Quiet Times Search

• Romans 15:1-3 - Bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves
  
• 1 Corinthians 8:9, 9:12, 22 - Become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some
  
• 1 Corinthians 10:24, 33, 13:5 - Not seeking my own good but the good of many,
  
• 2 Corinthians 8:9, 12:15 - We become poor so other can become rich
  
• 2 Timothy 2:10 - Endure everything for the sake of others
  
• Philippians 2:3-4, 20-21 - Look at the interests of others

• You are too harsh
• You are a push over
• You are not training your daughter for the long term

• Wise, wise, wise is the Lord Almighty
  
• Powerful, powerful, powerful is the Lord Almighty

• God's perfection separates him from His creation
• Attributes of mercy, might, power, love, purity are all within the meaning of holiness
• His holiness is not just one of a number of attributes but the sum of all of them
• God's name is has adjective 'holy'  next to it more than all other qualifiers combined
• First and last son in the Both magnify the holiness of God
  • Moses crossing the Red Sea - Exodus 15:11
  • Those victorious over the beast - Revelation 15:4

• Lying is against God’s nature (character)
• His enemy (Satan) is the Father of lies (John 8:44)

• When we lie we are using Satan’s weapons
• When we decide to tell the truth over lies we are choosing God over Satan

1. We should never make pack (agreement) to conceal the truth
2. We should strive to please God (speak the truth) not Satan (lie)
3. If you tell the truth you don’t have to have a good memory (lies create more lies)

Summary

The serpent deceived the woman; she and Adam ate from the tree. Man blamed woman, woman blamed the serpent. The earth became cursed, and God sent Adam and Eve out of the garden.

Observations

Genesis 3:1 - Did God really say
The first way Satan tries to get Eve to disobey God is to create doubt to what God said. Many times Satan does not even try to tell us to do a 180 turn (you might notice what is going on then) - just a slight detour to the right or to the left [Deuteronomy 5:32]. It does not take much to get us off course from the narrow road [Matthew 7:14].

Genesis 3:4 - You will not surely die
Another temptation Satan throws our way is doubt in his punishment or promises. He would love for us to believe we will be judged at the end of our lives [John 12:48].  "Live your life the way you want to" - Satan. He does not want you to remember the promises God has spoken to encourage us in our walk with him.

Genesis 3:6 - desirable for gaining wisdom
When struggling with sin, we often come up with "good" reasons why we need to sin. In this case, Eve comes up with a "spiritual" reason. She wanted to gain "wisdom" - we need to have wisdom in our daily lives, right? God does not always reveal everything to us and for good reason. We should start with fear of the Lord since it is the beginning of wisdom [Psalms 111:10].

Genesis 3:9 - Where are you?
Good question to ask ourselves all the time. Where am I in relation to God? We often "disappear" when we sin either physically or more likely mentally. When we look in a mirror [James 1:23-24], we are blinded and do not see our true selves. We don't want to deal with the underlying problems in our character - it will be paining and requires effort but in the end it is worth it.

Genesis 3:19 - dust you are and to dust you will return
If you need a reminder on humility, this scripture will help. We come from the dirt of the ground and we will return there someday. We need to seize the days we have - stop worrying about tomorrow [Matthew 6:34].

Personal Application

I need to be aware of Satan's tricks continuously. He does not want to be noticed. I need to pray and reflect on how I am living my life and find where Satan is getting me to deviate even a fraction of a degree. I need also examine my thought and find out they are out of line with God's Word. I will ask others what they see where I have taken a devour on God's narrow road.

Summary

The Lord promised Abram an heir and many descendants. Abram believed. He was told that they would be enslaved but would then return.

Observations

Genesis 15:6 - Abram believed the LORD ... credited it to him as righteousness
Even though Abram had no kids for a long period of time, he believed the Lord would provide. He had this prayer for a long time - many, many days he prayed. But nothing. He he came face to face with God, He told him a son was coming and his descendants would be as many as stars in the sky. Abram chose to believe and his faith was credited to him as righteousness. How long do we pray before giving up?

Genesis 15:14 - I will punish the nation they serve as slaves
At the beginning of the chapter, God said he was Abram's shield [Genesis 15:1]. Here he expands on his promise - in the future, he will punish the Egyptians for making his people to become slaves. God will protect us. The judgement of our enemies might not come on our timetable, but it will come. We need to patient and be still, the Lord will fight for you [Exodus 14:14]

Personal Application

Sometimes I believe that perseverance is my strength but as I look at my prayers for the desires of my heart, I give up way easily. "But it has not happened in 2 weeks, 2 months, 2 years" - I say. Abram waited until he was 100 years for his son to be born.

1. What happened to Jesus after his baptism? What should you expect after your baptism?
2. How was Jesus tempted to question his relationship with God? God's plan for him?
3. How has Satan tempted you with doubts/insecurity/fears since your baptism?
4. How did Jesus use the Bible to fight temptation? How does the Bible expose Satan's lies?

1. How might the devil scheme against you?
2. What armor has God provided to keep you strong?
3. What is our only "weapon" against Satan (vs. 17)?

• Romans 1: 21 - being ungrateful can be at the root to many sins in your life
• Luke 7: 36-50 - those who are more grateful show a greater capacity to love.
• Luke 17: 11-19 - the thankful are commended before God.
• Psalms 50: 5-23 - note that the sacrifice that means the most to God is one of 'Thanks!'

• He has taken away our punishment
• He has turned back our enemy
• He is mighty to save
• He rejoices over us with singing

• Hobbies
• Other short-lived romances
• Addictions

Bible Study Disciplines

Mark up your Bible in to different themes:

Example subjects:

• Blue = God's qualities
• Yellow = Love
• Green = Sin and righteousness
• Pink = prayer and faith
• Purple = Joy
• Orange = evangelism and discipling
• Megenta = the spiritual world

Might circle references to God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit

Read the whole Bible every year

Foucused study on indivdual books and passages are good but it also important to have the broad picture of God's revelation ingrained in our hearts

Read the Bible everyday

Jesus lived on every word that came from the mouth of God - Matthew 4:4
The law required the kings of Israel to recopy and read out loud all the days of their lives - Deuteronomy 17:18-20
Bereans examined the scriptures every day - Acts 17:10-12

Memorize key verses

Memorizing scripture helps us to talk to God using quoted scripture (God's language) and keeps us pursuing righteousness
I have hideen tyour word in my heart so I might not sin against you - Psalms 119:11
Proverbs 22 advises to have the Proverbs ready on our lips

Four instances of Jesus' first impressions:

1. Jesus' mastery of strength - John said there one coming mighter than I - John had face the greatest men of his day without flinching; John faltered and drew back when the man from Nazareth appeared
2. Jesus' leadership of strength - Fishermen were left with such an impression, they left everything at once and followed him.
3. Jesus' authority of strength - He goes into a synagogue and they were amazed at his teaching (as one having authority which had not been seen before)
4. Jesus' power of strength - Miracles and healings by Him; people were surprised by His power

Jesus draws men to him because of his power

• Crowd was so great at the seashore, they pushed him into the water
• Hilltop suddenly became alive because of his presence
• Every city he passed through, he turned upside down

Only a man of strength draws to him great masses of men

The people were ashtonished by Jesus

Who do I you say I am? They had to go to the grave in order to find a man to whom they could liken him

No man in Jesus' day was great enough to convey their idea of strength

Pilot was afraid of Jesus even though He was a poor unarmed peasant

Proof of His power was in the intensity of the hatred and in the intensity of love which he excited

You can not hate a weakling or a no body

He was so mightly that when men thought of him, they thought of God
The man who was nearest to him, saw him in a vsion after he was gone and said, "When I saw him I fell at his feet as dead" - Revelation 1:17

We need to boldly redefined success for them = “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” - Deuteronomy 6:5
It is not only how we define success for ourselves; this is how we are called as fathers to define success for our children and grandchildren.
You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up - Deuteronomy 6:6-7

1. God’s Word must “be on your heart.”
Many children who leave the faith is because we did not see God actively working in their parents’ lives.
You can’t inspire them with truths you’re not living

Must always tell them how God is moving:

• When God answers your prayers, tell your kids about it.
• When He changes your heart or helps you overcome temptation, celebrate it with them.
• When you face a season of suffering or persecution, let them see the strength of your faith.

Every day gives you fresh, new material for making your life with Christ a front-row experience

2. Training your children to love God must occur within the context of close relationships.

Talk about God is informal time:

• Greeting your kids at the breakfast table
• Sitting around the house
• Having spiritually rich conversations in the car or at dinner

Making disciples of all nations begins with your own children  - it all starts with their hearts.

Summary

Abraham's servant went to Nahor to find a wife for Isaac.

Observations

Genesis 24:1 - The Lord blessed him every way
God blessed Abraham, as he promised [Genesis 12:2], more than he could have asked or imagined [Ephesians 3:20] because of his belief that He would be faithful in his promises. In the investment world, it is about making a return on managed risk. Sometimes in Wall Street you can yield a good return with analysis. Other times, no matter what, you can lose large amounts of captial.  But with God, you can bank on his promises through faithfulness. There is no guessing and changing out mind, we just need to be faithful.

Genesis 24:4 - Go instead to my homeland
His son was nearing 40 years old and Abraham was old himself. He was looked to pass the torch on the next generation. Abraham again was faced with the challege of age-related life changes [Genesis 21:2]. The easy way to find Isaac a spouse would be to just look around the local area. The rational here might be "well, they do not follow God now but we can convert them later". This idea rarely works out and can cause much harm spiritually. Abraham chose again to be faithfully and to take the path less traveled. That path for his servant was 450 miles away to Nahor.

Genesis 24:8 - But under no circumstances are you to take my son there
Abraham nor his son were going to leave Cannon. There must have been some faithful prayer involved to find a way out of this situation [1 Corinthians 10:13]. How was Abraham going to find a wife for his son in a different land without standing in the way of God's promise? For both of them to go would have been an express of their lack of faith in God's promise. Also, if Isaac went a alone, he may have not returned. If Abrham went a alone, Isaac may have found a wife among the Canaanites while he was gone. The solution was a highly improbable plan (without God) for Abraham was to send his servant to find his wife. This way would be at a high cost to old man Abraham because of amount of work extra work he would need to do to cover while the servant was gone.

Application

I am convicted by the way Abraham chose to approach challenging situations. He did not chose the easy way or the first way that sounded right. He chose to be faithful and had a conviction to allow God's promises to fulfilled in his life. I did not mediate and pray through the challenges set before very often. Many times I just say or do the first things that comes to my mind. Those are often thoughts of the easy way or only way to go about things. I need to think about the bigger picture when making  decisions.

Prayer

Praying for heart of disernment and faithfulness in life's challenging situations.

Abram and King Bera

I will not take a single thread otherwise you might say "I am the one who made Abram rich" - Genesis 14:22

Abram found himself in an uneasy alliance with King Bera (means "wicked") of Sodom

King Bera's adversaries routed his forces and captured Lot

Abram gathered some men and defeated Bera's ememies and resuced Lot

King said to "Let me have my people and you can keep the spoils" but Abram refused - Genesis 14:21

He did not want Bera or anyone else believing that anyone but God made him rich

It is not by force nor strength but by my Spirit, says the Lord - Zechariah 4:6

Zerubbabel oversaw the reconstruction of the Jerusalem Temple

Over a period of 16 years, the people's enthusiasm for the project waned, leaving it unfinished

Zerubbabel felt a deep sense of discouragement over the stalled work

Zechariah came with a vital message - Don't depend on your own strength. depend on God and his ability to empower you for the task

Zerubbabel's faith was renewed - He had a renewed sense of enthusiasm, united the people, and got back to work

No worthy project is about human force or strength, it must be about his mighty Spirit

Do you think that you or someone else has the key to success?

Do you genuinely believe that God's Spirit holds the key to your success?

By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city - Daniel 4:30

Breakdown of how much we learn from our senses:

• 1% - taste
• 2% - touch
• 5% - smell
• 11% - hearing
• 83% - sight

Nebuchadnezzar was given a dream and Daniel told him what it meant - the king's pride would result in a severe bout of divine discipline

Daniel begged the king to give up his pride so that God could relent

God had given Nebuchadnezzar an opportunity to humble himself

God immediately accounced that the king would no lose his kingdom and be sent out to live a wild animal

Nebuchadnezzar had to learn the hard way from taste and smell of grass since could not learn from sight

Are you teachable? When God speaks to you, take it to heart

Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? - Joshua 7:10

This tragic event illustrates the terrible ripple effect of sin

God gave crystal clear instructions ofr the invasion of Jericho

He promised the Israelites a crushing victory over the city and in return they would put aside for Him all the gold, sliver, and other valuable they would seize during the raid

Achan paid no attention to God's instructions

His sin had removed God's hand of blessing from the Israelite army and three dozen innocent soldiers died in the reulting unheaval

Even sin that might be reguarded as secret affects you and those closest to you

Where do you most feel the tug to stray?

David danced before the Lord will all his might - 2 Samuel 6:14

Though a man can hide some things deep within his soul, passion isn't one of them

David was a man who expressed his passion though at times his passion got the better of him

Soon after David ascended to the throne, he immediately worked to reunite the kingdom of Israel

Through his efforts. the Ark was returned to its rightful place

David could not contain his enthusiasm, he danced for the Lord with all his might

Some questioned his motives, but David knew he acted out of deep love for the Lord

David had not reservations about appearing to acting foolish - he worshiped God with everything he had

He had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall - 2 Chronicles 26:16

It takes a man of true humility to keep his feet on the ground over the long haul when he is given power and authority over others

Uzziah, Judah's tenth king, was not such a man

His long and sometimes distinguished reign came to an unfortunate end because of his arrogant thirst for power

Uzziah expressed his arrogance by entering the sactuary though this job was reserved for his priest

Had Uzziah remained humble, he might have become one of the nation's greatest kings - instead, he spent his later years shut away from people in a leper colony

Do you understand your place in the big picture?

The Lord will strike down some day - he will die of old age or in battle - 1 Samuel 26:10-11

Even if you disagree with the person, you should still repect the office they hold

God chose David to succeed Saul as Israel's king

Saul's jealously and anger at David's popularity made him a target

David might have been justified to defend himself by killing Saul but twice he refused

He knew God alone had the authority to remove Saul

David respected God's office as the One whose sovereign  will works everything out in his own good time

When you understand that remains at the helm of the universe, you can relax

Wait on God to move on your behalf

Publius' father was ill; Pual went in and prayed for him and laying hands on him, he was healed - Acts 28:7-8

Paul was in a place where he could have used some rest and relaxation

He travel to Rome but became shiprecked at Malta - a beautiful place which remains a popular tourist destination today

You would think Paul might have taken a break during this opportunity but his commitment motivated him to make best use every moment God gave thim

Paul did the same thing he did on his previous missionary journeys:

• Healed the sick
• Preach the Word of God
• Planted seeds of faith

Make the best use of every moment God gives you, whatever your situation

Take a cenus of all the tribes of Israel - so I may know how may people there are - 2 Samuel 24:2

It is apporopriate and even necessary to speak words of correction, even when those words are not warmly received

Joab spoke up to King David, "Why do you want to do this?" - 2 Samuel 24:3
Why must you cause Israel to sin - 1 Chronicles 21:3

Joab apparently understood that David's orders came out of his reliance on superior military strength rather than the might of heaven

Though Joab warned King David not to go through with the cenus, the king did it anyway and paid a terrible price

The Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given Jeremiah - Ezra 1:1

What tools has God used to mold you?

• Intolerant Boos
• Family member that want nothing to do with God
• Phyiscal difficulties

Cyrus issued a decree to free the people of Judah and have all the gold and silver returned

At first, it might appear acted out of compassion and love of God

He did not serve God but God stirred his heart

Cyrus was an instrument in God's hands as he worked out his will in his people's lives

When you submit to his will and purpose, he can even use thing you consider "secular".

The Lord has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master for he has led me straight to my master's relatives - Genesis 24:27

Gratitude should flow naturally from the Creator-creature relationship

He wants you to bring your needs and desires to him in prayer so he might meet them and then thank him for answering

Eliezer went to God and asked very specifiically and directly a sign for show him the woman for Issac

When God gave Eliezer exactly what he asked for and remembered to turn to him immediately to praise and thank him

I am humble and gentle at heart - Matthew 11:29

The apostles could see how genuinely humblr and gentle Jesus was

Humility came from freely leaving heaven to take on human flesh so he might save all who come to him in faith

Jesus never struck back at those who did him harm but called on his Father to forgive them

He could expect them to be huble ad gentle because that is what he was like

Some men do not consider humility as a strong quality to follow

Humility was a quality of the strongest man who ever live, Jesus Christ

He refused to humble himself when the prophet Jeremiah spoke to him directly from the Lord - 2 Chronicles 36:11-12

Those who prefer to recieve nothing from God should pave their way with stubborn defiance

Zedekiah ascended the throne at age 21

He refused to listen to the Lord's word as spoken by Jeremiah

No man who maintains a stubborn attitude has ever done anything great for the Lord

How might you change your future for the better by humbly listening to God?

David was afraid of what King Achish of Gath might do to him. He pretented to be insane - 1 Samuel 21:12-13

Nothing reveals what's inside you quie like a stressfull situation

David fled to Gath become incognito from the murderous King Saul

King Achish's officers were aware of his true identity and David feared for his life and acted insane

Hardly the kind of behavior you would expect from Israel's next king

David allowed his stress rather than his God-inspired courage to rule the day

You may not be able to avoid stressful situations but you can decide for yourself how you'll respond to them

Jonathon made a solemn pact with David because he loved him as he loved himself - 1 Samuel 18:3

Sometimes God wants you to step back and allow someone else to take the lead and credit

Jonathan was content to play the role of sidekick in David's rise to power

His dad was King Saul but he wasn't called be suceed his father as king

A different man might have become angry and indignant for being overlooked but not Jonathan

In Jonathan, David had everything he could possibly want in a comrade, Jonathan was:

1. Selfless - 1 Samuel 9:1-2
2. Couragous warrior - 1 Samuel 14
3. A man of unshakable faith - 1 Samuel 14:6

Jonathan humbly stood back and rejoiced as his friend as David rose to the place God had call him

How willing are you to stand back and let others shine where they have been called by God?

Summary

Isaac dug wells, and at Beersheba the LORD blessed him.

Observations

Genesis 26:14 - Harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him

Genesis 26:22 - Isaac moved on and dug another well. This time there was no dispute over it

• When Abraham prospered, there became a conflict between his shepherds and Lot [Genesis 13:5-7]
• Philistines grew jealous because everything that Issac did seemed to go right
• Jealousy is a dividing force strong enough to tear the mightiest nations

Genesis 26:28 - We can plainly see that the Lord is with you

• Thanking God for their blessings is a great way to overcome this
• Before striking out in anger, consider what you may lose - a friend, a job, etc (foolish pride)
• We should be receptive to those who want to make peace with us
• When God influences our lives, our lives attracts people, even enemies
• We must take the opportunity to reach out to them with God's love

Application

When we see God's blessings, it is an opportunity to share with others with what God has given to us

Prayer

Please help me to see my many blessings and share with others freely

Men have not been content with the studying of the scriptures

The first century has been studied as no other century

• Customs of the people
• Clothing
• Their houses
• Social and Political life

...in hope that his might bring men closer to Jesus

Where do we get our info about Jesus?

• Words he spoke
• Deeds he did
• His times of silence
• Impression made upon his friends
• Impression made upon his foes
• Impression made upon people today

John the Baptist was a mighty man but he said there was one coming who is mighter than he

He baptized great and small but when Jesus arrives, John falters and draws back at thought of baptizing Jesus

Fisherman left all and followed him - such was the impression he made upon them

Jesus goes into the synagogue and begins to teach, they are amazed how he teaches with such authority

He heals and the people are surprised because God given such power to a man

Jesus drew men to him:

• Seashore: crowd so great, he pushed into the water
• Hilltop: hillside is alive with people
• Desert: great crowd surrounds him
• City: he sometimes dares not go into a city because the turmoil he would cause

In each place Jesus arrived, he turned it upside down by his presence

Only a man of strength draws to him great masses of men 

Different classes of people were attracted to Jesus

Not only did Jesus draw people to him, but he stirred them to the core

• They were astonishd
• They were amazed
• Filled with amazement

Jesus asked "Who do men say that I am?"

They went to the grave in order to find a man to whom they could compare

Pilate was afraid of a poor unarmed peasant

Many hate him, you can't hate a weakling

He was so mighty that when thought of him, they thought of God

We try to give to many causes and the result is we have little joy in our giving
It is not man's duty to contribute to every good cause that passes his way
Only when we draw a circle around our beneficence that we become what God likes - a cheerful giver

Not only was Jesus joyful but he was mighty

He stayed in Palestine and kept his heart close to a few chosen hearts - became increasingly influential

He made himself mighty by limiting himself

The difference between a mighty river and a swap is the river has banks (boundries)

What is success? It is to do the thing we were created to do
"I have finished the work you gave me to do" - Jesus to the Father

He was only 33 years old - yet he did the greatest piece of work ever accoumplished on the earth

The "fine" in fine arts is the because of the limitations which they impose
There is no leeway in music, a little sharp or flat and the song is not right