Wednesday, April 15, 2009

The Lord Comes Through...Again

And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.
Joshua 21:44-45

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Giving and Receiving

Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!
You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently.
Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!
Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules.
I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me!
Psa 119:1-8 ESV

A Change of Heart

The be a Christian is to live one's life not merely in obedience to God, nor merely in dependence on God, nor even merely for the sake of God; it is to stand in conscious, reciprocal fellowship with God, to be identified with Him in though and purpose and work, to receive from Him and give back to Him in the ceaseless interplay of spiritual forces...According to this the covenant means that God gives himself to man and man gives himself to God for that full measure of mutual acquaintance and enjoyment of which each side to the relation is capable.
William Edgar quoting Geerhardus Vos in Without Apology: Why I Am A Presuppositionalist.

Saturday, April 04, 2009

How To Know When You Are Living For Christ

And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."
Matthew 22:37-40

Friday, April 03, 2009

Why Wait for the Curse?

"And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you, and return to the LORD your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you.
Deuteronomy 30:1-3

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Trust in Christ

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:3-6

Bible Study Questions on Philippians 1

Philippians 1

1:1
1. Who wrote the book?
2. Why do you suppose he included Timothy’s name here?
3. Whom do they serve?
4. What does servant mean here?
5. What is a Christ?
6. Why does he have Christ before Jesus?
7. Who is the letter written to?
8. What is a saint?
9. What does it mean to be “in Christ Jesus”?
10. To which church in Philippi was it written?
11. Besides the saints, who was the book written to?
12. What is an overseer?
13. Why does he call them overseers?
14. What is a deacon?
15. Why does Paul list these folks out separately?

1:2
Compare the other “Greetings” of the other letters Paul wrote.
What differences do you note?

1. What does ‘Grace’ mean here?
2. What does ‘peace’ mean?
3. Who is this ‘grace and peace’ going to?
4. Who is it coming from?
5. How is it going to get there?
6. What is it used for?
7. What is the relationship between Father and Lord?

1:3–6 – Thanksgiving from a full heart
Notice the different translations of verse 3-6.
1. What does Paul do when he prays?
He remembers (Mentions) them Cf. Rom 1:9; Eph 1:16; 1 Thess. 1:2
2. Who’s God does he thank?
3. How often does Paul thank his God?
4. What is Paul thanking God for?
5. What attitude does Paul have when he prays for the Philippians?
6. How often does he pray?
In the Bible many people had specific time of the day set aside to pray:
Ps 5:3; Ex 9:5; Dan 6:13; 1 Chron 23:30

7. How often does he remember them?
Notice his intensity. My prayers, for you, all the time, with joy. Praying for them is not a chore for Paul.
8. Why does he pray with joy for them?
They remembered him and helped him.
They joinged with him in ministry.
God is the only one who could actually help them (thinking of you)
They have needs that only God can meet. (Them praying for him 1:19)

9. What have they joined with him to do?
Koinonia – Rom 15:26; 2 Cor 8:1-4, 9:13; Heb 13:16
10. How have they shared in the spread of the Gospel?
1:19, 27-28, 29; 4:14-15, 18
11. What is the Gospel?
12. How long have they been working with Paul?
13. What is Paul confident of? Why?
14. What good work did he begin in them?
15. What does it mean that they are going to have it completed in them some day?
Is 41:4; 44:6; 48:12 What God starts, he will finish, he is first and last.
16. What will the completion look like?
17. When will they be completed?
18. What does he mean by the ‘day of Christ Jesus’?
Phil 1:10; 1 Cor 1:8; 1 Thess 5:2, 4; 1 Jn 4:17; 2 Tim 1:12

In what ways can we immitate Paul, from these first 6 verses?
1. Joyful Prayer
2. Consistent Prayer
3. Intercessory Prayer
4. Confidence in the one to whom we pray
5. Participation in the Gospel
6. Confidence in the continuation of God’s work

How does faith work in all of this?