Week 8 Lesson 8: Knowing the Holy & Righteous ONE
10
Aug '21
Focus Theme 21 22
10
Aug '21
In Luke 1:28, an Angel and Messenger from GOD came to the young virgin Mary and told her to “rejoice highly favored one…” “…you are blessed among women…”. Today, we hear this phrase “I am blessed and highly favored of the Lord”. It is used in songs and in greetings. But as Christians, do we FOCUS on WHY we are blessed and favored? What does it mean that we are blessed and favored today?
For Mary, the message was that she was favored because she was a faithful Jew, a believer of God who feared Jehovah. It also means, more specifically, that God had chosen her to bear the SON OF GOD. WOW! Talk about Blessed and Favored! But today, God’s word has given us a specific promise, tailor made for us who are IN CHRIST.
Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,…”
God has made provision, right where you are, right NOW, to bless you in every area of your life, where ever you need it, in a supernatural way! Why am I blessed and favored? Because:
1. God has called us to His Peace and Rest! Matthew 11:28; 1 Corinthians 7:15
2. God has purchased our VICTORY on the Cross!
3. God has given us His Holy Spirit as an Ally!
4. God has allowed us to enjoy His Relational Presence!
5. God has given us His Word. Causing a Holy Book to become more than a Book, but a Living Word from the Lord in REAL Time!
6. God has given us Freedom from the Law! Never again do you have to wonder if you are worthy or good enough, because if you are IN CHRIST, He is good enough! He is worthy!
7. God has Delivered us and will keep on delivering us!
8. God has Blessed and Favored you REGARDLESS of what is going on in your life! Good or bad!
9. God has given you Divine Knowledge. To understand the things of the Spirit and the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God.
10. We are Blessed to know where the praise belongs.
11. God has given us the blessing of Prayer.
12. God has called us the Church, His Bride.
These are just a few of the promises of God that assure us we are Blessed and Highly favored when we are In Christ!
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03
Apr '21
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03
Apr '21
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10
Mar '21
7Lesson7God Rules All
10
Mar '21
Week 7 Lesson 7 Knowing the God Who Rules All
Lesson 7 Student Sheet part 1 -> Click on the button
Lesson 7 Student Sheet part 2 -> Click on the button
Listen to Lesson 7 Part 1 in the Player Below:
Avoiding God?
As if that was possible! But this subject this week in Lesson 7, I feel, is one of the #1 reasons people try to avoid God. They do not want anyone:
1. Telling them what they can and cannot do.
2. Ruling over them.
3. Telling them how to live.
4. Holding them ultimately accountable. (can’t blame someone else)
5. And most revealing of all, they do not want someone downplaying their role. Isaiah 40:23-25 (Page 139 Day 1)
Like it or NOT…
God rules over all the universe. He rules over angels, both holy and fallen. He rules over the great and the small people on this planet. He rules over every ethnic group and race. He rules over every empire, nation, and small village. He rules over young and old. He rules over Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Mormons, pagans, and atheists. Every person we have ever read about or met, rich or poor, great or small, is the proper subject of this one king!
Divine Assurance
When you know the King of ALL, you are glad He is the only one who is free to do all His perfect will.
We could wonder, “If God is King over all, why are things the way they are in the earth or in America or in my home etc…” But what we need to realize, is that time is relative to God. Consequences of mankind’s choices are unfolding all the time…some time from decades past. God is not distant, but He is not always rewarding people or nations with His Covenant presence either. But what we can know is…God still works mightily! HOW? Through His Son Jesus and the Gospel! Lives can be saved and transformed! We are tempted to look at the present circumstances and “judge” God’s sovereignty. But God’s timeless wisdom goes before our birth and beyond our death…and it always has and always will. What we should look for is God’s hand working to change lives, still today, with the Power of the Gospel to SAVE – even in the midst of what is going on…HIS SAVING GRACE IS DOING A WORK!
No matter how bad things seem to be around us…God’s work is still happening! His Gospel is still transforming lives. His Saving work is still performing miracles even in you! Don’t judge God’s work by the culture around you. He is on the throne whether our culture acknowledges Him or not! Whether there is evidence of His rule in our direct view or not, the fact that HE RULES changes not!
We could wonder, “If God is King over all, why are things the way they are in the earth or in America or in my home etc…” But what we need to realize, is that time is relative to God. Consequences of mankind’s choices are unfolding all the time…some time from decades past. God is not distant, but He is not always rewarding people or nations with His Covenant presence either. But what we can know is…God still works mightily! HOW? Through His Son Jesus and the Gospel! Lives can be saved and transformed! We are tempted to look at the present circumstances and “judge” God’s sovereignty. But God’s timeless wisdom goes before our birth and beyond our death…and it always has and always will. What we should look for is God’s hand working to change lives, still today, with the Power of the Gospel to SAVE – even in the midst of what is going on…HIS SAVING GRACE IS DOING A WORK!
No matter how bad things seem to be around us…God’s work is still happening! His Gospel is still transforming lives. His Saving work is still performing miracles even in you! Don’t judge God’s work by the culture around you. He is on the throne whether our culture acknowledges Him or not! Whether there is evidence of His rule in our direct view or not, the fact that HE RULES changes not!
Divine Encounter With the KING of ALL:
Every human created will come to a realization that God is KING over All! This meeting will either take place through God’s working in the heart and the preaching of the Gospel, or else it will certainly come at the JUDGEMENT! (when every knee will bow and every tongue confess).
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03
Mar '21
6 Knowing the All Knowing God Lesson 6
03
Mar '21
Week 6 Lesson 6 KNOWING THE ALL KNOWING GOD
Student Sheets Lesson 6 Pt 1
Student Sheets Lesson 6 Pt 2
Listen to or Watch Lesson 6 Part 1 Here:
Click here and then scroll to the bottom of page for Lesson 6.
Omniscience:
God is not only deep, wide, high, and boundlessly unlimited: He Knows the entirety of the universe completely…every detail, and does not even have to put forth an effort to keep up with all of it. God can remember how many hairs are on everyone’s head easier than you can remember your own name!
God knows us FAR better than we know ourselves. This translates into us being able to trust Him with…”us”! You can trust God with “you” more than you can trust “you” with YOU!
Judgment Application:
God cannot be taught, debriefed, counseled, informed, instructed, or shown a greater understanding of anything…because He already knows ALL...Completely! So when He judges, it is explicitly fair! He cannot miss understand. He cannot be mislead. He cannot be persuaded to believe a lie. He knows the facts inside and out so clearly that all others that have knowledge look empty compared to His understanding. .
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08
Feb '21
5 Knowing the Almighty Week/Lesson5 Behold Your God The Weigth of Majesty
08
Feb '21
Student Sheet part 1 –>
Student Sheet part 2 –>
Listen to Knowing the Almighty Part 1
Beginning Thought:
Do not limit the Power of the Almighty God, by only looking at what you have experienced! This is idolatry.
God’s power is always present at its fullest!
When you pray, all prayers are offered in the presence of His omnipotence (All-potency).
Are there things God cannot do?
YES
God cannot sin!
God cannot lie or contradict Himself.
God cannot fail in His purposes.
God cannot be tempted nor can he tempt others with sin.
God cannot be tempted nor can he tempt others with sin.
These divine limitations are not an expression of weakness, but are the proof that His power is united to His moral perfection.
That is how God can be both Merciful and Just at the same time. He contains ALL Power – so He is able to be morally perfect in His judgment, but also has the power and right to provide the answer to His wrath; thus JESUS CHRIST! WOW what a wonderful ALMIGHTY we serve!
Our Sin:
In the Church, our real time sin is living in doubt. Even when we say: God is Almighty, if we are not living as though He is who He says He is, we are living in sin. Who are we to doubt the GOD of the Universe? Who are we to say that He is limited? Who are we to say that He can’t use us to do supernatural and amazing things…despite how we see ourselves? These “internal” sins can actually be more deadly in the church than the “external” sins we so often love to point out in the world around us.
Quotes:
“Sin is what you do when your heart is not satisfied with God. No one sins out of duty. We sin because it holds out some promise of happiness. That promise enslaves us until we believe that God is more to be desired than life itself (Psalm 63:3). Which means that the power of sin’s promise is broken by the power of God’s.”
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25
Jan '21
4 Behold Your God the Weigth of Majesty The God Who is Everywhere
25
Jan '21
WEEK 4 – LESSON 4
Lesson 4 Student Sheet.
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Listen to or watch the Lesson 4 part 1&2
Click the banner for the Media page and pick your lesson.
Scroll down to the Bottom of page for latest Lessons.
Quote:
“The omnipresence of God-a gracious antidote to every earthly sorrow!”
– John MacDuff
“God is over all things, under all things; outside all within but not enclosed; without but not excluded; above but not raised up; below but not depressed; wholly above, presiding; wholly beneath, sustaining; wholly within, filling!”
– Hildebert of Lavardin
First Thoughts:
As we are studying about the presence of God throughout the Scriptures, we are learning that there is an essential presence of God (His required presence EVERYWHERE – that sustains all things etc…)
And there is His relational presence that can be experienced. This is the aspect of His presence that can be “near” or “far”; “closer” or “further away”.
Our sins obviously created a “gulf” or distance between us and the HOLY Father. But Praise be to the Name of Jesus, the Christ, the Anointed One, we have been brought NEAR to God by Immanuel, (God with us), Jesus Himself; who meditates on our behalf. This study on God’s presence brings a whole new appreciation for what Jesus did for us on the cross. He bore more than our sin, guilt and sorrow…He also took down the road closed signs, detour signs, bridge out signs, quarantined signs, the no trespassing signs… and gave us entrance to the Holy of Holies; where even the Priests of the Old Testament could not enter…but Thanks to our New HIGH PRIEST, Jesus, we are made Priests! Priests who CAN ENTER IN! Glory to His name for FULL ACCESS, in Christ Jesus!
Warning: (Day 3 page 77)
We should not have a “flippant, God-is-my-co-pilot” attitude towards His presence. Nor should we feel “He is near me at church on Sunday, but not so near at work on Monday.”
Powerful Reality:
Only Christians have a living God. Our God is infinite in His location and unlimited in His activity. All Man-made gods are limited. In Paganism, one god was said to be over the mountains, another over the rivers and lakes, yet another controlling just the clouds and storms. This simply shows they are limited by place and environment. But also they are limited by activity. By pure definition, those “gods”, could not have been gods at all. By definition, they could only be fake gods.
From a logical and rational point of view; this also further establishes the point that there can only be ONE GOD. Not hundreds, not thousands, not even 3. There is One True, Holy and Perfect Omnipresent God who has manifested Himself perfectly to be our All in all as Father, Son and Holy Spirit!
God’s “Nearness”:
This is certainly treasured by all true believers. No Christian, in their right mind, could say they do not desire God’s nearness. However, we can develop bad habits over time…even create idols like “a localized god” as is discussed in day 4 of lesson 4. If we find ourselves thinking that God is more present at church than He is at home, at work, at school, or even when we are surfing the web…then we may be guilty of having this idol in our lives. Here is an illustration:
Would a person who looks at pornography at home…
…Also look at pornography during a church service?Why not? Because the person would be embarrassed…not wanting people or God to know they participated in such a sexually immoral habit.
God does not dwell in dwellings made by human hands… The Bible says He dwells in us as Christians…as Temples of the HOLY Spirit. So the idols keep mounting up…We need to evaluate daily…do I really believe that God is here…right Now? And is Right NOW always for God?
God is not going to allow us, even as Christians, to enjoy His nearness if we embrace sin.
Where is My Blessings?:
Another sign of this idol could be in an effort to chase down a blessing by church hoping, going to events with popular speakers, or revivals where you heard “God is moving”. If you believe God is equally available to anyone who diligently seeks Him, then we can experience anything that God has to offer directly from Him. We can experience His move at Grace Family Fellowship! We can feel His presence and Healing power anywhere! Although it does help when there are others around us seeking God and praising Him and pressing into His presence; that atmosphere should start with us first. Let’s be personally invested in creating that culture of His closeness…it might just lead to others around us sensing and feeling Him too!
Challenging Quotes:
A.W. Tozer:“The tragic results of this spirit are all about us: shallow lives, hollow religious philosophies, the overwhelming element of fun in gospel meetings, the glorification of men, trust in religious externalities, salesmanship methods, and the mistaking of dynamic personality for the power of the Spirit.”
John Wesley: “It is our honor that we are made capable of His acquaintance [with God], our misery that by sin we have lost it; our privilege that through Christ we may return to it; and our unspeakable advantage to renew and cultivate it.”
John Piper: “If you don’t feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled at the table of the world so long. Your soul is so stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great.”
Personal Application:
After finishing Lesson 4, all 5 days, I am challenged to:
1. evaluate if there are any sin(s) I’ve not repented of.
2. make sure I treasure God’s nearness and not grow accustomed to His being distant.
3. meditate on what sets us, as believers, even as members of Grace Family Fellowship, apart from others. The world, other organizations and groups and even other religious affiliations. As Day 5 proves, it should be the Word of God and God’s nearness and evident activity in our lives and in our church that sets us apart.
We need more than just talk, we need proof! God proved Himself in the Old Covenant and in the New Covenant…God has not Changed, so God, Please Prove Yourself in our lives, in our homes and in Your Church, I pray for this like the Psalmist did in Psalm 27:4,8 (Page 84). I ask for this and I seek it!
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11
Jan '21
Behold Your God 3 The Weigth of Majesty Week 3
11
Jan '21
WEEK 3 – LESSON 3
Week 3 Lesson 3 part 1 Outline
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Week 3 Lesson 3 part 2 Student Sheet Outline Click the button –>
Listen to or Watch Lesson 3 Pt 1 & 2 Here–>
Listen to Audio or Watch the video
Beginning Thoughts:
“You are a sea without a shore, A sun without a sphere; Your time is now and evermore, Your place is everywhere.” – John Mason
Day 1 – God is without limit! He cannot increase or decrease…He is perfect! All of His attributes are equally unlimited and work in harmony with each other perfectly. That is why the Word can say about God in Romans 8:28 that God causes all things to work together for our good and His glory (for those who love Him and live according to His purposes).
Awe Factor with God: (Day 2)
A new appreciate for Grace is discovered in week 3 as we see a new angle of Grace. God’s Truth (unmovable and set in stone), based on absolute FACT and PERFECTION; combined with God’s Love (unconditional and all-encompassing), expressed ultimately through Jesus, the Christ; the God-Man and Son-of-Man… When all of this is brought harmoniously together –> creates GRACE!
– Without truth, grace would be turned into a sentimentalized religion in which we use God’s love for self-indulgence.
– Without grace, truth would present us with an unbearable reflection of our spiritual pollution and God’s relentless rage against every sin.
God’s grace, His truth followed hard by His love, creates an undeserved favor that is constantly poured out on my life, mind, actions, decisions…even the consequences of my actions are covered by ever refreshing waves of God’s Grace; all because He loves me! All because Jesus died to take the punishment for my failed choices. The reality of the waves or domino effect of my failed choices are overwhelming…but where sin is great, Grace is greater. Where the consequences of my iniquity is overwhelming, Grace overwhelms more!
John 1:17
“For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.”
WOW Moment about God: (Day 3 page 59)
When you call upon the living God, you are calling on the same God that Abraham called upon. God has not grown older nor has He changed. No “time” has passed for Him.
Every time you take shelter in God, you are finding refuge in the same God that Moses did. The same God your mom or grandma prayed too; or any significant spiritual mentor that has passed on in your life, you are praying to that same precious Father. He held their hand and He is holding yours too!
This makes me think of those movies or shows where someone shook the hand of someone famous and then did not want to wash their hands. We have been touched by the same God who touched George Washington, Billy Graham, Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Peter, Paul…
Definition of Terms: (Day 4)
Repentance: “…turning from our inadequate ideas of God.” (We all often form them).
Faith: “…submitting our minds to God’s self-revelation.” (Pg 60) (God will reveal Himself to anyone who consistently and diligently seeks Him).
Sobering Thought:
During this pandemic, Moses’ situation certainly can give us perspective in God’s provision of unchanging hope, even when we are not seeing it or feeling it now! “Moses was given the awful task of leading a generation of Hebrews in the wilderness until that generation died. These people were faced with a hopeless journey that ended in death. Days, months, and years passed while the land was being filled with their graves. It is easy to see Moses feeling a sense of purposelessness and despair. This is a significant help for us. The Christian life is often overrun with sorrows. Life can at times seem like a relentless march of mundane tasks with little hope of better days here on earth. How do you live with the eternal God at such times?” You run to the same refuge that every man or woman of God has run to: Let God be your Home and Dwelling!
During this pandemic, one of the solutions that has been propagated is “stay home”! That has not worked very well. But when it comes to God: When He is the HOUSE, When He is the Refuge, you are inside an air tight and ETERNALLY solid SAFE PLACE!
Reality Check: (Day 5)
– We looked at in our study how short life is and what a reality this is for us…the greatest and most historical individual organization, nation or movement you can think of in human history is still just “withering grass”.
– Psalm 90:7-8 reveals a reality check for us… Our sins are carried out before God’s very eyes. And since God is not “IN TIME”, He is not just going to be there…He is there. Here is the scary part of what that means:…unrepented sins are not in the past for God, they are ever before Him until we ask for forgiveness and repent! Wow!
A Prayer:
Lord Jesus, please return soon! LORD, as we await Your return, revive Your people in such a way that the joy they have in You will far outweigh the sorrows they have experienced from their lives of compromise. Work Father, in Your Church, in such a manner that the young people will see things about You that they can never forget, no matter how long they live! My hands are inadequate to rescue anyone. But take my weak labors for Your Kingdom and give them purpose for the now and years to come in the spiritual realm. In Jesus powerful name I pray. Amen
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