Standing on God's Word: August 2019

Saturday, August 17, 2019

LET'S REMEMBER

Remember…………

Give Attention to Each Word of Each Verse

Focusing on one verse at a time, quote it to the Lord, pondering each word. With each recitation of a verse, emphasize a different word. For example, if you are meditating on John 3:16, you would emphasize a different word each time you repeated the passage:

"For God so loved the world … ."

"For God so loved the world … ."

"For God so loved the world … ."

"For God so loved the world … ."

"For God so loved the world … ."

"For God so loved the world … ."

Be attentive. This simple method of meditation will reveal new insights and give you greater understanding of phrases and sentences. As you hear the words of the passage, you will discern nuances and associations that are often overlooked when the passage is read silently.

See you in the next study!

LET'S PRAY

Re-pray:

Lord, quiet my heart and still my soul as I wait on you during these moments alone. I recognize you as a holy and majestic God—one who deserves great praise and glory. All of creation testifies to your awesome and unique works. There is no one like you, no other god worthy of honor. I want to focus on You, Lord, and to shut out all the distractions of the world. For these next few moments, it's just you and me, God. You are Spirit, but you are a God who knows us so intimately. I like to imagine you literally sitting here beside me, because of your promise that you are Emmanuel—always "with us." As I think about the truths in your Word, may the meditation of my heart be sweet and honoring to you. I am not trying to clear out my mind. I simply want you to empty me of self and fill me with your Holy Spirit. I long for your presence, Lord. Narrow my thoughts to include only those things that are honorable, truthful, beautiful, pure, and praiseworthy. I ask for your wisdom to apply these truths to my life morning, noon, and night—literally all through the day. For you are worthy to be praised all the time. I remember your great faithfulness in the past and am so grateful that you shower fresh mercy and grace on me each morning. I rehearse your goodness through answered prayer and personal reminders to me daily of your love for me. Even when I feel alone or distant from you, you draw me back into your presence when I purposely slow down and draw close to you.
I treasure your Word and want to chew on the truths you reveal to me today. As I pull apart each piece and reflect on every principle and word of instruction, I'm asking you to guide me and teach me what you want me to know. Is there a promise here for me to remember? Is there an action I need to take or a sin to forsake? Is there more for me to understand about your character? Help me personalize your message to my heart today. Your Word is powerful. I celebrate the strength and wisdom you will give me as I learn to honor and glorify you more.
I need you and love you, Lord. And I ask you to speak through your Word and in these quiet moments together. Whisper or shout into my spirit, whichever you want, and whatever I need the most. But most of all, just receive my praise as I focus my thoughts only on you. I'm listening and anticipating as I read and meditate on your beautiful Word. In Jesus' name, Amen.

RECAP

"Walking in the Favor of God" Devotionals

This was a blessing to me! There were three parts to this devotion.

In order to find favor with God you must first acknowledge Him, and then trust Him. When you meditate on God's Word you listen, you trust, and you obey Him. The first devotion was on "Listen" to God. The second was on Trusting God, and then the third was on Obeying God. When you have time please read these devotions because they will give insight on meditating on God's Word. Glory to God!!

If you don't know Jesus, please pray and accept Him as your Savior today.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior.

Bible Study: Conclusion Week # 7

"Meditating on God's Word:

Prayer:

Conclusion: Sharing this for my conclusion on meditating on God's Word.

If you are truly a follower of Jesus Christ you would desire to know HIM better, and to know HIS Word. If you are not, than to get to know HIM and HIS word, you must become a follower. At this point, you can ask God to help you and HE will grant you a heart to search for HIM, and you will find HIM through meditation on HIS Word. I can remember once upon a time, I didn't know HIM and I asked and God granted me a heart to seek HIM through HIS Word. It's important to know how to apply this to your life. One thing you must remember, knowledge is good but knowledge without understanding will not gain you wisdom. To get wisdom you must ask for it! God will give it to you through HIS Word, (James 1:5).

When we read God's Word we gain knowledge. The understanding comes when we meditate on it, and ask God to bless our knowledge and understanding. Remember King Solomon? Read (II Chronicles 1:7-12, I Chronicles 22:12, Psalm 119:104, Proverbs 2:6). Let's briefly talk about King Solomon. One day King Solomon was meditating on what his father asked him to do concerning God's will for his life. King Solomon didn't ask for riches but for wisdom, and God granted him more wisdom than any king before him or after him. Meditation is a powerful tool to use to get closer to God and HIS Word. Also, Samuel was one of the greatest priest, prophet, and judge of his time. God talked with Samuel while upon his bed one night (meditating). Samuel was no doubt thinking on God HIMSELF. When you meditate on God's Word powerful things happen! You gain a greater insight of God HIMSELF. You discern more spiritually.

Let's go all the way back to Adam's time when God would come in the cool of the day to fellowship with Adam HIS creation (Genesis 3:8). If you look at it spiritually you can see the relationship they had then. They talked, they communicated, and they shared thoughts with each other. I call that meditation! If you desire to know God better meditate on HIS Word every chance you get. God is HIS Word! Meditating is putting your whole heart and mind into it to be in God's divine presence.

I would like to share my devotion time with you. A few years ago I was so depressed. The job I do can do that to you. I am a full-time personal live-in care giver, who left preaching in the pulpit to do God's will for my life, and I love my relationship with God, because if it were not for God I could not do this! I give God all the glory! One day I was so depressed I asked God to help me do this. I couldn't think it was so bad. God spoke to my heart through His Holy Spirit and gave me a quiet time plan with HIM. HE told me if I would spend quality time with HIM I could do what was needed to be done to stay on that job, and it worked. I am now at the second job, which is about eight years later. That plan is called "My Daily Quiet Time with God." This is my devotional time too. This gave me strength to do my job, even when it was too much to bear. I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthen me (Philippians 4:13). My devotional time with God can be from one hour to three hours at the most. A lot of people have the privilege to spend more time if they don't work, but I on the other hand work 24/7. I could not to do this without God's help! I do get the chance to minister to these elderly patients. And, I did with HIS help! Most of my patients have dementia or alzheimer's disease. They are not responsible for what the enemy does to their minds. I know that now! In a situation like that you have to meditate on God's Word. This plan involves the WORD totally. You have to love God's Word to do this. When you meditate with this plan it involves God's Word; reading it, searching it, praying it, singing it, and speaking it into existence.

Before I finish I want to bring to your attention the story of Jacob. But, first, when you meditate don't forget to ask God for wisdom in that particular scripture/verse. God will grant it because HE wants you to come closer to HIM through HIS Word. Are you familiar with Jacob? Jacob was the son of Isaac, the brother of Esau, who trusted God. In (Genesis 28:10-22) we see Jacob was in need of a closer walk with God, his father's God, whom he didn't know at this time. One night while Jacob was on his way to his father and uncle's homeland (Haran), he encountered God's presence. Everything that took place here is the steps of meditation. Jacob was sleep, (quiet) before God (v.11). God visited Jacob in his quietness (v.13). Jacob then acknowledged God (v.16). Jacob was in God's presence (v.17). Jacob gave God honor, glory, and praise; God gave Jacob his petition. Jacob gained peace, stability, faith, favor, and love for God HIMSELF (v.20).

The more you meditate on the word of God, the more it exposes the character flaws that you need to fix. As you fix your mind on the word of God, your heart is progressively transformed into a heart of love, joy, peace, patience, humility, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23).

Get Quiet before God. . .

God's priority for our mind is that it be devoted and dedicated to Him, disciplined and determined and discerning about what it does in our life.

You cannot be lazy or merely "religious," if you want to meditate on God's Word. It requires effort - and a willingness to change - to go beyond mere "religion," to the point of being a genuine disciple (follower) of Jesus.

Our Devotion by Dr. Charles Stanley

Walking in the Favor of God – Part Three

KEY PASSAGE: Genesis 6:5-14

SUPPORTING SCRIPTURES: Genesis 7:1 | Genesis 8:20-22 | Genesis 9:11-13 | Romans 10:9 | Romans 10:13

SUMMARY

After reading the account of God's beautiful creation in Genesis 1, we may wonder why He later destroyed the world with a flood.

It happened just 10 generations after Adam and Eve. What had changed during that time? The answer is that sin entered the world, and the effects of evil are still being felt in our world today.

SERMON POINTS

For us a generation is about forty years, and in only one or two generations we've already witnessed the degeneration in our culture. Prosperity and materialism have increased, and reverence for the Lord's day and respect and care for others has decreased. To see how much can change in 10 generations we must look back to the year 1620. The world we live in today bears little resemblance to that era.

The Conditions of the Ancient World

By the time ten generations had passed since Adam and Eve were created, earth's condition was corrupt.

God's Evaluation: "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Gen. 6:5).
God's Heart: "The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart" (v. 6).
God's Decision: "The Lord said, 'I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them'" (v. 7).

One Righteous Man

In spite of the dismal and discouraging state of the earth, there was one man who was different from everyone else: "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord . . . Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God" (vv. 8-9). Although he was not sinless, Noah had three essential characteristics that set him apart from the rest of his generation: He listened to God, trusted Him, and obeyed Him. Therefore, the Lord told him about His plan to destroy the earth and commanded Noah to build an ark (vv. 13-14). Through one obedient man, God would save human civilization.

Challenging Questions

Since we, too, live in a sinful world that is rapidly changing and becoming increasingly wicked, we must ask some searching questions:

Does God see you as righteous and blameless?
Could your lifestyle be described as godly and holy?
Are you different from the culture around you, or are you caught up in all the pursuits and pleasures of this world?
According to the way you are living, could it be said of you that you walk with God?
Are you listening to Him, trusting Him, and obeying His commands?
Would you rather be viewed as classy by the world's standards or holy in the eyes of God?

The Lord wants us to live in a deep, intimate, and obedient relationship with Him rather than in conformity to the world around us. This means that sometimes people who are living in sin will not want to be in our company because we make them feel uncomfortable. This is inevitable because like Noah we are walking in light while those in the world are walking in darkness and want to avoid the light that exposes their sinful deeds.

Living in a Doomed World

Although Noah was confident that the Lord would save him and his family in the ark, at the same time he knew that God was going to destroy everything around him, including the people. Therefore, he probably experienced a mix of thoughts and emotions as he was building the ark in the midst of that wicked society and warning the people of coming judgment.

The same is true of us today. We know that apart from Christ, there is no hope for the world. Wickedness will increase. Security cannot be found in a country but only in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Locked Safely in the Ark

When the ark was finally finished, God sent the animals to Noah. Because he had listened, trusted, and obeyed, he and his family were locked into the ark by the grace of God. After the Lord shut the door, the rain began, and it continued for forty days and nights. The water not only poured from the sky, but it came up from the great deep below until the entire earth was covered.

Like Noah, we never know when God will close a door requiring us to turn our backs on everybody in order to be faithful to Him. Obedience has sharply defined edges. We have no right to alter what He has commanded, change the timing, or opt for partial obedience. That's why it's so important to listen to God, trust what He says, and do it. These three simple practices will spare us from countless heartaches and troubles and may even save our lives.

A New Beginning and Promise

Noah, his family, and the animals were in the ark for a little over a year as they waited for the water to recede. God accomplished what He set out to do and rescued Noah from the flood. After God told him to leave the ark, one of the first things he did was build an altar to the Lord and offer Him sacrifices in worship. In response, God made a covenant with Noah, his descendants, and every living creature on earth, saying, "I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth" (9:11). And as a sign of the covenant, God set a rainbow in the sky (v. 13).

Life today isn't exactly like that ancient world, but in many ways it is. And like Noah, we must listen to God, trust Him, and obey. We can't afford to be like the people in Noah's day who failed to recognize that their time was short. Their wicked rebellion was blatant and extreme, but even though we may not be guilty of such evil, our more sophisticated rebellion is still sin. Without dependence on Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, no one will escape God's judgment.

Today God offers salvation, not by means of an ark but through His Son. In Romans 10:9, He gives this promise: "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

RESPONSE

How have you seen the culture change in your lifetime? How are you different from your society? In what ways have you conformed to the culture?
What is the destiny of this world (2 Pet. 3:5-7)? How should this motivate you to live (vv.8-16)?

A MEDITATING WORKSHEET

This is a Scripture Meditating Worksheet:

Scripture:	Romans 10:9-10
Date of Scripture	50 or 58 A.D. Anno Domini-year of our Lord
Who Wrote it?	Apostle Paul
Old T or New T	New Testament
Before or After Christ	After Christ death
Who is it talking about?	Whosoever will hear and obey
Your understanding	This is a universal call from God
What is God saying?	Hear my call and receive by faith

Meditation on God's Word can help you when you search through it for answers. The more you search the Word, the more your mind be stayed on God's Word. A scripture meditating worksheet can be different from this one!

MY ANSWERS

Sharing: Week # 6

My Assignment: Week # 6 Questions:

1). Give a scripture reference to Psalms 19:14

I Timothy 4:15 "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all."

2). Give a scripture reference to Psalms 49:3

Psalm 63:6 "When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches."

3). Give your understanding of Psalms 119:11

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

This is telling us to study the Word, meditate on the Word, and speak the Word with our mouth; put the Word in our heart, so we will listen, trust, and obey the Word of God.

4). To whom is this scripture referring to (Psalms 119:97-99)?

"O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation." This verse is talking about David or one of his song writers, they are expressing their affection on how they love God's Word, and that they enjoy meditating on it both day and night because it makes them wiser.

5). Who wrote this scripture (Proverbs 4:20-22)?

"My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh." This was God talking to King Solomon on how to meditate on His Word, trust in His Word, keeping it in his heart, so that it can produces everything he need spiritually, physically, and financially.

6). What was the date of this Scripture (Isaiah 26:3)?

The book of Isaiah was written before captivity of the Jewish people about 760 B.C.; written by Isaiah one of the major prophets.

7). Is this a mediation scripture, (Matthew 6:6)? Explain.

"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." Yes, I believe it is! It gives you instructions on how to enter into a private place with God, even in your heart. This is call meditation! "Being alone with God."

8). Was this Scripture before or after Christ, (Philippians 4:8)?

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

This Scripture was written after Christ death, burier, and resurrection.

9). When we take this seriously, the way we allow our minds to be programmed will make the difference between two alternative outcomes: What are those alternatives?

1). We are conformed to the world, pressed into the mold of the world, or

2). We are transformed to live beyond the world.

10). Look up the meaning of this word (jettison), explain.

This word means to get rid of something as to throw off (something) as an obstacle or burden. This means to discard, expel, reject, or unload.

11). God's priority for our mind, explain.

God's priority for our mind is that it be devoted and dedicated to Him, disciplined and determined and discerning His Word, and about what it does in our life. Help us to grow closer to Him.

QUIET TIME WITH GOD

Setting aside a time: 7:48 am----9:24 am

Daily Exercises: Personal Time with God

Song: God will take care of you

Prayer: Father God, help us to listen, trust, and obey You, amen.

Write down and meditate on one of God's Characters: Trustworthiness

Scripture Worship: Psalms 107

Scripture Memory: Proverbs 3:3-6

Scripture Reading: II Chronicles 2

Daily Devotion Reading: Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

God's Promise Today: I Peter 5:7

Spiritual Goal in life: Keep my mind on Jesus

Ultimate Goal in Life: Worship God daily in my heart

Daily Goal Today: Listen, Trust, and Obey God's Holy Spirit

Speak God's Word: I am free! John 8:36

Healing Scriptures: I am blessed, healed, and highly favor by God (James 5:16)

Jabez Prayer: I Chronicles 4:9-10

The Lord's Supper: I Corinthians 11:23-26

Read Psalm 100: God, You are my Creator!

Read Matthew 18:18: I bind joy to my mind! I loose confusion from my mind

Pray Matthew 18:18 for someone: I pray this prayer over my patient now

MyLove4Jesus: I love You Lord Jesus Christ!

The Beatitudes: Matthew 5:3-12

Prayer Focus: I pray for Israel today Numbers 6:23-26

Ending Song: God will take care of you

Pause: Listen, Trust, and Obey God right now

Record what God spoke to you:

God spoke to my heart to recall all that He has done for me in the past, meditate on it right now, and I did; Oh my soul was so happy and relaxed. God keep saying "I will take care of you" I was concern about bills and retirement when God spoke this to me. He reassured me on this!! Meditation on God's Word will do this, amen.

Standing on God's Word