Step outside yourself for a bigger picture

As Christians it is easy to get stuck in thinking of God from our own personal perspectives; I mean that It is easy to get stuck within the kingdom of self because we experience every day from the vantage point of ourselves. That is why I want to turn you on to the humbling experience of empathy, or the ability to mentally put yourself in their shoes. It can work wonders for your ability to feel compassion even for those who persecute you and it can have a humbling effect.

What I want to share with you is that humbling effect that can be born of empathy. I want you to imagine yourself or think back on a time you prayed and asked God for an answer to something and then received that answer in a sermon the following Sunday worship service. You were probably sitting in that pew listening intently to what the pastor had to say or, we've all been there, started to drift off in your head or to sleep. All of a sudden, you snap to attention, the hairs on your back stand up and it occurs to you that God just answered your prayer through the preacher. You're now pumped up, praise God, Hallelujah, it is a fantastic feeling isn't it? When you know God is answering your prayers! It has happened to me quite a few times, but that is not the most amazing revelation. When we hear that answer we think "Praise God, He is listening!" But what is really going to bake your noodle later on is when you realize that you're not the only one He's talking to...

Imagine yourself in this situation, you're in church, you just heard the answer to your prayer but then before you celebrate and glorify God imagine that what just happened to you may have already happened to someone else earlier in the sermon. Look around and picture light bulbs turning on over the heads of the congregation and then give glory to God. Step out of your own limited perspective and worship God from the vantage point of your whole congregation! Remember that God isn't your own personal God, He is a global God, THE ONLY God! Then you look over the congregation and you begin to see how He is speaking to everyone, answering everyone's prayers. When I prayed and would ask God things and have them answered in sermons I would think to myself "Wow, that sermon was just for me." It never occurred to me that that sermon could have had the girl next to me or the elderly man in front of me saying the exact same thing. This thought didn't pop into my head until I accepted God as a global God, a universal God, who conducts His work on a grand Godlike scale. Sure I praised God for those moments when He answered me but you better believe I praised Him all the more passionately when I started to see how God is working around me, even without my knowing, in the personal lives of our brothers in sisters in Christ, who we see every Sunday!

This weekend when you're in church just think about that as your listening to the sermon and worshiping. Think about God on a grander scale than as your own personal God and then if you've ever wondered why that pastor is up there in front of all those people preaching every week, that is your answer. He is at work all the time, around you, around those who are around you, and around those who aren't around you. God bless you all!


If you haven't yet peeked at the site I am working on then give it a look, click here.

A Prayer From the Book of Hebrews

Drawing near to the close of my Hebrews study I'd like to share with you a prayer from today's chapter. It depicts the path of righteousness as a race towards Jesus with rough patches along the way where our hands begin to droop and our knees become weak and that we need the endurance to proceed. I hope you enjoy this prayer and I encourage you to do a study on Hebrews. There is a free study guide over at Executable Outlines. 

Also, if you have not yet had a peek at the website I have been working on then I would appreciate it if you would give it a look and let me know what you think. It may very well become the new home of this blog as soon as I can work out some kinks. It can be difficult jumping in the deep end with web development but I've already learned a lot. Click Here to check out the website. Lord willing, all will go smoothly, according to His will and within His purposed time frame. God bless you all.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I pray that, like the Old Testament saints,

we lay aside every weight,

and sin which clings so closely,

and let us run with endurance the 

race that is set before us,

looking to Jesus,

the founder and perfecter of our faith.

- Hebrews 12:1-2

Lord, Help us to consider Him who

endured from sinners such hostility

against Himself,

so that we may not grow

weary or fainthearted.

For in our struggle against sin

we have not yet resisted to the point

of shedding our blood.

- Hebrews 12:3-4

Lord, give us strength and endurance.

That we may lift our drooping hands

and strengthen our weak knees,

and make straight paths for our feet,

so that what is lame may not be

put out of joint but rather be healed.

Help us to strive for peace with everyone,

and for the holiness without which

no one will see the Lord.

- Hebrews 12:12-14

In the name of Jesus

I pray,

Amen.

Focusing on God's desires

I love Francis Chan, he is a fantastic preacher and really knows how to engage listeners. If I can learn to write half as well as he can speak then I think I'll be doing okay in the blogging category.

I'm almost done with my Hebrews study and I am preparing to start the 12-week Experiencing God study offered through Blackaby Ministries. My mother used to lead the study for adult and youth classes and she highly recommended it to me. She has all the workbooks and even the NKJV Study Bible they released with it (I've actually grown kind of fond of it) which they don't appear to sell anymore. You're welcome to join me!

Lately, I haven't felt inspired about any particular topics to share with you and that has resulted in a slow down in releasing new posts. I have to have inspiration in order to write effectively and that usually comes when I begin to feel solidified in a subject. I'm still studying and diligently seeking the Lord and whatever He inspires me to share with people, I share! However if I force content then I feel like I'm not glorifying God. Sometimes I feel like I want to write something but that would satisfy and glorify my own desires as opposed to what God desires. That is why I wait all the day long for the Lord to inspire me, fill me with passion, and help me to flow words together according to what God desires. That is what I pray for when I write these posts! God bless you all.

Bible Study Notes Free Printable PDF

I have put together a Bible Study Note PDF that you may download, print and share. My goal was to seek out an alternative to an unused Bible Study Journal book I found which is no longer in print, I forget the name of it off the top of my head but I really liked the idea of keeping a Study journal/notebook and figured the easiest way to do that is through a printable PDF. I searched around and couldn't really find any free alternatives so I decided to make my own. I'd like to share this PDF with you, that it might prove useful in your own studies. Perhaps, with a little constructive feedback, I may be able to improve upon the design and eventually add more options.

Click Here for The Bible and The Beard printable study notes PDF!

There is a little Psalm 25:4-5 prayer in a light gray color so that it can be written over in pen, it is in the main notation area. The Date box is the same way. Underneath the main notation box is an area for jotting down cross references or questions you may have that you wish to look into; you could put anything in that section. I tried to keep it aesthetically pleasing whilst maintaining functionality. All you need to do is print, hole-punch, put in a binder and get to studying. I made two identical pages for easy 2-sided printing if your printer allows it.

*TIP* If you don't have a printer with 2-sided print capabilities then just print on one side flip the page, put it back in the feeder and print on the other side.

Let me know what you think about it in the comments or on Google+. Use or share it as you see fit so long as you do not charge money for it. I pray this will help people who may be just starting out in their studies or their reading plans. You could print them as you follow a reading plan and take notes as you go! Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God and remember to seek Him diligently. God bless you in your studies, may He shew unto you His paths, teach you His ways and reveal to you His truths (Psalm 25:4-5)!

6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who [diligently*] seek him. - Hebrews 11:6

*ESV doesn't use the word diligently here but some other translations do.

Temptations to Sin

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 'where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'" - Mark 9:42-48

Many books have been written about the temptations of sin and its implication on the children of God, often with particular attention placed on damnation. Let's focus on this particular passage in the book of Mark and its life application today. I remember reading this passage quite literally at one time. Now, I'm sure if we took account of each of our sins and severed accordingly then we would all be in little bits. Fortunately for us there is indeed a less morbid application of this passage but that is not to devalue the serious nature of the passage considering the manner in which it is dictated.

This is an extremely serious passage when we really consider what Jesus is telling us to do. Today, if you attempted anything like that you would be heavily medicated and institutionalized. How then can we apply this passage in our own lives? We look at temptation in the world today and it is on your tv, in your phone, in your laptop, and even within the confines of your own mind. Living the Christian life means obedience and life likened unto the perfection of Christ, a perfection we will never achieve but for which we can strive. I find this particular passage in Mark to be extremely helpful in following the narrow path (Matthew 7:13-14); it is extremely helpful in that I apply it in my own life. Whenever I feel I am being led into temptation whether by people or by technology there is always a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13) and Jesus tells us exactly what we can do to get out in Mark 9:42-48!

We cut it off, sever the ties, and burn the bridges of temptation. A common phrase that comes to mind: 'out of sight out of mind.' Think about what it is that is tempting you into the sins you are engaging in and try to cut it off at the source. If that means a guy or a girl who is pulling you into sexual immorality it's time to cut ties and let him or her go, I've had to do this before too and it is not always easy. There is usually some way to cut off these "limbs" that are causing us to sin. We are directly connected to these avenues of temptation spiritually and Jesus is saying it is better to cut it off than to be sent into the fire. We can make our Christian life so much easier on ourselves if we can find ways in which we can stay above reproach. I've uninstalled apps from my phone and closed accounts on social networking sites, that were all tempting me to stray, in order to stay above reproach. For this to be effective you have to think creatively and take inventory of your sins and where they are stirred from. Then you can search for ways to cut them off.

Sins that aren't so simple can be battled spiritually through prayer and fasting. There are many resources out there on this type of defense against temptation including articles, books, sermons etc. A simple search will yield many results and before you begin searching say a little prayer to yourself asking the Lord for guidance. You can check out John Eckhardt's powerful prayer books for great scripture based prayers of deliverance and many other kinds of prayer.

The other temptations can stem directly from the mind. This is a topic that is extremely important for Christians to come to know and understand. I could not even begin to explain this type of battle, 2 Corinthians 10:5 comes to mind, so I will leave that to those more qualified; check out Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer. The biggest thing we can do is pray and the easiest thing we can do is to have the courage to cut ties. Remember that we are to be imitators of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1) and do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31); keep these 2 verses in mind and continue to diligently seek the Lord (Hebrews 11:6). He will be with you every step of the way (Joshua 1:9)(Matthew 28:20)(Deuteronomy 31:6) for He is the God of our salvation (John 3:16)(Romans 6:23)(Psalm 62:7)(Psalm 33:20).

If you think someone could benefit from this post then by all means share it. If you have any suggestions or examples of how you cut ties with sin then feel free to share them in the comments. I love to read testimonies!

Heard but not listened

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.    - Hebrews 4:1-2

What Hebrews is trying to say in chapter 4 is making a correlation between the God's chosen people in the Old Testament and the Jews post-Christ, Anno Domini; when Israel was brought up out of Egypt by Moses they were a very stiff-necked people. They were rebellious and each time the Lord fostered His anger and showed them His power they would be awe-struck but they would sink right back into the same rut. All throughout the book of Numbers, it seemed every other passage, they were grumbling, complaining and rebelling against the Lord and each time they would hear but they would not listen. The Lord's anger was kindled against them and not even Moses made it into the promised land (Numbers 20:12) because he disobeyed.

The reality of the matter is that we are a stiff-necked people. We hear but we do not listen and the author of Hebrews is showing us the reality of the supremacy of Christ with His salvation and the New Covenant right alongside the despair of disobedience. I love Hebrews because it is chock-full of things we need to hear, and to listen, about our salvation. Hebrews 4:1-2 sings to the tune of surface Christianity, that is that many claim the title but do not walk the path (Matthew 7:13). Contextually it seems to be speaking to those Jews who have heard the good news but are not taking the good news of Christ to heart, we are often the same way. When we get right down into the essence of the book of Hebrews we then need to start asking ourselves, Have we truly accepted Christ in our Hearts? If so then how are we living each day likened unto Him with Him as our supreme example? He is the exact imprint of the very nature of God (Hebrews 1:3). Exactly the being each of us is to strive to be! He knows we are sinners to the very core (Jeremiah 17:9) but He expects us to search for and keep near to Him; to hold fast to our confession (Hebrews 4:14) so that we can approach the throne of God with confidence (Hebrews 4:15)! The book of Hebrews really speaks to those who believe in Jesus Christ but who aren't yet developing that relationship with Him out of true acceptance of His salvation.

I exhort my brothers and sisters in Christ to do as in Hebrews 3:13 and, if you haven't already, to begin fostering that extremely important personal relationship with God. Don't just hear the word of God but listen to it! I thank everyone who reads my blog and if you are moved by any of these posts, feel free to share them among your friends and family and to spread His good news to the ends of the earth (Psalm 19:4) (Psalm 22:27). If you'd like to dive deeper into Hebrews then look up the Inductive Bible study method from Precept Ministries. Also check out Executable Outlines for the Hebrews study guide I am doing right now (you will need a PDF reader, I recommend Foxit).

Mother Dying of Cancer Gives a Godly, Life Changing Final Speech

This woman has achieved a far greater strength of faith than I've ever seen publicly demonstrated by anyone especially in light of the grim circumstances by which she was encumbered. It's powerful to see ministry from this perspective. The biggest wake up, as you're asking yourself "why her?", is when she realized that God didn't even spare Jesus from His suffering, and He was perfect (Hebrews 1:3). The reality of the matter is rooted in deep theology, a surface of which I haven't even begun to scratch within the confines of my mind. At first glance the speech seems downright depressing but I somehow felt so much better after finishing it. She has been blessed to seize the opportunity to minister from this platform, God rest her beautiful soul!

"Rachel Barkey (nee Sawer) went home to her Lord on July 2, 2009 at 37 years of age." - Her website: www.deathisnotdying.com

Could you imagine the state of disconsolation in reconciling yourself to the reality of impending death but ultimately resting your weary head on the shoulder of Jesus Christ; taking comfort in His salvation as He wipes the tears from your eyes and accepts you? The thought is enough to bring any empathetic Christian to tears. I could only hope that I could be strong enough to serve Him even unto death.