Guard Yourself Spiritually

"Where there is fear of God to keep the house, the enemy can find no way to enter."  -St. Francis of Assisi

Have you noticed how various professions require the wearing of safety equipment? For example, American football players are required to wear helments and pads to protect themselves while playing. Construction workers are required to wear hard hats for protection from falling objects. Even soldiers, police, and firefighters wear protective gear.

Were you aware that we, too as Christians are provided special equipment to wear as protection from spiritual attack; specifically against "the rulers of the darkness of this world?" It's true! You will find this all laid out for you in Ephesians 6:10-20. From head to toe the Lord provides us with body armor to protect us against the constant onslaught of Satan.

If one were asked what part of the body was most vulnerable to attack, you might answer, "the head." Not a bad answer! I mean, after all, the head is the seat of our intellect, the foundation of our personality, and source of our actions. This doesn't mean that the other body parts aren't important, as well. It's just that the head plays such a crucial role in the conflict with evil. 

In Ephesians 6:17 Paul refers to wearing a "helmet of salvation." What is the purpose of the "helmet" that he refers to? Look at it this way. We could say that our way of thinking needs preservation, or protection. The head, being the seat of the mind, which, when it has laid hold of the sure gospel hope of eternal life, will not receive false doctrine or give in to Satan’s temptations. 

This "helmet of salvation" emphasizes that genuine religion involves the intellect as well as the emotions. Without it (the helmet of salvation), the unsaved person has no hope of warding off the blows of false doctrine because he is without the helmet's protection. Thus, his unsaved mind has great difficulty telling the difference between spiritual truth, and spiritual deception. 

Jesus said that the great commandment is "to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37). We respond to God's will with our emotions and our mind. Only as we respond totally can we overcome the evil (Satan) that wants to destroy us.

Keep in mind that the conflict with Satan is spiritual, and therefore no tangible weapons can be effectively used against him and his servants. We're not given a list of specific tactics Satan will use. So we must be on our guard at all times. In closing I ask, are you wearing all the armor our Father God has provided for you as you face the assaults of Satan and struggle to win the battle of life?

Scripture: Ephesians 6:12; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; 1 Peter 5:8; James 4:7; Luke 10:19   

Prayer: I am thankful, Heavenly Father, for the expression of Your will for my daily life as You have shown me in Your Word. Amen

May God bless you!

Elise

Compassion Does Not Mean Weakness!

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”   -Mother Teresa

Compassion. When that word is used, many haven't a clue as to what it truly means. Weakness might come to mind when they think of compassionate people. Men especially are guilty of viewing compassion as something “weak, soft people do.” In actuality, expressing compassion towards others reveals a strength of character that few people possess.

For the most part, we live in a compassion-less world where most people place themselves and their family above any other consideration in the world. The sad reality is that most people simply just don't care what happens to others. In other words, they do not possess compassion.

When we read the Gospels, they tell us of Jesus and His great compassion for mankind. We see that our Savior was moved deeply in His inner being by the needs of those around Him. The word compassion, as it is used in the Bible means: “To be moved inwardly; to yearn with tender mercy, affection, pity and empathy.” It refers to the deepest possible feelings.

I am certainly not pointing fingers or trying to single anyone out here, I would be the first to admit that I need all the help in this area that I can get. Too often, I am selfish and self-centered; but I want to be, no, I need to be more like Christ!

What I'd like to do today is to briefly examine, and hopefully learn from Christ's examples for caring about the needs of others. Let's begin with the question: "Where did His compassion originate?"  A few things come to mind. First, His compassion originated from his essence. Think about this for a moment. Think about Who Jesus is. He is God in the flesh! He's not restrained, or hindered with a fallen nature. He's not selfish, or self-centered. Unlike us, He transcends all the faults and flaws that mark humanity (John 1:18; John 14:9).

Next, His compassion originated in his experiences. One reason Jesus was able to express such sympathy for others was due to His Own experiences in life. Jesus didn't come into this world to live an idyllic life. The life He lived was difficult at best. He grew up, lived and died in lamentable poverty (Luke 2:24; Matthew 8:20).

When He died, His worldly effects consisted of just the clothes on His back (John 19:23-24). He definitely knew about loneliness (Matthew 14:23; Mark 6:47). He was despised, hated and rejected (John 1:11; Mark 14:50). Additionally, He even endured a time of severe temptation (Matthew 4:1-11).

Okay, now we know a little bit about where His compassion came from. Let's ask another question: "Whom, or what were the objects of His compassion?" We find in Scripture that he felt compassion for: the Scattered Ones (Matthew 9:36; 15:32); the Sinning Ones (Mark 5:1-20); the Sick Ones (Matthew 14:14; 20:30-34; Mark 1:40-45); the Suffering Ones (Luke 7:11-13); and, the Seeking Ones (Mark 10:17-22).

Note that the disciples (like us) knew little about compassion, either. James and John wanted to call fire down from heaven to punish a Samaritan village that refused to receive Jesus (Luke 9:54). On another occasion, the disciples wanted to send a hungry crowd away with nothing (Mark 6:34).

So, why did Jesus have to teach His disciples about compassion; and why do we still need the lessons today? I think the answer lies in the fact that compassion is against our very nature. We tend to be selfish and concerned only with ourselves; living by the credo that "that which does not touch us personally doesn't matter." This is precisely why Jesus had to teach His men about compassion, and why we still need the lessons today. Amen!

Scripture: Luke 22:27; 1 Peter 3:8; Matthew 7:12; Ephesians 4:32; Galatians 6:2

Prayer: Dear Father, give us compassion and humility in our hearts. Let us be kind, gentle, generous, loving, giving and forgiving wherever we may go. Allow pride to never get the best of us as You fulfill our dreams. Help us not to have a boastful tongue against others. Let humility invade our souls. Amen

May your day be blessed,

Virginia

We Can't Save Ourselves from Sin

"We have a strange illusion that mere time cancels sin. But mere time does nothing either to the fact or to the guilt of a sin."  -C.S. Lewis

Years ago a newspaper ran this headline: "To hell with sin when being good is enough." I can't help but stop and reflect on this. Might this be the wave of preaching today in a lot of churches? Is this telling us that people know what sin is; they just don't believe in it anymore? Do we mix up happiness and holiness, and that God is no longer the reference point?

Are we to seriously believe that if you can solve your problems or sins yourself, what difference does it make that Christ was crucified? If this is the case, then we must be in some pretty deep waters as Christians. What's even more terrifying is that following this line of reasoning means that God wasted His time sending His only Son to save us from sin (John 3:16).

That's why I belieive that in order for "sin" to make an impression, people have to see themselves as "sinners" — ultimately alienated from God and unable to save themselves — for Christ's sacrifice to be essential.

We all have an innate sense of what is "right" and "wrong." This is true even if we never set foot inside a church or crack open a Bible. Does one have to be "religious" or "church-going" to be free from sin? No. Everyone knows that we can sit in church all day on Sunday, but it won't make us any less sinful.

So, "What is sin?" Sin is described in the Bible as transgression of the law of God (1 John 3:4) and rebellion against God (Deuteronomy 9:7; Joshua 1:18). The truth be told; We are all born sinners! There's no escaping this fact.

Can we ever not be sinners? No. But, as believers we have been given a reprieve from the penalty of death and eternal damnation. How is this possible? God imputed the sin of believers to the account of Jesus Christ, who paid the penalty for that sin—death—on the cross. Imputing our sin to Jesus, God treated Him as if He were a sinner, though He was not, and had Him die for the sins of the entire world (1 John 2:2).

Pope Benedict summed it up very nicely when he said, "People who trust in themselves and in their own merits are, as it were, blinded by their own 'I,' and their hearts harden in sin. On the other hand, those who recognize themselves as weak and sinful entrust themselves to God, and from him obtain grace and forgiveness."

Look, we're not perfect and we're going to slip-up now and then. We can't help it. But, there's no sense in beating yourself over the head about it. God knows this already. Does this mean that we can go out there and do whatever we want without any fear of punishment? No.

However, If you truly believe in Him, and that Jesus died for your salvation; ask for forgiveness and it shall be given. But you say that you've sinned too much for forgiveness? It doesn't matter to Him (Matthew 18:21-22)!

Scripture: Romans 6:11; Jeremiah 10:23; Psalm 51:10; Psalm 51:2; 1 Corinthians 1:30

Prayer: Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner and I pray for forgiveness. Please cleanse me of my sins and make my heart worthy of your love and mercy. Amen

Have a blessed day!

Sheila

Bible Study Snacks: Job 1:1-2:13

Hi, everyone!

Happy Friday, and welcome to Bible Study Snacks!  It's truly great to come back to The Coffeehouse Bible Ministry after taking some time off to start my family. Gosh, I can't believe how quickly time flew by! Eve and the rest of the ministry team were fantastic, as usual, during my absence. I also want to give a truly special thanks to my good friend Bibi for holding down the fort for me until my return. Bibi, I love you! 

I hope everyone had a nice week! As always, I thank you so much for joining me as we walk together through the richness of God's spoken word, and wisdom. I pray that today finds you in good health and strong in faith!

This week, we will begin a brand new study. Our focus will be on the Book of Job. Much has been discussed about this book because of it's wide appeal to almost everyone. Many times we tend to skip over the Old Testament, which is unfortunate because so much of the New Testament has very strong ties to it.

Also note that the Old Testament was written for our learning. It provides patience and comfort, and can be such a source of hope, too. This is especially true with the story of Job, which you shall soon see during our study together. Let's begin...

I've designed these studies to be brief, yet packed full of good information for everyone regardless of your level of biblical knowledge. I might add that these quick studies make perfect small group discussion starters, as well!

As always, I whole-heartedly believe in the importance that any Bible study should begin with prayer. If you have your Bible ready, let's pray together...

"Heavenly father, please guide us as we study your Word today; I pray that our hearts and our minds will be open so that we will not only receive your Gospel, but learn from it as well; you are the Light of the world, Lord, and your Spirit will illuminate our path as we journey through your teachings. In the name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. Amen"

If you are taking notes for yourself, or using this for a bible study with others, here are the objectives for this week's lesson...

OBJECTIVES: This week, the reader will...

1) See the stage set for the "great controversy" that will occur between Job and his friends
2) Consider the challenge that Satan made concerning Job; would God have as much confidence in our faithfulness?
3) Appreciate the integrity of Job in the midst of his great suffering

For your convenience, here is a summary of Job 1:1-2:13...

The first two chapters set the stage for the great disagreement that will take place between Job and his friends, which is triggered by a controversy between God and Satan. We're first introduced to Job in the land of Uz (likely Edom, SE of the Dead Sea, cf. Jeremiah 25:20-21; Lamentations 4:21). A man of remarkable character,who was blessed with a large family and many possessions. As an example of his piety (holiness), his sacrifices in behalf of his children are disclosed (Job 1:1-5).

We then learn of the debate between God and Satan concerning Job. There is an occasion when Satan comes before the Lord and God asks him whether he has considered His faithful servant, Job. Satan responds with an attack on Job's character, that his fear of God was only because God has blessed him. Satan then says that Job would curse God if everything he had was taken away. In response, God places all that Job has in Satan's power, with the exception of Job himself (Job 1:6-12).

In one day, then, Job loses all of his material possessions through different calamities. His sons and daughters, also, are killed when a great tornado destroys the house in which they are partying. Though deeply grieved, Job worships God and does not accuse Him with doing wrong (Job 1:13-22).

When Satan appears before God again, the Lord asks whether he had considered how Job had remained faithful despite his losses. Satan then makes another challenge, saying that Job would curse God if he himself were harmed.

God then gives Satan power over Job, but only up to the point of actually taking his life. With such power, Satan strikes Job with painful boils (cf. Job 2:7-8; 7:5; 30:30) over his entire body. Job's wife loses what faith she has, and tells him to curse God and die. Job, however, refuses to sin with his mouth (Job 2:1-10).

At this point, three of Job's friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar) come to mourn and try to comfort him. However, they're shocked when they see Job (whom they did not recognize because of the boils), and sit astonished for seven days and nights without a word in reaction to the immensity of his grief (Job 2:11-13).

REVIEW QUESTIONS:

1) Where did Job live? What country might that have been? (Job1:1)
2) How is Job described regarding his character? (Job 1:1)
3) How many children did he have? (Job 1:2)
4) What were his possessions? (Job 1:3)
5) What did Job do whenever his sons would throw a party? (Job 1:4-5)
6) What was Satan's accusation to God concerning Job? (Job 1:9)
7) What was Satan's initial challenge to God concerning Job? (Job 1:11)
8) What did God allow Satan to do? (Job 1:12)
9) What did Job lose in one day? (Job 1:13-19)
10) What was Job's reaction to this great lose? (Job 1:20-21)
11) What was Satan's second challenge to God concerning Job? (Job 2:5)
12) What did God allow Satan to do? (Job 2:6)
13) With what did Satan afflict Job? (Job 2:7)
14) What did Job's wife want him to do? (Job 2:9)
15) What did Job ask his wife? (Job 2:10)
16) What three friends came to mourn with him, and to comfort him? (Job 2:11)
17) How did they react when they saw Job? (Job 2:12-13)
18) What summary statements are made of Job in response to his suffering? In other words, in spite of everything that happened to him, Job did not... (Job 1:22; 2:10)

After completing this week's study, I encourage you to go back and read through the material again. Take your time and read each topic and scripture reference as many times as you feel necessary. Keep in mind that by doing this, you just might see something new that you overlooked the first time around!

As we journey through the Bible together, I will continue to pray that God’s message will come through to you loud and crystal clear. Until next time, I wish everyone a blessed week!

God bless you!

Sheri

Begin with Prayer

"True prayer is measured by weight, not by length. A single groan before God may have more fullness of prayer in it than a fine oration of great length."  -C. H. Spurgeon

A good pilot will always run through a checklist while preparing to go on a flight. During this process he, or she assesses the air worthiness of the aircraft, and the weather conditions they will encounter along the way.

The surface and instruments on the aircraft along with the weather information is crucial for a safe flight. You see, the pilot is totally responsible for the overall safety of the flight and passengers. A little bit of preparation beforehand goes along way in ensuring a safe and comfortable journey for all.

A fruitful journey with Christ takes a little preparation as well. Let me illustrate my point with a familiar morning scenario for many us. We wake up, get the rest of the family rolling out of bed, too. Can't do alot without that coffee, so we get the coffee-maker going. Then, we get dressed, get fed (the family, too!), everyone runs around a bit getting their acts together before finally heading out the door to work or school.

I understand that this a very abbreviated version of what may, or may not happen in your house but hopefully you get the gist. It all happens so quickly that it almost seems like a blur! Referring back to our story about the pilot, what would happen if he just hopped in his plane (passengers included) and sped off without his check-off routine?

This is what too many of do every morning. We just hop out of bed and take off. It's no wonder that the rest of the day seems just as hectic! It doesn't have to be this way. I'll bet you didn't know that we've been given a check-off list, too. This check-off list prepares us for the day ahead come what may. What is it? It's called prayer.

Praying as we wake up is an awesome way to begin the day! It helps to remind us of the real reason we're alive. It also connects us with the living God. Jesus took early morning prayer very seriously - it's recorded in the Gospels that he arose before daybreak and went to be on His own to pray (Mark 1:35).

We can always make time for prayer before starting our day. Prayers don't have to be long, drawn-out petitions with a parade of gratitudes, requests, and confessions. Not at all. The best prayers are short and to the point. Just say what's in your heart. Talk to Jesus like you're talking to your best friend. That's it!

It's definitely a habit worth getting into. If you're not used to doing this it might take several tries. Just stay with it and it will gradually become second nature. Soon, you'll wonder how you ever started your day without prayer! I won't tell you about the difference it will make in your daily life, you'll have to experience that yourself. What I can tell you is this...you won't be disappointed!

Scripture: Jude 1:20; John 16:13; James 1:5; Psalm 32:6;Philippians 1:4

Prayer: 

Jesus
Wake me!
Warm my heart with your love.
Shake me!
Inspire my mind with your words.
Fill me!
Nourish my soul with your hope.
Hold me!
Protect my life with your strength.
Be with me
As I work, rest and relax today.
Amen.

May God bless you!

Janice

The Wisdom of Patience

"Patience is the companion of wisdom."  -Saint Augustine 

Being patient isn't always the easiest thing to do. If you are a parent then you're quite aware of this point already! My father loved working on cars. He had an old metal sign that hung in the garage where he worked that read: Patience: The ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears. I couldn't agree with this thought more.

No one could possibly teach us more about patience than Jesus Christ. He was extremely patient with his disciples. Like many of us, they could be thickheaded, lazy, selfish, and slow to believe. And, in spite of Jesus' miracles and words of wisdom, they tended to mostly focus on themselves and fluctuated in their belief about who he really was.

Even so, do we find him criticizing his disciples over their foolishness and stupidity? Or making fun of them when they make mistakes? To be honest, every now and then he does mention that they are slow to believe, or asks how long will they fail to have faith in him. But, he does this in his own fitting and useful way; not being petty, or complaining.

The important thing to pick up here is that Jesus' refusal to complain about his irritating disciples shows us alot about self-control, or patience. You or I might have gone off on all of them; really letting them have it. But he didn't. In spite of their vice and thick-headedness, he remained no less committed to them and served them even more as their failures became increasingly outstanding.

As we go on with our lives, our patience will be tried from time to time. How you handle high-stress, or frustrating situations will say mountains about your self-control. The easy, quick, knee-jerk response would be to go off on some wild tirade. (If you need proof, just check out some of those YouTube videos. Yikes!)

Or, you can look at the situation like Jesus probably did. He knows that none of us are perfect and we act accordingly. His disciples probably gave his some Ibuprofen moments for sure. But, he was willing to understand their imperfections and need to progress in their growth of faith.

Remember when Israel lost their cool and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt (Nehemiah 9:17)? God could have lost it and written them off, But He didn't. In this case, He showed just how long-suffering his patience is with us.

In spite of our repeated failings, pride, and stubborness, he is always ready to pardon (Nehemiah 9:17), and his Spirit is always ready to instruct (Nehemiah 9:20). Following God's example of forgiveness helps us forgive those who fail us, even "seven times seven" (Matthew 18:21-22).

Although our patience is tested every day and, we can hope, increased, we must keep in mind the process of sanctification and how God is constantly working in our difficulties, even in those little annoyances, to make us more like Jesus.

Scripture: Romans 12:12; Galatians 6:9; Philippians 4:6; Ecclesiastes 7:9; 1 Corinthians 13:4

Prayer: Holy Father, grant me the patience to live my life as a glowing example of your love and mercy. Help me demonstate this patience in my interaction with others everyday. Amen

Have a blessed day, 

Amy Lynn

We Are Back!

We are so happy to be back! I hope that you all had a wonderful summer, or winter (depending on your hemisphere). For many of us, today is the first day of Fall and an appropriate day to return to our blog. The kids are back in school, vacations and other committments have largely been completed, and we are back in business. The change of seasons is always exciting because it presents so many new opportunities and possibilities.

For all of us here at The Coffeehouse Bible Ministry we feel refreshed in spirit, body, and mind. I appreciate your patience over our hiatus, and hope that you had a chance to use all of our available resources during the interim.

We are blessed to have you join us on another journey as we walk with Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ together. Whether you are new to our blog, or an old friend we welcome you one and all! As always, we are thankful for your fellowship and hope that your days ahead will be blessed and prosperous.

In Jesus name, Amen!

~Eve