Quiet Times Search

MLK - as bad as slavery was - there a slavery that last for eternity

2 Corinthians 5:21 - Jesus might become sin for us

As existence of righteousness does not ensure we receive it

Satan tries everything to help us miss this opportunity

Jews after saw their failures in the past - created many regulations so they would not sin

• Not the content of their character
• Basis of conformity to rules
• Majored in the minors and minored in the majors

Religion that is performance based is doomed

• what must we do to please God
• Condemn others outwardly
• Condemn ourselves inwardly
• Everything becomes a matter of right and wrong
• Hearts focused if we have done enough and have done it right

• Fear - only for a while
• Christian fellowship - until other's disappointments and failures
• Ambition - until our disappointments and failures

• Told his brothers to not be distressed or angry with themselves for selling him to slavery
• Purpose was to save the lives of his family - Genesis 45:5
• He saved himself a lifetime of bitterness and self-pity

• We must come to peace with the past
• Develop his perspective on the matters at hand
• Be gracious is your evaluation of others' roles
• Forgive yourself and others
• Never waste the impact that your past can have on others
• Be thankful

• Albums of pictures - when God poured out his love
• Printed memorabilia
• Special events - birthdays, weddings, graduations, baptisms

• My days are swifter that a weaver's shuttle - Job 7:6
• My days are swifter than a runner - Job 9:25
  
• Man born of woman is of few days - Job 14:1

Reasons for a journal:

• It give you a jump start to your day - helps to remember and build on previous QTs
• Can build on a thought or a theme
• Reveals our spiritual progress
• Keeps us focused on our goals and convictions
• Becomes a seedbed of great inspiration and insight

Practical advice about journals:

• Set aside a notebook  - better than random pieces of paper
• Have a place to write down random thoughts and things that need to be done so you are not distracted
• Keep our goals before you

• We are longer slave but sons ans daughters
• We can approach him with confidence because of Jesus

• With Jesus as the high priest,  we can confidence to enter the into the throne room of God
• Can gain a heavenly perspective
• Praise God that his resources there are limitless

• Being holy, set apart, above us
• Prayer is not just asking for something but for honoring Him

• Kingdom has not come to every nation and place nor every person
• Pray for God to open doors, speaking boldly, with wisdom
• Pray for those who server and in leading roles

• God wants us to pray about surrendering to his will
• Challenges is our life must not be avoided but have a surrendered life
• Read some command and ask yourself if you are following them
• Jesus never asked for strength to go to the cross but only that he might surrender
• Besides pride and rebellion, unbelief keeps us from doing God's will

• Bring specific needs to God
• Must depend on God daily for our spiritual and physical needs
• Pray thorough your todo list and details
• Jesus said we could do nothing apart from God - John 15:5

• Lack of confession results in a hardened heart
• We will not mature if do not do this soul searching
• Be specific; ask others for forgiveness if needed
• Extend forgiveness; can not be forgiven by God otherwise

• What are your weaknesses? Have you faced them?
• Draw on God's power before Satan strikes

• Return again to praising and glorifying God
• All power rests in his hand

• Abraham - offering his son
• Jacob - working for Rachael
• ...and many others

• Adam and Eve - failed when tempted
• David - failed several times
• ...and many others

• Major changes
• Delayed promises
• Impossible problems
• Unanswered prayer
• Undeserved criticism

• Good and loving - Job 10:12
  
• All powerful - Job 42:2; 37:5, 23
  
• Every detail of his life - Job 23:10, 31:4
  
• He is in control - Job 34:14
• Has a plan for my life - Job 23:14
  
• He will save me - Job 19:25
  

The truth transforms us

Spiritual growth is the process of replacing lies with truth

Everything around you exists because "God said so"
Job - I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread (Job 23:12)

Must accept the Bible's authority

• Compass to be relyed on
• Counsel to listen to
• Benchmark for evaluating

Unrealiable authorities (at the Garden of Eden as well):

• Culture - "everyone is doing it"
• Tradition - "we' ve always done it"
• Reason - "it seems logical"
• Emotion - "it just feels right"

Must assimilate its truth

Allow yourself to be transformed by the truth

1. Receive God's Word - Consider carefully how you listen - Luke 8:18
2. Read God's Word - Read it as long as we live - Deuteronomy 17:19
3. Research God's Word  - Write down insights, ask questions
4. Remebering God's Word - Remember what is important to you; memorize; resist tempation
5. Reflect on God's Word  - Meditate, focused thinking

Must apply it principles

• We can fool ourselves that studying is doing
• Applying the Word is hard work
• Alway good to write down an action step from the result of your studying
  • Personal (involves you)
  • Practical (can be done)
  • Provable (deadline)

We server God by serving others
Everyone wants to lead; not many want to follow - we would rather be generals than privates

How can you know if you have the heart of Jesus?
You can tell what they are by what they do - Matthew 7:16

Real Servants make themselves available to serve

Like a soldier, always by for duty - 2 Timothy 2:4

• Do what is needed
• Do it when it is inconvenient
• Gives up control of their schedule
• Not frustrated because it is whatever God wants

Real servants pay attention to needs

Always looking out for ways to help others
Great opportunities to serve never last for long
Never tell your neighbor to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now - Proverbs 3:28

Real servants do their best with what they have

Servant never make excuses, procratinate, wait for better circumstances
If you wait for the perfect conditions, you will never get anything done - Ecclesiates 11:4
Less-than-perfect service is better than the best intention

Answered the following questions in the Q & A section:

1. Did God put all rulers in power?
2. Is God present everywhere, sees all things, and knows all things?
3. Should we observe the Sabbath?
4. Should we practice physical resistance?
5. Should work be done on the Sabbath?
6. Was Jesus the only one to ascend into heaven?
7. Was John the Baptist Elijah?
8. Was there one or two men seeking Jesus?
9. What is God's anger like?

• Connection to the highest places - John 1:11
• His ability to move the masses was unparalleled - Matthew 7:28
• His understanding of what it takes to succeed was clear and unwavering - John 12:23-24
• He stayed on task until it was done - John 19:30

• Working for a promotion
• Earn more money
• Gain material possessions
• Working for the Lord - Colossians 3:23

Mark 1:35, Matthew 14:13, and Luke 4:42 - shows us that Jesus often went to solitary places to pray

Solitude is essential in developing a deep relation ship with God
Be still and know I that I am from God - Psalms 46:10
Do you have a special place where you meet with God?

Psalms 5, 38, and 42 are examples of how open and expressive David was with God
He shared everything from joy and delight to anguish and dispair
How open are you with God?
God wants our hearts
As a result, we are much more open and real with others

We get fired up by sermons, fellowship, and music - Jesus went to be alone
There is nothing in your life that God cannot change

Prayer times make special memories
Israelites setup stones to remind them of what God had done - Joshua 4:7

Ideas for times with God:

• Write a love letter
• Sing a song you composed
• Write on a ballon, let it go
• Hang a poster and write the things God has done

1. Trust - We are exactly the way God wants us to be; he will make up what we are not - 2 Timothy 1:7
2. Righteousness - Righteous are as bold as a lion; god can not hear us if we cherish sin - Psalms 66:18
3. Action - do what the word says; Keep praying until you act

Lord's prayer in Matthew 6 and Luke 11

1. Our Father in heaven (Matthew 6:9) - Getting Started
2. Hallowed be your name (Matthew 6:9) - Getting Focused
3. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10) - Experiencing Divine Intervention
4. Give us today our daily bread (Matthew 6:11) - Praying for Provisions
5. Forgive our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us (Matthew 6:13) - Experiencing Forgiveness
6. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one (Matthew 6:13) - Developing Spiritual Protection
7. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glry forever. Amen.  (later manuscripts of Matthew) - Final Issues

Each will be addressed in detail in later chapters

YHWH-tsidkenu means "the Lord our righteousness"

Remembering Jesus' name in Hebrew Ya'shua which means  "God is salvation"
He was the fulfillment of the name YHWH-tsidkenu - 1 Corinthians 1:30

Thank God that I had no righteous of my own, Jesus died for me - source of my righteousness

Pause to think about what Christ has done for me
His atoning death and resurrection gives life meaning and significance

• Peter was arrested and thrown into jail
• Church's response was to pray for divine intervention
  • Not comfort
  • Not for Peter to accept his circumstances
• The church prayed earnestly
• God answered - a direct response to their prayers
• They did not believe Peter was at the door - we are like this

By nature, fathers are designed to be providers

Jesus instructed the disciples to pray "Give us this day our daily bread"

Father knows our needs already - Matthew 6:32
Preoccupation with our needs reveas a lack of trust in God as provider - Matthew 6:25-32
Our priority is God's kingdom - Matthew 6:33

First phrases of the prayer all point to God:

• Hallowed be your name
• Your kingdom come
• Your will be done

Then topics having to do with us:

• Give us this day
• Forgive us
• Lead us

These commandments... are to be upon your hearts (v. 6)

Should train from the heart level
in their minds and on their minds - Hebrews 10:16

Impress them on your children (v. 7)

Training with the Scriptures must be done with great conviction, sincerity and earnestness
If you want it to stick, you will need to give all you have

Talk about them always (v. 7)

Train consistantly - everywhere, anytime, anyplace

About teaching our children how to live life - not nagging about their misdeeds

Make it fun, doable, effective

Most training should be spontaneous

Never underestimate how many times we will have to say the same things over and over again

Love the brotherhood - 1 Peter 2:17

If you have a positive, loving attitudes about the church, your kids will too
If we love God's people, more likely to love to be at the church activiities

If you notice that things were not done excellently - pitch in and help make it better

Teach your kids to respect their Bible class teachers
If a conflict with a leader or classmate, solve it quickly

If you have problem with someone - don't speak inappropriately in front of your kids
You will undermine your children's love for God's kingdom

Appreciation for one another does not come about by accident

Must teach it, talk about it, show it and confront the ways the kids are not expressing it - only way

Cultivate appreciation by creating as many situations as possible where it expressed in words
Build up one another sessions - each person encouragees every other person specifically
Thank you nights - give thanks for different things other family members have said and done

Encourage your family to begin expressing respect, appreciation, and encouragement - whole atmosphere will change

Pleasant words are sweet to the soul - Proverbs 16:24

Teach your older children how to lead and teach your younger ones how to follow
Children's weaknesses tend to come out more with each other than with us

• Not holding to things
• Not grasping on
• Not saving ourselves
• No protectiveness
• Not a way of comfort

• king who prepared a feast
• yeast
• mustard seed
• a net
• treasure
• man searching for fine pearls
• man who sows seed
• king who wanted to settle accounts
• landowner who hired workers

• Humble (heart like a child) - Matthew 18:2-4
• Surrender (your will be done) - Matthew 6:10

Gentleness

Mark 1:29-34

• At times we need to raise our voices and push in order to get things done.
• At the same time using gentle tone and pitching in to help will accomplish far more good.

Fueling

Mark 1:35-39

• People who love sleep don’t usually change the world
• Jesus slept when he had the time
• Jesus was extremely eager to pray
• Most of us live with only a vague idea of purpose
• Our personal ministries – can be tempted to lose the fire, to settle down, and get comfortable
• We laugh and patronize at younger friends who are “idealist, zealots, and radicals