ve done - I am strong because Christ is having His perfect Way in my heart and life. I am so weak, broken and empty by myself, but Jesus loves that! He wants me to be fully reliant on Him so that He can strengthen, shape and fill me.

I never want to forget how much I need Jesus. I never want to walk in my own strength. I never want to leave my Savior for something or someone that will let me down. The problem is that I’m human - I’m going to be prideful and fail. This is why it’s so important to have a constant relationship with God - He knows we can’t do it on our own, and all we have to do is ask Him!!! It’s ridiculous how simple it is, yet how difficult we make it. This is my application - I’m going to keep it with me wherever I go to remind me of what Jesus is doing in and through me. 

IBS Proverbs 23:17-18 (9-21-14)

Inductive Bible Study for Proverbs 23:17-18 (9-21-14)

“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day;for surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off.”

I came across this passage during one of my morning devotions recently. It immediately reminded me of all the times I’ve been jealous of people in the world - wishing I could go to parties, be a flirt and wear less clothing. Looking back, I am so thankful that my parents didn’t allow me to do those things. I’ve been humbled by the fact that if I had the choice before, I would definitely have done those things (and more). The only reason I didn’t get into more trouble growing up was that my parents were relatively strict in the world’s eyes. In my early-mid teen years, I imagined all the things I would do when I didn’t have to obey my parents anymore. I may have no been that rebellious on the outside, but I planned and plotted a lot in my heart.

So instead of envying sinners and the supposed “freedom” they have, as believers we should be zealous for the fear of the Lord. This means to be passionate, eager, devoted and intensely enthusiastic. The reason for this insane diligence? This verse says that is surely a hereafter. There is more to this world than the plans I have for my life? Not only is God’s plan for my life better than I could ever imagine, that’s also Heaven to look forward to - a place of glory, splendor and bliss. Our hope will not be cut off. God promises us that if we follow Him, He will never leave us nor forsake us. God is faithful, He keeps His promises and He don’t dash our hopes!

These verses are a really good reminder that my devotion to Jesus is not in vain. There will be a reward for living my life for Christ- in the now and in the hereafter. When it seems like the whole world is against me, I can know for certain that God is on my side. I’m going to write “Your love is better than life” on my hand.

IBS Ephesians 2:8-10 (9-20-14)

Inductive Bible Study for Ephesians 2:8-10 (9-20-14)

“For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

I am so in awe of how much it took for God to save me. I have so much sin and wickedness in my heart that if I was the only one Jesus died for, there would have been no change in how much suffering He went through. God loved this world so much that it pleased Him to crush His only begotten Son in order to save us. That’s why it’s ONLY by grace through faith that I’m forgiven. There is nothing I could ever do to earn God’s gift and I have no right to boast in Christ’s sacrifice. In a previous IBS, I talked about how I thought the only way God was close to me was if I did good things - that’s completely opposite of what this verse says. 

The truth is that there’s nothing I could do on my own to be close to God. It must be by grace through faith that I see my need to surrender to Him, and see that salvation is a gift I could never earn. That’s really difficult for me to swallow. My pride wants to think that my skills, talents and amazingness are what drew God to want to save me. In reality though, I am disgusting and wicked, and it’s incredible that God loves me - but He does, and that’s why I love Him. When we strive to please God by our accomplishments before we are surrendered to Him, He sees them as filthy rags. Ouch. That’s why it’s so important to see our desperate need for Him. After we repent and accept His free gift of grace, our works might still be in vain! I also talked about this in a previous IBS. The point here is that our works are only accepted by God after salvation and if our heart’s only desire is to glorify Him.

We are God’s workmanship - that means that we are the product of Christ’s skill and labor. Jeremiah 1:5 says “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you”. We were made by God, for God. We were created in Christ for good works - remember, not the works which are filthy rags, and not the works that will be burned up because our hearts weren’t in the right place - prepared before we were made, that we should walk in them. How incredible is it that God made our good works before He even made us! Does this mean that God didn’t make good works for those who won’t choose Him? I don’t know. What I do know is that we are all given a choice (usually many) to either follow Christ or live how we want to. I also know that God sees the beginning and end, so He knows who will choose Him.

What I’ve been learning while in Kenya is that I can’t do anything or take credit for anything - all glory to God. Also, I need to be surrendered to Christ so that I can be walking in the Spirit and seeing the works God has prepared for me to do. I am going to memorize these verses.

IBS Proverbs 3:5-6 (9-16-14)

Inductive Bible Study for Proverbs 3:5-6 (9-16-14)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

God has been asking me lately if I trust Him. He’s been tugging at my hear every time I start questioning His plan. Yesterday, when I was crying out to Him, He brought to my mind when Job questioned Him and He said “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” (38:4) and “Have you entered the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in search of the depths?” (38:16). God also asked me Who was the only One Who: can change hearts (Acts 2:36-37), can give peace (Philippians 4:7) and has a plan for my life (Jeremiah 29:11). The answer is always Him! Even though I’m uncertain and scared about the future, I am confident that the Lord will work everything out for my good and for His glory (Romans 8:28).

I love Starfield’s song called Speak Now Jesus - “Speak now Jesus, speak into my heart. I’m desperate to hear Your still small voice, I need to hear Your voice! Lead me Jesus, I need direction. I am so lost without You guiding me, I need to know Your peace.” It is so awesome to see the change that God is doing in my life. He has brough me low and shown me how weak I truly am, so now I see my great need for Him. I really am lost when I don’t seek the Lord’s direction. When I lean on my own understanding I screw everything up. I’m not feeling bad about myself - I am realizing how small I am and how incredible my Savior is.

These verses in Proverbs promise us that if we live our lives in surrender to God, then He will guide us. I have seen that this is true. I thought I had it all together until my world fell apart. I saw that I loved my sin too much to give it up, I saw that the control I had was a facade and I saw that I couldn’t trust myself or any other human being to make my life better. I broke down, gave in to the Holy Spirit’s loving call and gave my entire life to Jesus. Since then, I have very clearly experienced the Spirit’s guiding and direction in my life. My paths have been chosen by God and my heart is in the continual process of being changed to be more like Christ. I am going to draw a simple illustration of “the world behind me, the Cross before me” on my hand to remember that I need to be following Christ in order for Him to lead me. 

IBS Galatians 2:20 (9-11-14)

Inductive Bible Study for Galatians 2:20  (9-11-14)

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is not longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me."

I absolutely love this verse. It reminds me of Romans 6, which Pastor Gitu had me read before I was baptized. Summarized, it says that we should no longer walk in sin because we were crucified with Christ and can now walk in newness of life. In order to live in Christ, our flesh needs to die and be buried. I tried to skip this part! I thought I could live for Christ while still holding onto my flesh and sin. The whole point of becoming a believer is to follow Matthew 16:24 - "The Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."". Denying ourselves is to be crucified with Christ - I just recently started grasping this vital concept. 

Mike, Sara and I just taught a study on John 14 and I was really moved by something Mike said. He was talking about verse 30 and how the ruler of this world (Satan) has nothing on Christ. Satan didn't make Jesus die - He did it of His own free will. God came down from His throne and traded everything perfect for everything sinful. He became a servant to humans, suffered through horrific torture and died the most painful death. Why? Because He loved me and gave Himself for me that I might choose His salvation. We still live in the flesh because we can't do otherwise until we get to heaven, but we can choose to act in the spirit.

How am I to act in the spirit instead of in the flesh? It is decided on which one I feed more. Am I putting my pride, selfishness and desires above humility, selflessness and what God wants for me? I hate having to put others before myself. I hate sharing. I hate that I shouldn't say everything that comes to my mind. I feel His Spirit tugging at my heart every time I have the choice to either do what I want to do or do what I know He wants me to do. My application of this verse is to literally apply these truths to my life. There will always be rough spots in life, and I'm going through one right now. I need to remember that it's not me who is alive - it's Christ. 

IBS 1 Corinthians 15:58 (9-9-14)

Inductive Bible Study for 1 Corinthians 15:58 (9-9-14)

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of The Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in The Lord."

This is Paul speaking to and encouraging the church of Corinth. These brothers and sisters are very dear to him and he loves them. So what is the "therefore" there for? Earlier in the chapter, Paul talks about about who can and cannot inherit the kingdom of God, what will happen when we are raised with Christ and how death and hell will have no sting or victory. He also says that God gives us the victory through His Son, Jesus Christ. We will be changed in the twinkling of an eye and become immortal. We won't be dead, but asleep and then when the trumpet sounds we will be raised in new bodies.

This verse I'm doing the study on is basically an encouragement to press on - even when life sucks and is hard, Paul is encouraging believers to look forward to the time when we will be raised and have changed bodies. We are to be steadfast - which means to be fixed in direction, firm in purpose and unwavering in faith. It's to be focused on what The Lord has for me instead of distracted by the cares of this world. We are to be immovable - which means to be incapable of being influenced and unyielding in ones opinion. Tyrant can also be  used here, but this is only for when someone is emotionless and stubborn. We should never be emotionless or stubborn - that completely defeats the purpose of letting God change our hearts.

We are to always be abounding in the work of The Lord. We are to be continually being filled by the Spirit and allowing Him to use us to complete the work He has prepared beforehand. We are also to know that our labor is not in vain in The Lord. I think it's really important to notice that Paul doesn't just leave the thought at "knowing that your labor is not in vain" - he adds at the end "in The Lord". Our labor can absolutely be in vain if our hearts are not in the right place! Earlier in this book (3:14-15), Paul talks about the different works done. Some works are built on a foundation which lasts (works done for the sole purpose of glorifying God) - and though some works are burned up (works done for praise, to be noticed, etc.) and the person suffers loss, they are still saved as through fire.

I'm going to write "all for the glory of God" on my hand to remember how important it is to rely on God for strength, ask the Spirit to fill me and do all for the sole purpose of pointing to Christ. 

IBS Philippians 4:6-7 (9-2-14)

Inductive Bible Study for Philippians 4:6-7 (9-2-14)

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ."

I have directly disobeyed this verse my entire life up until about 8 months ago. I thought that if I surrendered to God and let Him have control, then I would no longer have a say in things and He would take away all my fun. I didn't believe that He could actually give me peace. I thought God lied when He said He does things for our good. I ignored Him when He said He thinks more thoughts about me than there are sands in the sea. When I prayed, I felt like my words were bouncing off the ceiling. When I did bad things, I felt like He was disgusted with me and went far away. The only time I felt like He was close was when I did good things. 

There is a HUGE difference between head knowledge and heart knowledge. I knew all the things above were unbiblical, but that's how I felt and I couldn't change that. My feelings and guilt overrode what God said. So what changed? My family was falling apart at home and not only could I not do anything about it, I also couldn't even be there to comfort my sisters. I was overwhelmed with anxiety, fear, anger and confusion. I couldn't handle it anymore - I needed someone besides myself. It was on a night during training in Guatemala that Pastor Mike was inviting people to surrender to the Spirit and allow Him to fill them. I wasn't planning on going up and I fought the tug in my heart. After several minutes of fighting - I broke down, started bawling and went forward. 

That was the very first time I ever fully gave control to God. I gave Him everything. I can't describe the peace that filled me - that's why it passes our understanding I guess! I was free of the responsibility to fix my family. I knew that somehow, in some way, God would take care of everything. I didn't have to be afraid because it was all in His hands. It's funny to see that even if I hadn't surrendered to God, He would still be in control. It was just a matter of Him asking me if I trusted Him. He was asking me - "Do you have faith that I AM Who I say I AM?". God gives us a choice - we can trust Him or try to be independent. 

God knows our needs, so my question was "Why do I need to ask Him for things then?". I'm learning now that it's because He desires for us to rest in Him, receive His peace and allow Him to guard our hearts and minds. When I'm not trusting in God, I'm questioning His sovereignty and my mind starts to blaspheme Him Name. I'm also learning that I need to trust The Lord for EVERYTHING. Not just with the bit stuff, but also with the little things that I sometimes think don't matter. One of my favorite songs is Whole World in His Hands - it goes "I fear no evil, for You are with me, strong to deliver, mighty to saved, He's got the whole world in His hands". I am going to memorize these verses to remember these lessons I'm learning. 

Book Report - The Making of a Man of God by Alan Redpath (8-27-14)

The Making of a Man of God by Alan Redpath (8-27-14)

This book is a study of the life of David. I really appreciate how the author, Alan Redpath, uses the happenings of David's life to relate to how Christ works in our lives. I was convicted, challenged and encouraged as I read. God used this book at multiple points - one was when I taught a Bible study on a passage in John. Here are a few quotes that assisted in my teaching - "It is one thing to believe that something is true, and something to made your stand openly for it. Faith must lead to action. ", "Your heart has only to miss a half a dozen beats and you will end up in hell - with all your good intentions, resolves, professions of faith and sound theology." and "If Christ is not the King then Satan remains on the throne and you are a lost soul. But if Christ is in supreme authority, then He will drive out every one of your enemies."

Another way He used it was to humble me and see what life should look like as I follow Him whole-heartedly. "One who believes with the head only, without evidencing grace, love, gentleness, humility, or other token of the indwelling Christ, has no right to say he is a Christian. God's choice is contrary to all human reason, and is based upon the response of a man's heart." I thought I have been saved since 12, but He revealed to me that I only recently became His follower. As this quote says, I had no right to say I was a believer because there was no evidence in my life of fruit. On the outside, I said I was submitted to Christ - however, on the inside, I was stubborn and not willing to surrender at all. 

Something that amazes me about the life of David is that he was a man after God's own heart. David was a sinner just like everyone else - he committed adultery and murder but he also waited on God and accepted the result of his actions. All throughout his life I see evidence of the Spirit's hand on him. Speaking about this, Redpath says "Do you go to the house of God for comfort, and the realize that the Spirit has found you out? He knows why you are like that, but He wants you to tell Him. He wants you to confess that you have feared and panicked, that you have questioned His purpose and plan for your life." I really admire the fact that David was the rightful king for a while, but he waited on God to remove Saul from the throne. God is definitely giving me patience - slowly but surely!

David was on the run for his life multiple times, but he trusted God to take care of him. I am encouraged by this - there have been times in my life when I had no idea what was going to happen. "God has brought you to this place just to teach you what it is to take your stand at Calvary and to wait: to be still and know that He is God. In fact, that is all you CAN do. The decision is out of your control; you can only wait for Him to guide." I've had to learn to trust Him, and He has proven His faithfulness over and over again. When I have nothing else to rely on - "We have nothing except - and what a glorious exception - the Word of God, the power of the His Spirit, the anointing of the Holy Ghost upon a life which has surrendered all confidence in the flesh."

For the longest time, I was afraid of what was going to happen when I surrendered to Christ. It has been a painful yet joyous experience! "You know what is involved in going onward with Him, being poured from vessel to vessel until every prop is stripped from you and you have nothing and nobody whom you can depend, except God and His promises." It's a painful process to be empty, weak and broken - but God uses these times of discomfort and agony to fill me with His Spirit, strengthen me with His love and to shape me into the person He designed me to be. I've been learning that He WANTS me to rely fully on Him - not on anyone or anything else. 

I love this quote. "Do not be too busy about other things, with your hands so full attempting to meet the pressure in your own strength that when the ship comes with grace, patience, and love, you are not there. Wait and watch as a man watches for the morning; and so shall your waiting become the praise of a genuine conviction that this cloud is the mercy of God, and it has taken the pressure of it to drive you for shelter on the wounded side of a crucified Savior." All this striving to be closer to God and to plead Him is pointless. I need to need Jesus. The whole point of belonging to Christ is to agree with Him about our need of His salvation, and to accept His gift of grace. 

IBS Psalm 51:16-17 (8-6-14)

Inductive Bible Study for Psalm 51:16-17 (8-6-14)

"For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart - these, O God, You will not despise."

We taught about Moses building the tabernacle last week, and as I read this verse, I was reminded of how many sacrifices needed to be made on a daily basis on behalf of all the people. I would be so heart broken to have to kill an animal every time I did something wrong. I have no problem eating animals - that's what God gave them to us for. However, killing it as a punishment for what I did would probably make me cry. That's the whole point though: to have an innocent die as a result of sin. How much more heart broken should I be to consider how horrific of a death Jesus had to die for me? 

This verse in Psalm says that God doesn't delight in burnt offerings - He desires a broken and contrite heart. Both of these are sacrifices, but God only delights in one of them. What is sacrifice? Sacrifice -> Propitiation -> Conciliate -> To overcome hostility, to win over and to make compatible. I knew a sacrifice was to give something of value in order to reconcile, but never have the dots connected like this before. Jesus sacrificed Himself because He loves us and in doing so, He made us compatible with God - if we choose to accept His free gift of salvation. Jesus, being fully Man and fully God, stands in the gap between man and God as the perfect substitution. 

I'm understanding more about Jesus' sacrifice for us, but what about our sacrifices for God? God wants our hearts and spirits to be broken and contrite. Broken is to be reduced to fragments, vulnerable, weak, trained into submission and destroyed. Contrite is to be humble, remorseful and repentant. To put it into context with this verse, we are to allow God into the deepest, darkest parts of our souls and let Him change and shape us as He wishes. We are to be disgusted by our sin and hate it so much that we turn from it and ask God to forgive us. We are to come before Him humbly, knowing that we are wretched sinners and are in no way deserving of His grace. 

I'm not going to lie, to be left empty, weak and helpless is terrifying. Why would God want us to be in such a position where we can be easily hurt? The only way for Him to change, fill and strengthen us is when we have nothing left to fall back on - when we are at our lowest, have no one else to call to and know that there's nothing we can do to save ourselves. God is a jealous God and He doesn't want our hearts to belong to anyone but Him. In order for us to not "lean on" anything, our lives need to be completely given to Him. This doesn't mean giving something you can get back later - it means giving everything with the knowledge that once it's in His hands, there's no way of getting it back unless He chooses to give it to you. 

I'm grasping this concept of brokenness and submission, and I hope you are too, but how can we apply this? I think it's a daily process of surrendering my will, hopes and desires to The Lord and truly baring my soul to Him. I'm sometimes scared of what He will do, but I'm more scared of me doing what I want to do and ruining everything. I know that His plans for me are greater than I could ever imagine and that He is faithful - He's never failed me and He won't start now. I'm going to make it a habit during my morning devotions to ask The Lord for a broken and contrite spirit. 

IBS Psalm 39:4 (7-27-14)

Inductive Bible Study for Psalm 39:4 (7-27-14)

"Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am."

God convicted and comforted me at the same time as I read this during my morning devotion. I taught a Bible study in John 13 this week for the teens at church. I talked about how everyone is a wicked sinner, we're all prideful, God will lift us up if we're humble and why we need to be broken before Christ. The Spirit was moving in and through me and I had become excited to share what The Lord had been showing me, instead of being concerned about how I would sound. Of course, my sinful pride started feeding me thoughts as soon as we were in the car to leave. I thought to myself "Wow, I'm a really good teacher". Satan wants to attack in any way, shape or form - even after giving a message from God. 

I get so vain and prideful sometimes, and when I realize what I'm doing - elevating myself above everyone else - I feel awful. I desire to be shown just how weak I am. I love the verses in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 where Jesus says that His strength is made perfect in us when we are weak. I can't possibly expect God to help me when I am stubborn and working in my own strength. I think of it like a boat - there can only be one captain and the ship won't get anywhere if two people are trying to steer the ship. This struggle of letting God have control is one that happens on a daily basis. There won't be a rest from this until I stand in the presence of my Savior. The flesh is constantly fighting for control, and the spirit is constantly fighting to give control to The Lord. 

The whole purpose of life is to glorify God. At the end of my life - the things I do for myself will be for nothing and the things I do for God will become a reward. I love the song Blink by Revive. The chorus says "It happens in a blink, it happens in a flash, it happens every time you turn to look back. I try to hold on tight but there's no stopping time, what is it I've done with my life?". Time doesn't stop for us - every second counts. The other song that comes to mind is Life Means So Much by Chris Rice. The chorus says "Teach us to count the days, teach us to make the days count. Lead us in better ways because somehow our souls forgot - life means so much". He goes on to talk about how in terms of time, no one is rich and no one is poor - how are we using the time God has given us?

I need God to show me how frail I truly am. I think about my future a lot - where I will live, what I will do for work and who I will marry. I'm not even promised tomorrow!!! My heart needs to be humbled before God and I need Him to show me how much I need His strength. I want to live these next 5 minutes like these are my last 5 minutes (Steven Curtis Chapman anyone?). I could die at any moment. Jesus could come for the Rapture at any moment. I want to use my time wisely - to give God all the glory. I'm going to draw a clock with the numbers falling off on my hand to remind me: that I have no idea how much time I have left, to use my time wisely and to surrender my dreams to The Lord. 

IBS 1 Corinthians 13:7-8a (7-17-14)

Inductive Bible Study for 1 Corinthians 13:7-8a (7-17-14)

"(Love) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

In summation so far, love: suffers long, is kind, doesn't envy, doesn't parade itself, isn't puffed up, isn't rude, isn't selfish, isn't provoked, doesn't think evil, and doesn't rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in truth. Honestly, verse 7 about (insert verb)ing ALL things has confused me. Does bearing and enduring all things mean going through, for example, abuse without saying anything? Does believing and hoping all things mean being gullible? No - how do I know that's not what this verse means? Because I know that God wants us to confront people when they sin against us (Matthew 18:15), and that we are to test everything and hold fast to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21). 

When I think of bearing all things, I think of that person who's been faithful to be my friend even through the times I've been depressed, irritable, and a bad friend. Bearing means not giving up and leaving. It means loving even when someone doesn't love you back. Love isn't selfish, so it doesn't stop loving when it's not loved in return. As I said before, when people sin we are to confront them but still show them the love of Christ. I am learning how to do this in my own life right now. It's easier to "go through the motions" with someone when they're a friend than it is when it's a family member - you usually don't have to live with that person if they don't take it well. In my case, I'm bearing with this person because I love them dearly and nothing can ever change that. 

To believe all things doesn't mean to believe everything everyone tells you. Believing is to have confidence in the truth. Believing the best about someone until they prove otherwise. Even when they prove otherwise, love still forgives and believes they can change. Love hopes all things. Hope is what faith is made of. Hope doesn't mean thinking something will happen - it's knowing beyond a doubt. I don't wish that I was saved. I know for certain that I'm saved and have an unshakeable hope for heaven. Love hopes all things. Love doesn't doubt - love trusts. Love fights for truth and justice. Romans 14:10 says "Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess to God.", love believes God will have the final say. 

Love endures all things. Even when there seems to be no hope left, love doesn't give up. The only Love that hasn't ever given up is Jesus. When He was praying before being betrayed, He asked God the Father if there was any other way to save the world - twice. But He said "Not my Will but Yours be done" (Matthew 26:39 & 42). Jesus endured torture, bearing the sins of the world on His shoulders, death and separation from His Father because He loves us. He endured everything so that we could choose not to. Love never ends. I can't even fathom the depths of God's love for us. I was the one who nailed Him to that cross and yet He loves me with perfect, unending love. 

All this is wonderful and touches my heart, but if I don't do anything about it, then it's useless. I have been using this a lot lately though - even when I don't mean to, I share the Gospel in every class that I teach about God. I'm going to make more of an effort to share Christ's love with those around me. We go grocery shopping every week, and there is an Indian girl there who is the daughter of the owner. I've been praying for her and God has put a burden on my heart for her. I'm going to write her a short letter and give it to her when we go next time. 

IBS 1 Corinthians 13:5-6 (7-13-14)

Inductive Bible Study for 1 Corinthians 13:5-6 (7-13-14)

"(Love) does not behave rudely, does not seek it's own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;"

As in the last IBS I wrote, I said that love is a verb. God is love - which means that He fulfills all of these requirements. He is not rude, selfish or provoked to sin, He doesn't think evil and He rejoices in truth. I fail every single one of these requirements - does this mean I don't truly love? That's a hard question because I feel that I DO love people. Am I rude, selfish and able to be provoked? Absolutely! I would say there isn't a day that goes by when I don't think some form of evil - whether it be lust, anger, hate, jealousy and/or assuming bad things about someone. I fall so far short - every single day - of truly loving people, and of truly loving the One Who loves me most. 

Jesus - being fully Man and fully God - never failed to personify Love. God loved sinful human beings so much that He humbled Himself, became a Man, and suffered and died unjustly. He was innocent and could have saved Himself at any point. But He didn't. Why? Because He loved us and knew we could never save ourselves. If He had sinned or failed to personify Love just once - He wouldn't be the perfect sacrifice and would therefore have forfeited any chance of possibly saving us. I know that Jesus died because He loves us, but I don't know WHY. It blows my mind that God loves someone like me, and that all He wants in return for saving us is for us to give our lives to Him. 

This week for teaching (Kid's Club & schools), we're learning about the 10 Commandments. Don't have gods before God, don't make idols, don't take God's Name in vain, remember the Sabbath, honor Mom and Dad, don't: murder, commit adultery, steal, lie or covet. None of these say not to be rude, selfish or proud. Is failing to be loving a sin? It is falling short of perfection - and to miss the mark is to sin. In the New Testament, Jesus gives two commandments on which hang all the Law and the Prophets. They are: "You shall love The Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself". (Matthew 23:37-40) 

Wait, love God and your neighbors? Is this the same love that is talked about in 1 Corinthians? Yes. Yes it is. Who exactly is my neighbor? EVERYONE. Wow, so I'm commanded to love every person I come in contact with - to be kind, gentle and humble, to be patient, gracious and a peacemaker, to not be envious, rejoicing in evil or parading myself. That's impossible, which is exactly the point. We can never love perfectly, but the reason we try is to show everyone that Christ loves us. We don't do good works to earn grace - we have received grace freely and now should desire to give freely to God and others. 

I want to be an empty vessel that God can use to pour out His love on others. There is no possible way for me to love without His strength. In addition to praying every morning for emptiness, brokenness and the filling of the Spirit - I'm going to ask The Lord to remind me to love everyone with His love and correct me when I'm being unloving. 

IBS 1 Corinthians 13:3b-4 (6-25-14)

Inductive Bible Study for 1 Corinthians 13:3b-4

"But have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, and is not puffed up,"

This is the chapter on love and I always think of the song called Love Never Fails by Brandon Heath when I read it. My favorite part about this song is the line that says "Love is alive - Love is the Way, the Truth, the Life". Jesus is Love, Love is Jesus. The only One's Name Who has/will ever be put in place of love is God. For example - change "love endures all things. Love never fails." to "Jesus endures all things. Jesus never fails." None of us can ever fulfill those requirements, nor (by God's grace) do we have to. However, as a result of God's love towards us, we should want to ask the Spirit for these attributes.

All these adjectives of love are fruits of the Spirit and virtues. Galatians 5:22-23 lists the fruit of the Spirit - notice how there are 9 words but the word fruit is singular. It appears to me that all the other words are a byproduct of love. Joy, peace, long suffering (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control come as a result of loving God and others. You can't be joyful or have peace without loving first. You can't be kind or patient if you don't have love. Back in 1 Corinthians at the beginning of the chapter, there are several things that Paul says are worthless without love - speaking in tongues, gift of prophesy, all knowledge, having all faith to move mountains, giving everything to the poor and having his body burned.

Life is empty and worthless without love. Paul says anything he says without love just sounds like a clanging cymbal. You can be right about something but be wrong because you said it without love. You can be the nicest person ever, but it doesn't matter if you didn't do it with love. Everyone has a hole inside them that can't be filled with anyone or anything except God. Human beings were made to worship God and are missing the point of life if they're living for themselves. Love is what we are filled with by God and love is what we pour out on others when we are overflowing with God's Spirit. There's a constant cycle and struggle inside of me to empty me of myself and let the Spirit fill me with Him - He is where I find my love, peace and strength.

Love suffers long. I hate suffering. Suffering is not fun or easy - it's scary, depressing and difficult. Yet Jesus suffered through torture and a slow, agonizing death on the Cross for me. If I truly love someone, I will suffer for them. Love is kind. Being kind is a little easier than suffering, but in so far as I can be kind on the outside but not on the inside. Being kind is being considerate. I need to make sure my heart is right when I'm being kind. Love does not envy. Envy is coveting - this is also a matter of the heart. Am I content with what God has given me and where He has placed me? Do I wish I had what others have or am I happy for them and love them.

Love does not parade itself. I think parading is when we try to make others envy US. Do I show off what I have because I want people to want what I have or am I content with simply having what God has given me? Parading is not loving others - it is causing them to stumble. Love is not puffed up. Arrogance is not loving others - it's being important in your own eyes. It's thinking you're better than everyone else, but we are all created equal in God's eyes. As said before, love is the most important thing to have. I want to be loving in everything I do, so I'm going to write the word LOVE on my wrist as a reminder.

IBS John 15:5 (6-9-14)

Inductive Bible Study for John 15:5 (6-9-14)

"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

Earlier in this chapter, Jesus says that He is the TRUE vine. This shows that there are other "vines" that people seek fulfillment from. Jesus says that He is "the Way, the Truth and the Life". He not only knows exactly what we need, He IS exactly what we need. Also, He is not one of many things we need, He is the ONLY One we need. It's terrifying yet comforting at the same time to think that all I could ever long for is found in my Savior. But how often I try to replace Him with other people, things or desires. There can also be false "vines", or false teachers that people follow after. This is why God tells us to be wary and to test everything against what Scripture says. 

Something interesting I found is that Jesus did not say He was A vine, He said He was THE vine. He is not a way, a truth or a life - He is THE Way, THE Truth and THE Life. Jesus claims to be the only Way to the Father, and the Father agreed with this statement by blessing the works Jesus performed. There are usually two extreme views of the God of the Bible - that He is either the God of love or the God of judgement. You cannot be a good judge without loving justice and you cannot truly love without being fair and equal. God gives every person a choice - to let Him be The Lord of their lives or to continue to be their own lord of their lives. He's a Gentleman and He will not go where He is not welcomed. 

In relation to Jesus being the vine, He says that we are the branches. Branches on a tree die when they're cut off from their life source. We would have no life at all if it weren't for us being connected to Christ. We are all branches connected to Christ - we are all one in Him. We are individuals but united by our faith. I love how we are all so different - backgrounds, places we live and ways we relate - yet we function as one Body under Christ, Who is the Head. We are all important and have different roles - the eye cannot say to the hand "I don't need you". We are to assemble together like a toy you put together, not just gather together like throwing the parts of a toy in a pile. 

Abide. What does this mean? Abiding in God and God abiding in us. To abide is to exist with. Everyone's existence is only possible because of God, but that doesn't mean everyone abides in Him. Abiding in Jesus is a personal choice that each person gets to make. There's a world of difference between believing that Jesus is God and abiding in Him. Even the demons believe and tremble. God desires or us to accept what He says about us, die to ourselves and live - not only for, but also IN Him. He says that if we abide in Him we will bear much fruit. It's awesome to know that I'm not required to MAKE the fruit - that is God's job - I'm just asked to bear it. He prepared good works that we should walk in them. 

To finish this verse, Jesus says that without Him, we can do nothing. People don't sit around and do nothing all the time, so what is He talking about? I look at humanity as a mirror - broken into billions of pieces by sin. Everyone reflects God - some a little and some a lot. People can do good things but we're still broken without God. When we see that there's no hope for us to escape our sin and we ask Jesus to save us, we become whole again and can then truly do good things for God and others. So without Jesus, we can do nothing of eternal value. We can do selfish things to benefit us or even other people, but eventually it will fade away. Jesus says that the good works we do for Him will be as treasure stored up on heaven. 

Every day I have been reading in the Word and I've been discovering the magnitude of my need for God. Whenever I try to get through the day in my own strength, I end up depressed, angry, sad and/or empty. I will have a lot of weight on my shoulders if I don't give my burdens to Jesus. I get worried and anxious about my family, the future and everything else. God has been constantly reminding me that I am right where I need to be, that He is faithful and that He will take care of me. He is my comfort when I am terrified, He is my love when I have hate raging inside of me and He is my peace when I am confused and hurting. I am going to write "without Me, you can do nothing" on my hand to remind me throughout the day how much I need my Savior.

IBS Romans 8:1-2 (6-3-14)

Inductive Bible Study for Romans 8:1-2 (6-3-14)

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death."

Everyone is a sinner and is thereby condemned to die in their sins. God does not send anyone to hell - He gives us the choice to ask His forgiveness and be cleansed by the blood Jesus shed for us on the cross. So after someone repents and asks Jesus to be their Savior, this verse says the condemnation is gone. All the sins they've ever done and ever will do are paid for by Jesus. What does it mean to be IN Christ Jesus? Walking in the Spirit is contrasted with walking in the flesh. When we die to ourself, take up our cross and follow Christ, we are putting the "old man" to death. We say that it is no longer we who live, but it is now Christ who lives in us.

By asking God to be The Lord of your life, you are calling Him your Master. Galatians talks about the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Love is the first fruit and all the rest are a result of loving. For example, if you love someone, you're going to be kind, joyful and gentle. Walking in the flesh does not give us any fruit of the Spirit - we are not loving, joyful or full of peace because we are thinking only of ourselves and how we can benefit from life. There is not condemnation for even those who walk according to the flesh - however, you can't be in fellowship with the Holy Spirit when you're shoving Him out of your life.

What do you do when you feel condemned for sins after you're saved from them? If you're living in habitual sin, then you SHOULD be feeling convicted! After you've repented and been forgiven by God and those you've sinned against, it's over and done with. Our sin is as far as the east is from the west. Jesus already went through all the punishment we deserve and we are justified by His blood - just as if we'd never sinned. Should we then sin just because we know we'll be forgiven of it? Paul asks this question, and of course the answer is no! We should never sin just because grace will abound much more. God hates sin. He hates what separates us from Him. He wants us to follow Him and live a life pleasing to Him. When we fall, we need to repent, get back up and follow hard after Jesus again.

What is the difference between the law of the Spirit and the law of sin and death? The law of the Spirit is being saved by grace because of justification, whereas the law of the flesh is working to be good and never meeting those standards. The purpose of the law is to show human beings how much they fall short of the perfection of God. We would see no beauty in the cross if we didn't know our need for Christ's forgiveness. To those who feel they are righteous, they see no need for forgiveness from God. The cross is offensive because they don't believe they've done anything wrong. To those who feel they are too wicked to be forgiven, they are belittling the power of God's sacrifice to save them.

God knew before He laid the foundations of the earth that we all would be sinners and separated from Him. It is never a surprise to Him when we sin. He sent His Son so that we could have a relationship with Him. He knows that we are weak - He knows we can't do things on our own. His desire is that all should come to be saved, that He would have a personal relationship with all the people He created. I have surrendered my life to Jesus and am in the process of being sanctified - little by little He is revealing myself to me and I am allowing Him to conform me more to Him. I desire to please Him and learn from Him more each day. I read in the Bible every day, but I am going to write a few words summing up what I learned on my wrist so I can meditate on it throughout the day.

Book Report - We Would See Jesus by Roy and Revel Hession (6-2-14)

We Would See Jesus by Roy and Revel Hession (6-2-14)

God used this book to further open my eyes to see how deep His love is and how simple walking with Him can be. I used to think there was some sort of formula for how to have the best relationship with Christ. More and more though, I'm seeing that it's so easy in concept yet difficult to live out. The whole point of asking Jesus to be your Lord and Savior is to have HIM be in control of your life - not YOU. He works on all of is differently, and for the longest time, I refused to let Him work on me. I felt that my sin was more pleasurable than letting Him be my everything.

Pg 35 in this book says "The acknowledgement of need and the confession of sin, therefore, is always the first step in seeing Jesus. Then, where there is acknowledged need, the Holy Spirit delights to show to the heart The Lord Jesus as the supply of just that need." He desires to supply all our needs, and our first and greatest need is to be forgiven of our sins. Before we see this need though, we see no reason to ask Jesus for help. Everyone has a void in them that they're trying to fill - Jesus is the only One Who can fill it. Why does it seem I continually try to fill that void with everything except Him?

Pg 69 says "Even when a Christian identifies the sins that have separated him from God, he often occupies himself with the problem of how not to sin again rather than with getting back to God and to peace." This perfectly summarizes the believer's problem of trying to work for forgiveness and grace. Once we repent of sin, we should get up and humbly continue to follow the path Christ has set before us. The problem arises when we strive in our own strength to stay away from sin - we will inevitably be tempted again and fail if we're not relying on Christ. That famous verse says we can do all things - but ONLY through Christ Who strengthens us. 

I really love that all we need is Jesus. So often though, we try to add more to Him. It is supposed to be Jesus + nothing. Pg 106 says "We do not need a way to the Way. It is that little way to the Way that defeats us, and makes the real way of none effect to us because we cannot get there." We complicate things so much! All we need to do is to be submitting to God and to His view of us. When sin comes up, we repent and continue on walking with The Lord. I used to think I needed to clean myself up before I could come to Jesus, but I see now that He wants me to come to Him just as I am. I am dirty and Jesus can make me clean, but He can't clean me until I open up to Him and admit my need for Him. 

Pg 81 says "We come down from our unrepentant strivings to those dear pierced feet of His, and in a matter of moments we have entered by faith into a peace and rest of heart that has eluded us for so long. Truly, to see Jesus is to lose our burdens and to enter into satisfaction." There is nothing we can do to earn grace and we are not required to create good works. Ephesians 2:8-10 says that our works have nothing to do with our salvation and we just need to walk in the works He already prepared. This takes the burden off of us to boast in ourselves and eliminates striving. 

Pg 138 says "There never comes a time when grace ends and self has to begin again." We never have to do this on our own. Ever. I find so much comfort in this. My flesh wants to work at things myself and be able to accomplish everything. I am learning that nothing good can come from me, so why do I try to do it myself? God has His ear inclined to my mouth - waiting for me to cry out to Him for help. God's grace will never run out so my flesh never has to kick in. No matter what's going on and no matter how much I want my plans to work out - God always has a better way. He is the only One I want, and the only One I need. Everything and everyone else will fall into place when I put Jesus first. What do I want to see in my life? I want to see Jesus. 

IBS Psalm 1:4-6 (5-23-14)

Inductive Bible Study for Psalm 1:4-6 (5-23-14)

"The ungodly are not so, but are like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For The Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly will perish."

We just read about the man who delights himself in The Lord instead of in the counsel of the ungodly. This man is blessed, he produces good fruit and everything he does prospers. We're going to look at the way of the ungodly, and then the consequences of the different ways people live. One of the characteristics of the godly man was that he was like a tree, planted near water. In contrast, this ungodly man is like chaff which the wind drives away. 

I've heard it said "You should have an open mind". While this is true to some extent, if you are completely open minded you will be swayed by anything, just like chaff in the wind. What are we keeping our minds open to? Everyone is searching for truth, right? So what is truth? I used to think truth was subjective to how I wanted it to be. This is not the case. If everyone got to say their own definition of truth then there would be no truth because there would be opposing views. For example - some people say that lying is wrong, while some people say that lying is fine. They can't both be true - one is true and one is false.

Who determines truth if everyone's view of truth is different? I used to not like this answer, but that doesn't matter - the only One Who can objectively determine truth is God. His view never changes, regardless of circumstances, time or events. He knows everything and He is the same - yesterday, today and tomorrow. While people may not agree with Him and His standards, He is the final judge. I used to not like His commands because I disobeyed them - I've lied, stolen, hated, dishonored my parents, lusted, taken God's Name in vain and put things and people in the place of God. I hated that I couldn't meet His standard of perfection, so I ignored it.

I saw in Romans 6:23 that what I deserved for my sins was death and eternal separation from God. He can't be in the presence of sin, but He knew we couldn't measure up. The next part of that verse says that God gave us the free gift of eternal life. Awesome! So I have a free gift from God and can now go to heaven. Before this though, it says it's only through Jesus. This means I have to lay down my rights and let God be the ruler of my life. I am a very prideful person and this is a daily struggle for me - to give my plans, dreams and desires to Him and let Him have His way in me.

So we see from Psalm 1:5 that the ungodly won't stand in the judgement, and the sinners won't be in the congregation of the righteous. Romans 3:23 says "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory or God". What does this verse mean then? Everyone's a sinner - how then will ANYONE be righteous? As previously said, God knew we could never be righteous on our own. That's why He sent His perfect Son, Jesus Christ, to bear all our sins and offer His righteousness to us. These righteous and godly people we read about then are those who have accepted God's free gift of salvation.

Something very important to remember is that there's nothing anyone can do to earn righteousness or grace. We, as human beings, are constantly striving to be "good". The fact is that we literally CAN NOT BE GOOD. We are all evil at heart - even Adam and Eve, made perfect in the Garden of Eden chose to rebel against God. How much more are we rebellious against God, being born sinful? So why will the way of the ungodly perish? Why does God know the way of the righteous? 

Perishing is being eternally separated from God - which is what happens when a person lives how they want to live and refuses to accept Jesus' gift of salvation. God does not send people to hell. He is a Gentleman and will not go where He's not welcome. When people die and their soul goes to hell, it is because God can't be near sin and these people would not welcome Jesus into their hearts. Why would someone want to go to heaven (where we will worship God for eternity), if they never loved God or lived for Him? How does God know the way of the righteous? These righteous people have made the choice to live for Him, so He will know their ways.

So now what? What questions can I ask myself after studying these verses? First is - am I blown around by every wind of doctrine, or am I firmly planted like a tree? The answer is the second - I am reading God's Word every day, spending time in prayer and waiting on Him. Second question is - does The Lord know my way? Are my ways honoring to Him? All my ways cannot be honoring to Him all the time because I am a wretched sinner, but I ask Him to search my heart and reveal sin to me so that I can repent and be honoring in His sight. Last question is - with the knowledge of all ungodly people not being allowed in God's presence, am I sharing with them the Good News that can change their eternity? 

This will be my application. It's nice that I know what these verses mean, but there's no profit if I'm not living what I read. I am going to make an effort to ask people if they know Jesus. I've asked a few kids at Kid's Club, but I want to dig deeper in my conversations with people when I talk to them. If I truly love someone, I will share with them the greatest news they could ever receive - that God became a Man, took the punishment for their sins by dying on the Cross and they can receive His free gift of salvation if they just ask. 

IBS Psalm 1:3 (5-16-14)

Inductive Bible Study for Psalm 1:3 (5-16-13)

"He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."

This verse is talking about the man in the previous and following verses. This man who delights himself in the Lord instead of in the counsel of the ungodly will be blessed. He meditates day and night on God's Law instead of surrounding himself with bad influences. He isn't promised success in the world's eyes - which is popularity, riches and happiness. But he is promised success in the view of eternity - which is joy, hope and peace, and that God will never leave him nor forsake him. 

A tree planted by a river. This means the tree has a constant flow of nutrients and water to sustain it and keep it strong. Rivers nearly always have an abundance of plant life in and around the bank, so the tree will be able to grow its roots deep into the ground. A man grounded in God's Word will not be swayed easily. He, like the tree, has his roots deep in what is most important. He is not on the rocks, searching for a place to take root. He is not out in the desert, yearning for hydration and food. He is connected to the Source of Eternal Life - Jesus Christ. 

Brings forth fruit in its season. There are a lot of verses in the Bible that talk about trees bearing fruit. If a tree is good, it bears good fruit - but if a tree is bad, it bears bad fruit or no fruit at all. These relate the type of fruit with the works we do. James 2:26 says "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." If you say you have believed on Christ, are cleansed of your sins and have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of you - then your life should show this. Not only should your life be a testimony of Who you're living for, but you should WANT to share with everyone why you have joy, peace and love. 

I used to think that I had to do good things in order to be saved - if I could just do enough good things, God would let me into heaven. This is a lie. The Bible says that EVERYONE is a sinner and therefore can't be in God's presence because He can't be near sin. God knew we wouldn't be able to measure up to His standard of perfection, so He sent His only Son to die for the sins of the world. He gave His life so we could be with Him, all He asks in return is that we die to ourselves, take up our Cross and follow Him.

So we don't have to DO anything to be saved - why then do we need to do good works? Ephesians 2:8-10 says "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." These verses clearly say that we are saved only because of what God has done for us, and we only made the decision to follow Him. Salvation has nothing to do with works - it's after the fact that our lives should start to conform to Christ's. 

We are commanded to love The Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves. If we are doing these things, not only will we be automatically be keeping the 10 Commandments (if we love God then we won't take His Name in vain, if we love our neighbor we won't steal from or lie to them, etc.), but we'll also be doing good works (if we love God then we'll tell others about Him, if we love our neighbor then we'll help them in their time of need, etc.). 

His leaf shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper. Remember that we are not promised a perfect life, but we are promised that God will never leave us. Will our living conditions wither? Maybe, maybe not. Will we be rich and prosperous in terms of our possessions? Maybe, maybe not. This verse is speaking of our spiritual lives - when we're in the Word and in fellowship, our spirit won't wither because God will be the One sustaining us. We can't grow if we're depending on our own strength to get us through life. 

Just yesterday, I didn't make enough time to do my devotions and spend time with The Lord in the morning - so I relied on my strength to get me through the day. I know that anything I do turns out to be garbage unless I rely on God. He is perfect, I am a sinner. Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me." I may be able to accomplish some things on my own - but they won't be of any eternal value. I can do ALL things, but ONLY through Christ.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says that in our weakness we are strong. It's a paradox, but it's true. We can only take on Christ's strength when we become empty of ourselves and realize we can do nothing without Him.  Ministry here in Kenya requires a lot of strength and endurance - we get tired, cranky and sick, but God says He will help us get through it if we ask Him. I desire to live each day in His strength instead of my own.