Hey Girls!
I've taken a few moments to jot down a few things pertaining to our class this morning. Thought I would take Debbie S.'s suggestion last week to heart and so I started off with a bit of personal teaching, looking further into the Trinity by looking at the book of John and how Jesus continually deferred to The Father. Some of the verses we looked at were...
John 14:28 "...Father is greater than I..."
John 4:34 "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work."
John 5:19 "...the Son can do nothing of Himself..."
John 5:30 "I can do nothing on My own initiative..."
"...I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me."
John 6:38 "For I have come down from heaven not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent
Me."
Me."
John 7:16 "My teaching not Mine, but His who sent Me."
John 8:28 "...I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak...as the Father taught Me."
John 9:4 "We must work the works of Him who sent Me..."
(the "we" here are believers, today we can take this as for the church, the Body of Christ
here on earth)
Luke 22:42 "...not My will, but Yours be done."
We also looked at Matthew 24:36 to see that not even the Son knows when He will return, only the Father knows. Jesus continually makes it clear that the greater authority resides with the Father and in 1 Corinthians 11:3 we further see that God is the Head of Christ.
Today I thought it would be good to take a closer look at the Holy Spirit. We've been looking at the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit and seeing that while all Three are God, all Three are also distinct, having very unique responsibilities and yet all Three unified in purpose.
In class, we discussed John 16:8 where we see that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgement and also looked at 1 Corinthians 3:16 which tells us that the Holy Spirit dwells in believers, who are the temple of the Living God. Some of the scriptures that I had the class looking up, to see how Jesus Himself was like a signpost pointing to the activity of the Holy Spirit, were:
Luke 1:25 Jesus was born of the Spirit
John 3:3-6 ... we are also born of the Spirit
Luke 3:21-22 Jesus was baptized in the Holy Spirit
1 Corin. 12:13 ...we are also baptized in the Holy Spirit
Luke 4:1 Jesus was led of the Holy Spirit
Romans 8:14 ...we are also led of the Holy Spirit
Luke 4:1 Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:4 ...we are also to be full of the Holy Spirit
Luke 4:14 Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit
Romans 15:13 ...we are also empowered by the Holy Spirit
Luke 4:18 Jesus was anointed of the Holy Spirit
...we are also anointed of the Holy Spirit
We discussed this 'anointing' during class and I'm hope that you girls that attended will be able to relate what you understood from this discussion in the Comment Cafe!
We also looked at John 14:16 so that we could see Jesus making known His request of the Father's will regarding 'another' ALLOS (of the same kind) 'helper' PARAKLETOS (one who is called alongside to assist).
We also looked at our homework for the week on knowing God as El Roi, the God Who sees. Lots of good, in class, discussion and sharing!
I think that it is so important that as we progress in the Names of God each week, that we bring what we have learned from past weeks into the present. We need to be able to know God as EL ROI, in the light of His Sovereignty (EL ELYON) over His creation (ELOHIM).
There is a human tendency to place our focus on what can be seen, to place our focus on the things of this world. The temptation is to place our focus, our trust, in doctors, friends, financial advisors, a cream, lotion or potion. To place our focus and trust in ourselves, our looks, our personality our education, our money, our dreams. Hagar was at the end of her rope... and it was here that she came to know God as EL ROI "The Living One Who Sees me".
Psalm 121:1-8 is a beautiful description of knowing God, not only as Sovereign Creator, but also as El Roi, the God who sees. I suggest that you spend some quiet time, before God, meditating on this passage and then personalizing it in the light of The One Who sees you. This is His affirmation that He keeps watch over you and is acquainted with all of your ways. Psalm 139:1-18 is another passage of scripture that you can meditate on and also personalize in the same way.
"For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He watches all his paths."
Proverbs 5:21
Even though I didn't get to teach on this during our limited class time. I am anticipating that many will be reading these verses through eyes glazed with pain and think, "He was there, yet He didn't stop it." Yes, He was there. God saw. God knows. There is no hiding from Him. There is no room dark enough. No place remote enough. No place private enough. Wherever you have gone, whatever you have done, or whatever has been done to you, there were always Three Who were watching... God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
There is no hiding from Him. God not only saw you... but He saw others as well. It is important to remember that what Joseph's brothers purposed for evil, God purposed for good. We live in a fallen world. All too often we forget the severity of what that means. We as God's children are not immune to the fallout of living in the midst of fallen man. God is El Roi, He sees. Despite your past, present or future days on planet earth, God's promises are just as true today as they were for Joseph... "'For I KNOW the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you, not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future.'" What the enemy has purposed for evil, to harm you, to rob you of all hope and to obliterate any future, God has purposed for your ultimate good. You may not be able to see it now... but you can trust Him. Keep your eyes upon Him and upon His Word, not the words of man. If you continually keep the eyes of your mind upon that moment that somebody threw you in the pit (or even if you willingly jumped in yourself), instead of lifting up your eyes to God Himself and living in the reality of His presence and purpose for you today, you will forfeit the life He has purposed for you.... that of being conformed into the image of His Son.
He keeps watch over you.
He is acquainted with all your ways.
Keep your eyes on Him!
The Name of our God is a Strong Tower girls,
the righteous run into it and are SAFE!
Run into Him, He knows, He sees, He is very present.
He will be your Comfort,
Your Shelter,
Your Healing,
Your Strength.
He is El Roi. He is The God Who sees.
Like Hagar, The LORD has given heed to your affliction.
He loves you. He cares. He's there. He sees.
It's all going to work together for good,
to those that love Him,
and are called according to His purpose.
with love and joy in serving,
with love and joy in serving,
Come on in,
pull up a chair,
and chat with your sisters this week in...
The Comment Cafe
Hi Cathie
ReplyDeletetesting
linda
Hey, Linda! Look at you! Well done! 😄
ReplyDeleteNow we can meet here throughout the week and chat to our heart's delight!
Hi Cathie & girls...Just going over your comments & have to admit I'm Struggling with this "all seeing" God who watches over you & keeps you...etc. Not for myself (as yet..) but when I read of the atrocities being done against Christian children by ISIS...(don't read about it..I can't get the images out of my brain..)I don't really understand HIS protection,love,care,peace...for us in this world....Sorry, to vent this but am leaving for two weeks and won't be able to have face to face discussions...love ya, Wendy
ReplyDeleteWendy, you have no need to apologize for a very deep and heartfelt struggle in the face of such horror.
ReplyDeleteI very rarely post links, if ever, but I will offer this one to you, for you to read. When you have, I would like to discuss this further with you. http://www.christianaid.org/News/2014/mir20141204.aspx
Hi Girls, Honestly I do not know of another study that I have done that is causing me more questions and making me dig and try to find answers...Jan has said the same thing. I think that is a good thing! Here I was going in one direction... and then read Wendy's heartfelt cry and could so relate to that myself. More and more when Marnie and I have our prayer time together we tell God that it is so hard to understand what is going on in this world...I think He understands our not understanding!
ReplyDeleteThe articles that Cathie mentioned are worth reading. There are two and in the one it tells of the christian aid workers singing to the orphaned children "Jesus loves me...this I know!
The article goes on to say that there has never been a time when a greater percentage of Syrian-Muslims have believed in Christ than in the past three years of civil war. These aid workers all agree that it is the greatest awakening since the beginning of Islam.
When these dear people hear of what allah offers them and then hear the message of hope in Christ Jesus..how BRIGHTLY HIS LIGHT must shine in that dark world. I am taking my comfort from knowing that these dear ones are having their eternal life secured...and the promise that Jesus will wipe away every tear! I still do not understand it all myself Wendy but one day... we will! After reading those articles I am so aware of how they need our prayers and that is something POSITIVE we can do.
This sister wishes for you a restful and SON filled holiday!
Love...Always...Angie
Thank you Cathie & Angie. I read the article and I am grateful that so many are turning to Christ thru these horrors....BUT, My struggle is so wanting Him to call us home quickly...so that ...we won't have to face these kind of horrors. I think of my grandbabies & shudder..IS IT WRONG to desperately want to be raptured NOW so we don't have to face this kind of thing??Even though others round the world have to??..I'll keep praying!! Wendy
ReplyDeleteAngie, I agree with you. Prayer is so much more vitally important than we can ever really comprehend. Jesus was our example in this, and we are to pray as well.
ReplyDeleteWhile we may enter into prayer in an agitated or grieved state of mind and heart, through true prayer God works within us, by and through His Holy Spirit, and fruit is produced, first in our hearts and then out through our actions and words.
This doesn't mean that we understand absolutely everything, and things may not appear to be changing in reference to what we prayed about... but we are changed. I believe that this is what these Syrian-Muslims to have come to Christ know and are witnessing to us through their lives, lived now in faith of God.
Wendy, it is absolutely not wrong at all. I also think of my children and grandchildren. What you are experiencing is what is so clearly marked out for us in Romans...
ReplyDelete"For I consider that the present sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him Who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation GROANS and SUFFERS the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, BUT WE OURSELVES GROAN WITHIN OURSELVES, waiting EAGERLY for our adoption as sons the redemption of our body.
Wendy, getting to know the Names of God, is getting to KNOW God. Every one of us in this study will at some point, if not right now, be confronted with the reality of Who He really is, and Who we have been content to believe that He is.
The difference between these two is the difference between acquaintance and ... YADA.
Hi Everyone,
ReplyDeleteFirst off I wanted to thank you Cathie for giving us a summary of Thursday's class. I struggled with myself about whether to come or not but knew in my heart that I didn't want anyone else to catch my cold and once again God blessed me with your summary. I felt like I had actually attended class. I am still a bit thick headed but Wendy's comments have been with me since she first wrote about them. I too have struggled with understanding these horrible atrocities that are happening in our world and the fact the our all seeing God has allowed them to happen but for some reason I have found peace even here because I trust God and know that He has a plan for everyone and it is the best plan possible. I continually pray that if I am faced with one of these horrible situations in life that I will lean on God and not on my own understanding. Whether I will be able to or not - I don't know for sure but I so want to believe that I will submit to His will and trust fully in Him. That doesn't mean that it wont hurt or that I wont suffer but hopefully I will feel His presence through it all.
I am enjoying this study and have just finished reading Job again which is really a good book to read while doing this study. It has shown me how much trust and love God had for Job and the trust and love Job had for God. It has given me much to think about.
Looking forward to Thursday!
With love
Debbie
Hi Debbie! We were wondering what had happened to you on Thursday, hoping that your cold is packing its bags and making steps for a quick get-away!
ReplyDeleteSo glad that my notes were able to bless you, and I understand your sentiments regarding Wendy's comments as well, and I agree with you, Job is an wonderful book to read alongside this study!
See you on Thursday, Deb!
love,
Cathie