BIBLE STUDY WEEK 3 7/30/13

A STUDY ON EXPERIENCE OF A FRESH EXPLOSION OF FAITH

(By Beth Moore)  "A Taste of Believing God"

This is Chapter III

 

 

I Am Who God Says I Am:

 

 

For years I have been taught that the book of Ephesians gives us the profession of a Christian. I am who God says I am!

 

 

I am blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly place in Christ (Eph. 1:3)

I am chosen by You, my Father (Eph. 1:4)

I am holy and without blame (Eph. 1:4)

I am Your child according to the good pleasure of Your will (Eph. 1:5)

I am excepted in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6)

I am redeemed through the blood of Jesus (Eph. 1:7)

I am a person of wisdom and prudence (Eph. 1:8)

I am an heir (Eph. 1:11)

I have the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ (Eph. 1:17)

I am saved by Your grace (Eph. 2:5)

I am seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6)

I am Your workmanship (Eph. 2:10)

I am near to You by the blood of Christ (Eph. 2:13)

 (Eph. 2:13)

I am a new creation (Eph. 2:15)

I am of Your household (Eph. 2:19)

I am strengthen with might by Your Spirit (Eph. 3:16)

I allow Christ to dwell in my heart by faith (Eph. 3:17)

I am rooted and grounded in love (Eph. 3:17)

I speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15)

I am renewed in the spirit of my mind (Eph. 4:23)

I am Your follower (Eph. 5:1)

I walk in love (Eph. 5:2)

I am light in You (Eph. 5:8)

I walk circumspectly (Eph. 5:15)

I am filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18)

 

 

 

That is just a few to mention.  How can we let Christ dwell in our hearts?  I see here that it's by faith that we allow things to happen in our lives.  Beth speaks of that faith.  This faith is a taste of believing and taking God at His Word.  We are who God says we are, and we can do what God's Word says we can do.   We as individual Christian have to believe that!  I have read the Ephesians' Declaration for months during my devotional time. I read it every morning for months, so I could get it in my spirit. When I feel like the enemy is trying to make me believe God don't care or God is angry with me, or even my faith has weaken, then I read this over and over again each morning while I do my devotion.  It's a blessing!   Beth says, "Believing I am who God says I am necessitates choosing what God says over what I feel. Glory to God!  When I was young and foolish, I always worried about what people thought of me, always. That play a negative part in my life for years. I start to feel what others thought about me was true until God revealed this to me. I am what God says I am!  Not what people say I am. What a different that made in my life. Listen to what Beth says here, "If I'm really serious about believing God, I have to believe God about me."  Let's look at this on page 31, "So, who does God say we are? Who are you in Him? If we've received Jesus as our personal Savior, the sum of our identity is found in First John 3:1: "Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God's children." And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn't know Him. Amen!

 

 

1 John 3:1: (KJV)

 

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not."

 

I love the KJV, because it speaks to my spirit-man more than others versions do.  I want to read a couple of other versions, ok.

 

 

1 John 3:1 (NASB)

 

"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him."

 

 

1 John 3:1 (AMP)

"See what [^[a]an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him."

 

I almost took out the parentheses, but then they really explain the statement more, (recognize, acknowledge).

  

And one more;

 

1 John 3:1 (WYC)

"See ye what manner charity the Father gave to us, that we be named the sons of God, and be his sons. For this thing the world knew not us, for it knew not him [For this thing the world knoweth not us, for it knoweth not him]. 

 

I want to explore the explorer Joshua a little.  She mentions him concerning something I never would have noticed now. I believe in my studies of the bible I have known this, but it's good to explore again. Joshua's old name was Hoshea which means "deliverer" while Joshua means "Jehovah delivers." She went on to say, "If I were chosen by God to lead a grasshopper people into a land of giant opposition, I'd want to know He, not me, was the true Deliverer.  I'd like to suggest that Joshua not only needed to know who he was but he also needed to know who he wasn't" That is so true!  "He wasn't God, neither are we!"

 

 

At the end of chapter three, she talks about Simon Peter. "Peter believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, just as Abraham.  Sometimes the hardest biblical truths to accept are about us.  Believe you are who God says you are and fathom the double blessing of God crediting it to you as righteousness. I know that is easy said, then done. But pray to the Father for support and help through His Holy Spirit.

 

 

Prayer:

Father, You are wisdom personified.  Please forgive me for my short coming, for the times I have failed to believe Your Word about me because I look away from it. Pride lured me into thinking I could handle situations over my head and my thinking, instead of choosing to believe Your Word and listening to You. I choose to think that I am who You say I am. I long for wisdom, Lord, that I might reflect Your true character, and live my life as the person You say I am, in Jesus' name I pray, amen.

 

 

 

Questions:

1.   Who does God say we are?

2.   Why did Christ pray specifically for Simon Peter's faith not to fail?

3.   Name a few truths Beth mentioned about us.

BIBLE STUDY: WEEK 2 (7/23/13

 

A STUDY ON EXPERIENCE OF A FRESH EXPLOSION OF FAITH
(By Beth Moore)  "A Taste of Believing God"

 

This is Chapter II

God can do what He says He can do:

The past few years that I have been a Christian has really convinced me that God can do what He says He can do, and my faith in Him has blessed me because He has answer my prayers continuously, He has kept this nation from going under, because of the few faithful ones that are praying; He has allowed us to see Him move on our behalf. God can do what He says He can do, and that is a true fact; let's look at what Beth has to say about that on page eighteen.
In the first paragraph I like what she says, "Most biblical tiles for God inseparably connect who He is to what He can do. For instance: as Savior, He saves; as Deliverer, He delivers; as Redeemer, He redeems; as Master, He assumes authority; as Bread of life, He provides; and as Almighty, He exerts divine strength. In short, God can do what He says He can precisely because He is who He says He is.  That blessed my heart! 
 

I wanted to understand these words (cessationism and sensationalism).  My computer didn't recognize the word cessationism.   I looked it up and this is what it says, "In Christian theology, Cessationism is the view that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues, prophetic utterances and faith healing, ceased being practiced early in Christian Church history. Cessationists gene rally believe that the miraculous gifts were provided only for the foundation of the Christian Church during the time between the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, c. 33 AD, as described in the 2nd Chapter of Acts, and the fulfillment of God's purposes in history, usually identified as either the completion of the last book of the New Testament (Book of Revelation), or the death of John the Apostle, the last of the Twelve Apostles. The counterpart to Cessationaism is Continuationism which teaches that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit have remained available for use by the church ever since Pentecost. Disputes over Cessationism versus Continuationism have since led to denominational schisms within the Church."   Then I looked up the word sensationalism, and it says this "Sensationalism is a type of editorial bias in mass media in which events and topics in news stories and pieces are over-hyped to increase viewership or readership numbers. Sensationalism may include reporting about generally insignificant matters and events that don't influence overall society and biased presentations of newsworthy topics in a sensationalist, trivial or tabloid manner.
Some tactics include being deliberately obtuse, appealing to emotions being  controversial, intentionally omitting facts and information being loud, self-centered and acting to obtain attention.  Trivial information and events are sometimes misrepresented and exaggerated as important or significant, and often includes stories about the actions of individuals and small groups of people, the content of which is often insignificant and irrelevant relative to the macro-level day-to-day events that occur globally. Furthermore, the content and subject matter typically doesn't affect the lives of the masse and doesn't affect society, and instead is broadcast and printed to attract viewers and readers.
   
 I am going to read more now; As I read more I saw where she said that, "Sensationalism suggests that everything possible is also probable, while cessationism accepts only the presently probable as the presently possible.   Either extreme is wildly offensive to God!"  I felt she would say that after reading this far.  Ok, listen to this, "perhaps the most serious offense of sensationalism is its overwhelming tendency to be man-centered rather than God-centered, prioritizing what God can do over who He is."  Well said, Beth!

This is a good little book!  Beth gives us some scriptures in this chapter, and I want to explore them now.  Let's look at them now.  Start with………………..

Matthew 16:4:    "Wicked and adulterous generation."
If the modern body of Christ is set on cessationism or sensationalism, our choice is whether we'd rather be an unbelieving and perverse generation or a wicked and adulterous one. Both options share a commonality; Experience over faith is their underlying problem.  Sensationalism seeks an experience, and cessationism believes only what it personally sees and experience. 

As said earlier, either extreme is wildly offensive to God.  She also shared these scriptures too………

Hebrews 11:6: " But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

Daniel 3:17: "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king."

Mark 9:23:  "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth"

Luke 1:37: " For with God nothing shall be impossible."
James 4:2: "Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not."

Matthew 9:29: "Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you."

I really enjoyed what she said on page 21; Beloved, God is "Wonderful" (Isaiah 9:6). In fact remove the wonders from God, and you can no longer call Him wonderful, AMEN! The wonderful factor of God still exists!  We must believe Him, not just believe in Him.
If I've missed sharing some good points, please feel free to share anything you get after you have read the scriptures, or the book. Thanks.

This was a good point for me on page 23 second paragraph, "Please don't misunderstand that believing God only involves believing Him for dramatic miracles. If we don't include believing Him for the miraculous, however, can you imagine the tragedy of all we could miss?"    Read on page 25 through 27, which raps up chapter II for us.   This is so important for us to remember, "We are surrounded by a dying and depraved world, mounting violence and the threat of mass destruction, disease, plague, enticing false religion, and a surging fury of satanic assault and seduction."  Those really describe our world today!   We are desperate for the wonders and miracles of God. We need Him to show His mighty arm and tell the world that He is alive, active, and very much with us.  I love that statement!  Then she ends it by saying this, "Believe that God can, Beloved. He is still in the miracle business."   I don't know about you, but I have really enjoyed this little book!  See you in chapter III

QUESTION:

1.   How do you know God can do what He says He can?
2.   What kind of Christian do you want to be?
3.   Will  you share a miracle with us today

BIBLE STUDY: WEEK 1 (7/16/13)

 

A STUDY ON EXPERIENCE OF A FRESH EXPLOSION OF FAITH

(By Beth Moore)  "A Taste of Believing God"

 

This is Chapter I

 

 God is who He says He is.
 
In chapter (1) "God is Who He says He is"  shed some light on my faith, because if God is who he says he is, then we are who He says we are, and we can have
whatsoever we say according to His Word.
 
 Scriptures:
 
  I read (Gen. 15:7; 17:1-2, Ex. 3:6-8; 3:14; 6:6, 8).  This is on page 9-10.  Knowing is so important. 
 
I have learned and still learning each day to put my trust in Him through knowing Him and Who He is in my life. That is why we must have a personal relationship with Jesus. "Know that the Lord is God"   I had to know in my knower that God was Who He said He was, I had to believe Him for myself, I had to change my percept  on Who God was in my life.
 
"Your Perception of God Controls Your Life"
 
 I enjoyed this chapter reading.  She talked about the patriarchs Abram and Moses, (Geneses 15:7, 17:1-2; Exodus 3:6-8, 3:14, 6:6,8). God constantly kept His identity and subsequent ability fresh in their minds. He kept reminding them of Who He was. "I am the Lord" Knowing that God is who he say He is, He is YHWH, our covenant Maker, He is Elohiym, The God over all creation.  In other words, you and I have got to know, not just hope or think that the One who cut covenant with us through the torn flesh of Jesus Christ is the same One who sits upon the universe's throne, having spoken the worlds into existence.  Surrounded by a society that spouts many gods but at best nobly agrees to equate them, you and I can know that the Lord is God.  Question, Why is this important?  Christ was concern about His disciples knowing Who He was; In Caesaria Philippi, Christ gathered His disciples around Him and asked them two vital questions that beg answers from us as well,  First, Christ asked, "Who do people say the Son of Man is? (Matthew 16:13).  Christ knew the potential power of popular opinion.  This is a good book!  Who we believe God is greatly affects our eternal destinies!  We must beware of recreating an image of God that makes us feel better. That's for sure; If in our pursuit of greater knowledge God seems to have gotten smaller, we are deceived.  Wow!  We must be careful. 
 
Then there is one more question, "Who do you say I am?  (Matthew 16:15-20)
" He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ."
As we consider God as Whom He says He is, we're wise to ask ourselves the question: Who do I say God is?  Many people and factors can influence who we've come to believe God is: That is so true, Beth!
 
In her last statement in Chapter one, Beth says this, Beloved, God invites us to participate in kingdom authority under the rule of His righteous will.  He extends staggering power to those willing to think with the mind of Christ rather than the mind of man.  God will also empower His children to bind untold evils and strongholds if we'd believe Him and cooperate with Him.  Where does this kind of existence begin?  With biblical answers to the pivotal question, "Who do you say that I am?"  God is looking for stewards willing to bind their own unbelief in the mighty name of Jesus and loose a fresh anointing of faith.
 
Questions:

1.  What your perception on God?
2.  What was revealed to Peter?
3.  What is revealed to you?

BIBLE STUDY: INTRODUCTION

A STUDY ON EXPERIENCE OF A FRESH EXPLOSION OF FAITH
(By Beth Moore)  "A Taste of Believing God"
 
 

 

Introduction:

My first question was "What is Faith?"

 

Hebrews 11:1
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
In her introduction, Beth said, "God spoke to her heart and said, "You believe in Me, Beth. Now I want you to "believe me." That is faith to me!

Let's Pray:  "Father God, we come to You in praise and worship to You.  Father, in the name of Jesus, we approach the throne of grace boldly and confidently. May the Word of God come forth accurately and in love during our study? We ask You to anoint each person that participate with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of this study, so each can share what You give them through Your Holy Spirit.  We pray that as we study, we will have ears to hear the wisdom and inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Let's start with that, because that statement was a blessing to my heart!  You know, this is how God speaks to us; well, I know He speak to me that way.  I could just hear Him.  Once upon a time I was hanging out clothes where I was living with an elderly woman who had a dryer, but wouldn't let me use it; I was out there hanging out those clothes just complaining away.  I heard God say in my spirit, "Claudia, you asked me to send you to a far-away country to help the, needed, but you are complaining about hanging out clothes because she has a dryer, and want let you use it."  How can you go to those far-away countries, and live among them the way they live and can't even hang out clothes on a line?  I was so shock!  You may say, why did you say that?  I just heard it that way. A true statement.  Listen to it again, "You believe In Me, Beth. Now I want you to "believe me!"  
Yes, we all believe in God, even the devil believes in God, amen.  That is what Jesus told his disciples. I enjoyed reading the introduction.   When I read it I was thinking about faith, "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" Also its weapon for us to use as in Ephesians 6………………..

Shield Faith What we see are Satan's attacks in the form of insults, setbacks and temptations.  But the shield of faith protects us from Satan's fiery darts.  With God's perspective, we can see beyond our circumstances and know that ultimate victory is ours.  Glory to God!  Let's examine FAITH.

What is the different between faith and believing?

Faith: Noun  (notice this)
1.    Complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
2.    Strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.

Believing: Verb (notice this)
1.    Accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of: "the superintendent believed Lancaster's story".
2.    Accept the statement of (someone) as true.

In Beth's introduction, she talk about faith is the way believers jump on board with God and participate in countless wonderful things He has a mind to do. Faith happens when believers believe.  She challenges us to grow in faith as quoted from Apostle Paul.  As we study this book we will find the five-step as follow……….

1. God is Who He says He is
2. God can Do What He says He can do
3. I Am Who God says I Am
4. I Can do all Things Through Christ
5. God's Word Is Alive And Active In Me

 

A STUDY ON BETH MOORE'S BOOK

A STUDY ON EXPERIENCE OF A FRESH EXPLOSION OF FAITH

(By Beth Moore)  “A Taste of Believing God”

My first question was “What is Faith?”

Hebrews 11:1

Introduction/Chapter I

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

n her introduction, Beth said, “God spoke to her heart and said, “You believe in Me, Beth. Now I want you to “believe me.” That is faith to me!

Let’s Pray:  “Father God, we come to you in praise and worship to you.  Father, in the name of Jesus, we approach the throne of grace boldly and confidently. May the Word of God come forth accurately and in love during our study? We ask You to anoint each person that participate with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of this study, so each can share what You give them through Your Holy Spirit.  We pray that as we study, we will have ears to hear the wisdom and inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Let’s start with that, because that statement was a blessing to my heart!  You know, this is how God speaks to us; well, I know He speak to me that way.  I could just hear Him.  Once upon a time I was hanging out clothes where I was living with an elderly woman who had a dryer, but wouldn’t let me use it; I was out there hanging out those clothes just complaining away.  I heard God say in my spirit, “Claudia, you asked me to send you to a far-away country to help the, needed, but you are complaining about hanging out clothes because she has a dryer, and want let you use it.”  How can you go to those far-away countries, and live among them the way they live and can’t even hang out clothes on a line?  I was so shock!  You may say, why did you say that?  I just heard it that way. A true statement.  Listen to it again, “You believe In Me, Beth. Now I want you to “believe me!”  

Yes, we all believe in God, even the devil believes in God, amen.  That is what Jesus told his disciples. I enjoyed reading the introduction.   When I read it I was thinking about faith, “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” Also its weapon for us to use as in Ephesians 6………………..

Shield   Faith      What we see are Satan's attacks in the form of insults, setbacks and temptations.  But the shield of faith protects us from Satan's fiery darts.  With God's perspective, we can see beyond our circumstances and know that ultimate victory is ours.  Glory to God!  Let’s examine FAITH.

What is the different between faith and believing?

Faith: Noun (notice this)

1. Complete trust or confidence in someone or something.

2. Strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof

Believing: Verb (notice this)

1. Accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of: "the superintendent believed Lancaster's story".

2. Accept the statement of (someone) as true.

In Beth’s introduction, she talk about faith is the way believers jump on board with God and participate in countless wonderful things He has a mind to do. Faith happens when believers believe.  She challenges us to grow in faith as quoted from Apostle Paul.  As we study this book we will find the five-step as follow……….

1. God is Who He says He is
2. God can Do What He says He can do
3. I Am Who God say I Am
4. I Can do all Things Through Christ
5. God’s Word Is Alive And Active In Me