Quiet Times Search

What occupies my mind?
What concerns me?
When I think of security, is my focus on God or money?

If we are eager and driven to gain more we will stray from the faith and be pierced with many griefs - 1 Timothy 6:10

Secret to being content, I can do everything through him that gives me strength - Philippians 4:12-13

Judas: example of someone trying to live with 2 masters:

• Expressed concern for a waste of money that could have gone to the poor - John 12:4-6
• The hold money had on Judas' heart eventually led to his betrayal of Jesus

1. Becoming inwardly focused, see only our problems
2. Trying to help other straighten out their lives without being open to the same help ourselves

Zealot = a man who aims at overthrows

Jesus mission was to overthrow Satan's ruling government over the earth

1 John 3:7-8
• Jesus came to destroy Satan
• A zealot has a cause
• What was Jesus' cause?
  • Save man from hell
  • Save man from himself
  • Save man from Satan
Matthew 26:50-55
• They saw Jesus as a renigade

Cause worth living for

Luke 9:25
• What good is it?
• What would you write down as things that you are trying to gain?
• Living for Jesus is living life to the full

Luke 10:10
• Sometimes life is not fair
  • Through salvation (Judgement) comes fairness
• We hurt ourselves with the question "WHY?"
  • Like we can demand an answer from God
2 Corinthians 5:14
• Love compels us not out of duty

Spring reminds us that life can return to the dead
The return of spring brings such a relief and joy and anticipation
Might spring and summer may be nature way of expressing Jesus was trying to tell us?
Nature God's word to us also - Romans 1:20

Our ideas of heaven are sometimes not very desirable
Many Christians have some idea that heaven is an never-ending church service
And then our hearts sink
Forever and ever? That is it?

We sigh and feel guilty that is we are not more "spritual"
We then turn to the present to find what life we can
We can only hope for what we desire

Scripture tells us that God has set eternity in our hearts - Ecclesiastes 3:11
Where is out hearts? In our desires.

Sexual intimacy is the closest parallel we have to real worship

The best impostors succeed because they are nearly indistinguishable from what they are trying to imitate
We worship sex and other things because we don't know how to worship God

Our hearts live for "an experience of worship that fills our being with a joy that is so deeply in awe that we are barely aware of ourselves
Our worship services don't get anywhere near something like our wedding night

Men have a hard time relating to the bridal imagery used in Scripture

1. To be alive and thirsty
2. To be dead
3. To be addicted

Do not lose heart, fix our eyes on what is unseen - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

We are losing heart, all of us, daily

Someone was trying to shutdown Paul during his ministry - 2 Corinthians 11:23-27
He was looking at what he could not see

Life is an illustion - there is a way of looking at life and be able to live from the heart no matter what
How? By seeing with the eyes of the heart - Ephesians 1:18

Jesus spoke in parables to our hearts:

• A sower went out to sow some seed
• A man fell into the hands of robbers
• Suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one
• There were ten virgins with ten lamps

Jesus spoke in a way that will get past all intellectual defenses
Civil War: Fought between 1861 to 1865 vs stories of the lives lost during that time

When you tell a story, you speak to the heart

Myth tell us three truths, the second is:

2. There is a great struggle or quest or battle that is well under way

Christianity isn't about:

• Going to Sunday school
• Being nice
• Holding car washs
• Sending clothes to Mexico

As good as those things might be, this is a world at war
We live in a far more dangerous and dramatic story than we ever imagine

Reason we love these is because it is telling us that this is our most desperate hour

• The Chronciles of Narnia
• Star Wars
• The Matrix
• The Lord of the Rings

Without this buring in our hearts, we lose the meaning of our days

Notice that those who have tried to wake up to this reality were ususally killed

• The phophets
• Jesus
• Stephen
• Paul
• Most of the disciples in the Bible

Has it occured to you that someone is trying to shut them up?

• "Don't ever trust anyone"
• "Your heart is bad, never show it to anyone"
• "You are dirty and will never get free"

• Little Red Riding Hood - wolf
• Dorthy - Wicked Witch of the West
• Neo - powerful agents

• Satan incited David to take a census of Israel - 1 Chronicles 21:1
• To Peter: "Get behind me Satan" - Matthew 16:21-23

Some trying to "work through" things are simply have agreements with the Enemy
Do you really think the source of that is just you? or God?

Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry - Ephesians 4:26-27
Not just anger  - it happens through all sorts of issues

Satan uses your wounds and unresolved emotional issues to pin your heart down under a spiritual stronghold
Wounds we take are not accidential

We must be careful not to make agreements with Satan to increase his dominion

• Tienanmen square
• East Germans slamming their picks axes into the Berlin Wall

• Continued to claim to be God's Son
• Take care of his mother's needs
• Extend grace to the repentant thief

The soldier's heart was eventually moved and said - "Surely this man was the Son of God!"

Nothing short of Jesus' laying down his life would have brought this cynical soldier to his knees

• Jesus is God in the flesh. He is the unique Son of God: fully God and fully man!
• God came to earth as a man in order that we could come to know him.
  
• If you were an all powerful and invisible God, how would you have tried to communicate your love to your creation?
  
• Illustration: Imagine trying to talk to an ant - How do you communicate with them without terrifying them? Become an ant yourself
  

• All the fullness of God lives in Jesus Christ.
  
• Every aspect of God’s character can be found in Jesus.
  
• Reading through any of the Gospels describing Jesus life and words will give you insight into God’s character and will for your life.
  

• Mark 1:21-22 - Jesus was an amazing teacher whose words were spoken with authority.
• Mark 1:23-28 - Jesus cast out demons, showing that the power of God was present in him.
• Mark 1:29-31 - Jesus met people’s felt needs and healed the sick.
• Mark 1:32-34 - Jesus focused his attention on others and selflessly gave of himself.
• Mark 1:35 - Jesus was dependent upon God in prayer for his strength and direction.
• Mark 1:36-39 - Jesus was consumed with his mission to preach the good news.
• Mark 1:40-42 - Jesus was filled with compassion for all people.
• Mark 10:32-34, 45 - Jesus came to serve, and gave his perfect life as a ransom for sinners. As predicted, he was rejected by his people and crucified - but he rose from the dead three days later.

• God knows what you and I have done but he wants to help us get our lives in order
• The more we read, the more we understand God is merciful and loving
• He is serious about us changing our lives to fit His will vs us trying to change the Bible to fit our will

• Jesus is the ultimate reflection of God on earth
• Just as Jesus didn't come with a critical judgment = God does not either
• v46 - He shows us the way out of darkness - when we don't have a close relationship with him
• Question: What does Jesus say will actually judge us? God's words

1. Read the Bible daily so we can know him
2. We must apply the Bible to our lives, let it change us, and let our lives change others
3. Let's study the Bible together at least once a week for the next 3 weeks

1. Do I experience the fear of God as it has been described so far?
2. Does my fear of God tend to slavish - trying to please a taskmaster that can not be pleased?
3. Is my fear of God so shallow that I tend to be overly familiar with and fail to show the reverential awe that is due him?

• Since the food is contaminated and poisonous, the body does everything possible to flush the poison out. If the poison is not removed the person could die
• Being contaminated and poisoned by the world will damage your soul.
  

• Impurity is not just physically but it can also be emotionally.
• Often Satan tries to create an emotional connection in order to slowly pull you away from God’s standard.

• What does the Bible call for us to do in order to stay pure?
• When are you most tempted to be impure?
• Is there anyone that Satan is trying to use to lead you into impurity (physically or emotionally)?

Summary

Eve's sons made offerings to God. Only Abel's was acceptable, so Cain killed him. Abel's blood cried out and God sent Cain away.

Observations

Genesis 4:7 - if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door
The sins of omission are very related to the sins of commission. If you are sitting on the sidelines, you have time (maybe considered laziness) and you will give Satan time to put all sorts of temptations in your head. A lazy person bring is a good friend to the evil one and is considered a brother [Proverbs 18:9].

Genesis 4:9 - Am I my brother's keeper?
The Christian walk is more than God and us. It is also the people around us. We learn about relationships from others. We learn about ourselves and get feedback on how we are doing - and give it as well.  Without others we would have been pointed the way to God and we could not reach  others with the gospel.

Genesis 4:12 - You will be a restless wanderer on the earth
Without God in our lives, we are a restless wander. Our thoughts, emotions, and desires become our direction and we walk aimlessly - not knowing where we are, where we came from, or where we are going.

Genesis 4:26 - At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD
Since the beginning of time men began call for for God. It is built into the nature of our being. Time after time he has answered no matter how far away we go. But when he calls for us, will be answer? Will we let it go to voicemail? Are we screening our calls from Him and only answer the calls that are easy to take?

Personal Application

I wonder sometimes if I have my "ringer" loud enough for me to hear when God calls. A lot of times I look back on important events in my life and realize that I missed another lesson God was trying to teach me but I was not listening. I feel embarrassed  that I was so selfish during that times. I want to listen voice from God more intensely.

Summary

Sarai told Abram to have children with Hagar. Hagar conceived, then ran away, but an angel sent her back. Hagar's son was Ishmael.

Observations

Genesis 16:5 - You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering
At age 86 [Genesis 16:15] and 14 years too early, Abram had forgotten God's promise and was starting to make God's promise work for himself instead of waiting for God to fulfill his promise of making him a father of a great nation. Agreeing to Sarai's idea, he married Hagar and she became pregnant. This really complicated things between the three of them. The same thing happens with us. When we go about trying to do what we think God wants, things really get messed up.

Genesis 16:8 - where have you come from, and where are you going?
The angel that appeared asked about what direction Hagar was going.  Both question are necessary in evaluating our spiritual growth. Like understanding your physical location, you must first understand the past and state of mind you came from. Not knowing the starting point, you can not give directions. If you just knew where you have been and have no direction to go, you can not grow either.

Personal Application

I know I have experience times where I think I am doing what God wants but it really comes from my impatience or my selfish desires to see things happens the way I want them and when I want them. I need to just be patient and ask "is this the Lord will?".

• Proverbs 28:13 - You will always prosper and find mercy from God and other people
• Hebrews 3:13 - Talk with others daily to receive the encouragement needed
• James 5:16 - Healing will come to your heart when you confess to others

• Deuteronomy 11:16 - Satan will always be trying to entice you to return to your life of sin
• Psalms 101:2 - Be careful every day and in every situation
• 1 Corinthians 10:6-12 - Don’t be over-confident; even the greatest have fallen
• Ephesians 5:15-17 - Don’t be careless with your life; take the time to think about all you do
• Hebrews 2:1 - Lack of Being careful will cause you to drift from God

1. How did Jesus show the full extent of his love?
2. What was he trying to teach his disciples?
3. How can we obey verse 17?
4. Give specific examples.

1. Why was Dorcas so loved by everyone?
2. Who were her "special friends"?
3. Why do you think she did so much for them?
4. If you died today, what would you be remembered for?
5. What can we learn from Dorcas' life?

1. What made Timothy different from the others?
2. What shows a genuine interest in the welfare of others?
3. How can you be more like Timothy?

• Who do you serve?
• Do you serve those who are struggling in their faith?
• Do you feel opposed at everything you try to do?
• Could it be God opposing your pride? James 4:6 Is God simply trying to teach you humility and trust?
• What simple thing can you do to serve someone today? Whether they are in the church or not.

• What are some barriers to your faith in Christ?
• What characteristics of Christ do you admire?
• Pick one of those and focus on emulating it today in your own life.

• Pray about everything before you do it: pray about decisions, hopes and plans. God will bless it.
• Get advice about the plans you are making.
• Relax and enjoy your relationship with God, enjoy reaching out to people, enjoy your purpose.
  
• Don't try to prove anything to anyone, except that you love being a Christian.

1. Pray through my dream list at least twice a week
2. Learn to stop trying to be perfect and be grateful for his grace

1. When I feel like I am failing, I have to ask, "What is God trying to teach and show me through this?" and also get input from other disciples.
2. I need to study out how people in the Bible dealt with challenges and failures that are similar to the ones I'm experiencing.
3. I need to build the faith of others who are in the midst of challenges by openly sharing about my failures, what I learned from them, and how God helped me overcome.

• Pride
• Complacency
• Self pity
• Desiring comfort
• Fear

1. Decide never to quit being a disciple.
2. Decide to admit your weaknesses every day.
3. Decide to obey the Bible when you get knocked down.

Two different responses to God's power:

1. Moses doubted God's power to feed the 600,000 men
God asked His arm was too short - Numbers 11:21-23

2. Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego faced the furnace
The were convicenced God would save them from it - Daniel 3:17-18
They saw Jesus' glory and he spoke about him - John 12:41

John the Baptist described God's power and man's insignifiance - Matthew 3:3

• We are like grass that withers before the eternal God - Isaiah 40:7-8
• We are a mist - James 4:14
• The nations are drop in the bucket - Isaiah 40:14

Imagine trying to asking a clerk compensate for dust when weighing an item for purchase - it would be absurd

How do you current view God?

We need to choose to let go of childishness and foolishness
When I became a man, I did away with childish things - 1 Corinthians 13:11

Clinging to childhood while growing into manhood is like trying to run in opposite directions at the same time aka the “Peter Pan Syndrome”

Teen years are often wasted and fathers have become silent.

Rather than initiating serious conversations with wiser men, they goof off with fools in sports bars

Too many men want the freedoms, rewards, and privileges of manhood but only the responsibilities of boyhood

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ - Ephesians 4:14-15

Do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature - 1 Corinthians 14:20

The noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands - Isaiah 32:8

Continuing the “heart hindrances” that will push your chidren away.

6. Favoritism.
   • Less favored children become resentful.
   • It led Rachel and Leah to fight and Joseph’s brothers to hate him
7. Hypocrisy.
   • It will kill trust between you and your children
   • Identify hypocrisy in you, be quick to repent
8. Hurting their mother.
   • They will tend to take up offense for the woman who loves them
   • If you teach them to dishonor her, they will eventually dishonor you
9. Misunderstanding.
   • Is tied to kids feeling misunderstood and not listened to by their parents
   • If a matter is important to them, it should be important to you
10. Unrealistic expectations.
    • Kids will quickly be discouraged if they believe their parents have set them up to fail
    • Avoid comparing their weaknesses with another child’s strengths
    • Your child believes he can’t please you, he’ll eventually quit trying

You must keep your radar up to sense if you have your children’s hearts

Questions to continously ask:

• Have I ever wounded you and not made it right?
• Have I said one thing and done another?
• Have I made promises and not kept them?
• Is there anything you’re angry with me about? Is there anything you’re not telling me because you’re afraid?

Too many men foolishly refuse to apologize because they’re trying to save face and don’t want to look bad.

Summary

Sarah died in Kiriath-arba and Abraham asked the Hittites for a burial site. He bought a cave at full price from Ephron and buried Sarah there.

Observations

Genesis 23:6 - Listen, my lord, you are an honored prince
Abraham's reputation was above reproach. Those who invest their time and money in serving God often earn a good return on their investment - a good reputation and the respect of others. He was in front of the elders of the land to witness this as a legit transaction (v16). No one could say Abraham stole and cheated someone in this first recorded real estate transaction. He simply waited on God to fulfill his promise in his own timing. Unlike Jesus' disciples, Abraham did not have a battle plan on how He would take the land. [Matthew 26:52]

Genesis 23:15 - Land is worth 400 pieces of silver, but what is that between friends?
Abraham paid the initial price even after refusing the land as a gift time and time again. He was not trying to take anything he didn’t deserve. Even though God had promised the land to Abraham, he was did come with a attitude that he owned the place. Instead, he waited for God's timing and will to fulfill his promise. Like David, he did not want to take what was someone else's and give it the Lord. [1 Chronicles 21:24]

Application

What kind of reputation do I have at work, at home, and at church? What do others say about me? How has that helped or hindered me?

Do I become impatient in waiting for God's promises? Do I try to fulfill God's promises for him?

Do we avoid giving when it really costs us something?

Prayer

Lord, help me to have the faith to wait on your promises and to always be ambassador of yours no matter where I am.

Why are you trying to do all this alone? - Exodus 18:14

A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Nobody lives long enough to make them all himself.

Moses filled hs plate to overflowing - working from dawn to dusk

This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself - Exodus 18:17-18

Jethro's advice: Slow down and let someone who feared and loved God do a part of the work

As a priest of Midian and successful businessman, Jethro had a lot of wisdom to share

Your mistakes can be put to good use by encouraging others to not repeat them

Phinehas has turned my anger away from the Isrealites by being as zealous among them as I was - Numbers 25:10

Phinehas had seen the immorality going on around him and could not stand idly by and allow his people tp defile themselves

Neither could he allow God judgement to continue without trying to bring it to an end

His last straw momenet was when he witnessed his Hebrew brother shamelessly taking a Midianite into his tent

Phinehas' zeal kicked in and passionately executed the man

From then on, he showed his willingness to take a stand and the people of Israel were spared and decendants received God's blessings - Numbers 25:12-13

When you are enthusiastic about your relationship with God, you are bound to affect the people around you 

Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath or is it a day for doing evil? - Mark 3:4

Nothing gets the attention of a religous old guard faster than trying something new and different

Example: Jesus on earth with the Jewish leaders with so many rules and regulations

No one could keep all the rules and certainly not while joyfully serving God

Jesus' wisdom steered people back toward the spirit of the law - root in the love for God and neighbor

He healed a man in need and the leaders called it working therefore wrong

Are you legalist or do you enjoy the freedom Jesus came to give you?

Surely you wouldn't do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked - Genesis 18:25

Abraham's heart sank when God announced he would destroy Sodom:

• Lot and his family lived there
• Possiblity have friends there

He couldn't just stand there without trying to intercede on their behalf

Abramham trusted God's assessment of Sodom and he to be just and righteous

God said he would not destory the city if there were 50, 30, 20, 10 righteous left - Genesis 18:32

Are you a man of persistent, passionate prayer?

Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple - John 2:15

Jesus became angry times when he saw authorities have a lack of love and true faith in his heavenly father

He espcially got angry this time with the money changers who were greedy in their dealing with those pilgrims trying to purshase sacrificial animals

Jesus always directed his anger at things that stood in the way of God's purposes for mankind

Do you express your anger over the same kind of issues that angered Jesus?

When you become angry, ask yourself:

• Is it for the right reason?
• Is it for the right people?
• Is it at the right moment?

No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words - Job 2:13

Many men struggle with just listening - why God gave us two ears and only one mouth

At first Job's friends were the exactly the kind of friends he needed

After Job had spoken, they began speaking but instead of comforting him they tried to fix his problems - which made things worst

Sometimes it is best to just listen instead of trying to fix things

I have fought the good fight, I  have finished the race - 2 Timothy 4:7

Paul contemplated his own end, he knew:

• The futility of trying to earn God's favor
• Faithful service would prepare him for God's staggering blessings
• He had remained faithful to his calling
• What lay ahead of him beyond the executioner's sword

He felt at peace with his imminent death and did not see his life as his own - 2 Timthoy 4:6

Nothing in this life can compare with what awaits you in heaven as a follower of Jesus Christ

The king has sent me on a private matter - 1 Samuel 21:2

We can overcome our fear of what men do to us by clinging to our faith and remembering God superintends everything that comes our way

David was on the run from King Saul because he was trying to kill him when he met Ahimelech

David lied to Ahimelech - The king has sent me on a private matter 

It's not hard to figure out why David lied, he feared Saul more than he trusted God

When you fear men, do you focus on the fear or trust in God who already has your future mapped out

May the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful - Psalms 90:1

The formula for failure is trying to please everyone

Lasting blessing comes when you make pleasing God and seeking his approval your focus

In Psalms 90, Moses wrote while in the wilderness, plainly about the consequences of their stubbornness and disobedience

Most of those who left Egypt would never see the Promise Land but still found hope understanding the connection between willing obedience and divine blessing

Life is far too short and God's blessing to wonderful to miss anything he wants to give you