Prejudice Is A Terrible Sin!

Nat King Cole (an American singer and musician) became a successful recording artist and was the first African-American to host his own national television program. In 1948, he purchased a beautiful home in an exclusive Los Angeles neighborhood. When the local neighborhood association confronted him and informed him it didn't want any undesirables to move in. Cole responded, "Neither do I. If I see any coming in here, I'll be the first to complain." He lived in that house until his death in 1965.

Changing your belief system and view of the world as you have been taught is a dramatic challenge for most. For some it is an impossible barrier to cross. Many would rather fight than switch their belief system.

From time to time, it’s good to ask our Lord Jesus to search your heart to see if there is any sin of prejudice there. If it is, then we need to be willing to have him who is our life dissolve the prejudice---he is the only one who can do it---so that we can continue to enjoy the "unity of the Spirit" at this Christian fellowship and with other Christians around this community and the world.

Dr. John Perkins, African-American pastor and urban leader, tells how with much pain he overcame his prejudices against whites. I’m quoting what he said at his court trial on February 7, 1970. “When I got to jail and saw the people in jail, of course I was horrified as to why we were arrested. And when I got in the jail Sheriff Jonathan Edwards came over to me right away and said, “This is the smart nigger, and this is a new ballgame.You’re not in Simpson country now; you are in Brandon. He began to beat me; and from that time on they continued beating me.”

He later was released from jail, but in July of that same year had a heart attack. In the hospital he had a lot of time to think. He thought about blacks and whites. He thought about how, in a country that claimed to stand for “liberty and justice for all,” a black man in Mississippi could get no justice. He thought about how in Mississippi ‘Christians’ were the most racist whites of all.

He said the Spirit of God worked on him and the image of the cross of Christ formed in his mind. Jesus understood his suffering. John Perkins read Matthew 6:14-15, “For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But, if you do not forgive men, then your heavenly Father will not forgive your transgressions.”

He said to receive God’s forgiveness, “I was going to have to forgive those who had hurt me. As I prayed, the faces of those policemen passed before me one by one and I forgave each one. Faces of other white people from the past came before me, and I forgave them, I could sense that God was working a deep inner healing in me that went back beyond February 7, 1970. It went clear back to my earliest memories of childhood. God was healing all those wounds that had kept me from loving whites. How sweet God’s forgiveness and healing was?”   (Excerpted  from With Justice for All by John Perkins)

Prejudice is a terrible sin. It haunts the minds of many who would even seek to be holy. How does this disease work its way into a person's heart and mind? It uses the infectious method of deception and distortion. It warps the common sense of people by messing up their minds!

A deplorable incident occurred in the life of Mahatma Ghandi. He said in his autobiography that during his student days he was interested in the Bible. Deeply touched by reading the gospels, he seriously considered becoming a convert. Christianity seemed to offer the real solution to the caste system that was dividing the people of India.

One Sunday he went to a church to see the minister and ask for instruction on the way of salvation and other Christian doctrines. But when he entered the sanctuary, the ushers refused him a seat and suggested that he go and worship with his own people. He left and never went back. "If Christians have caste differences also," he said to himself, "I might as well remain a Hindu."

The Bible is very clear on what happens when one person in the Body of the Lord decides to discriminate against another. For example, Numbers: Chapter 12 shows us what happened to Miriam and Aaron when they criticize and discriminated against Moses' choice of an Ethiopian wife. Everyone should take some time and read through it again, especially if you haven't done so lately!

Loving others is the key to being who Christ wants us to be. We are instructed to love others as we love ourselves. We are to treat all people the same. We are to treat everyone equally. With dignity and respect! That is the way of God and the right way to live. Let’s practice Matthew 6:14-15. And may people around you know you are a Christian by your love.

"Love is not blind--it sees more, not less. But because it sees more, it is willing to see less."   -Rabbi Julius Gordon

Scripture: Psalm 63:3; Psalm 57:10; Proverbs 21:21; 1 Corinthians 16:14; Ephesians 4:2; 1 Peter 4:8; 2 Thessalonians 3:5; 1 John 4:18; Galatians 3:28; Matthew 7:1; Genesis 1:26-27

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we ask for thy guidance and save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance; and from every evil way. Drive from among us all bitterness and racial prejudice, fill our hearts with the spirit of brotherhood and make us a united people faithful to do Thy Will, through Christ Thy Son, Our Lord. Amen

God bless you all!

Heather

Video: Beth Moore - Treasuring Up

In this message, Beth shows how God sometimes shows us things that we need to "treasure up" in our minds for future purpose. Enjoy!  ~Eve

Even Christians Are Not Immune from Depression and Anxiety!

Today's young women are more likely to become depressed than their mothers were and at a younger age. Reasons: increased economic pressure to contribute to family income...changing role in society...inability to meet their own expectations...a sense of having lost control.    -Dr. Gerald Klerwan, in Homemade, December. 1986

According to Galatians 5:22, two of the fruit of the Spirit are joy and peace. In Philippians 4:7, 9, the promise of the Gospel is that the peace of God which surpasses all our ability to understand should guard our hearts and minds. When God promises this, why are Christians facing depression and anxiety as often as anyone else in the world?

What does the Bible say about overcoming issues such as depression and anxiety? No doubt, we are all aware of Philippians 4:6 which instructs us to cast our cares upon the Lord and He will care for us. But, if you are like me, you wonder exactly how we do that. Does that mean simply pray or is there more to it? I think there is more. I think there is a lifestyle we must adopt that will, over time, replace our depression and anxiety with peace, joy and comfort.

But, before we look at that lifestyle, let me say it is not simple, nor instantaneous. It will take work and time. If you are depressed or anxious today, there is nothing I can say that will have the problem fixed by tomorrow. There are no band-aids for this, only a change of life based on the word of God. I do recognize that where people are facing actual medical conditions, they will need medical help. I do not wish to minimize that at all. (Disclaimer: Nothing I say in this lesson should be construed as a medical opinion about how to deal with medical problems!)  

With all of this background, where can we go to find out how to have joy and peace? There are numerous examples in reference to this question in the Bible. I would like to share some that might prove helpful to you in this matter. In Romans 12:3, Paul says we should not think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Yet, most of the time, when someone faces brokenness, we spend all our time trying to get them to think more highly of themselves. The problem is, we have all sinned (Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:1-3). Because of that, we have no hope in the world (Ephesians 2:12).

We are weak, helpless and hopeless if we continue to rely on ourselves. If we continue to pump ourselves up and try to make ourselves feel good about ourselves, we will never do any better than what Paul describes in Romans 7:7-24. We will constantly think we should do better than we are doing, we will constantly try and we will constantly fail. We will constantly have an emotional roller coaster as we pump ourselves up, only to fail ourselves again and again.

If we wish to be blessed, if we wish to have joy, peace, contentment and true happiness we have to be willing to count everything else as rubbish. We have to be willing to give everything else up as loss in order to attain righteousness. Too often, we want enough righteousness to get us into heaven while we cling to our other hungers as well. God has promised, if we meekly submit to Him, pursuing His righteousness above all else, we will be satisfied. I know that is hard for us who are constantly falling to fathom. But God has promised we will be satisfied.

Also, if we continue in our hunger for money, for power, for fame or even just for happiness, we will never be satisfied. Consider the Preacher of Ecclesiastes in Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:17. His conclusion was that life was vain and he hated it when he pursued other courses. Depression and anxiety will become the mainstay in our lives. However, when we meekly submit to God, hungering for His righteousness, He will give it to us. We will be satisfied. Even the Ecclesiastes writer recognized that in the end proclaiming our entire purpose is to fear God and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13). No doubt, we will have lapses. We will have times when we return to God in mourning for repeated sins.

However, knowing His forgiveness for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, we have contentment and peace. But, let me repeat, this only comes when we are willing to cut off all the other things for which we hunger. If God blesses us with other things, fine. But if we are trying to pursue them alongside righteousness, we will always fall short. We will always linger in depression and anxiety.

Finally, being merciful can go along way in our relationship with others. Merciful, as used here, means to be “actively compassionate, not merely unhappy for the ills of others…but desirous of relieving them; not merely pity, but beneficent aid promptly applied.” The great biblical example of mercy is found in Luke 10:30-37. The Samaritan showed mercy to the robbed and beaten Jew.

Again, mercy is showing "active" compassion. It means doing more than telling those in need to be warmed and be filled but rather to invite them in saying, “Let me warm and fill you” (cf. James 2:16). Mercy means seeing those in need and filling their needs. Mercy means doing good to everyone as we have opportunity, especially for those of the household of faith. If we wish to have peace, joy, contentment and true happiness based on the blessed gifts of God, we need to quit pursuing all the mercy we want from God and start striving to grant mercy to those around us.

We must also focus on our relationship with God. As James 4:8 says, “Purify your hearts, you double-minded” (ESV). When our heart is divided in loyalty, it has become impure. If we wish to have blessed peace, joy and contentment, we must be singly devoted to loving and serving God. Only when we are intently devoted to Him, will we be able to see Him. By seeing Him, we do not only mean to see Him in the end for eternity, but being able to see Him even now.

Only through single-hearted devotion will we be able to see His hand even as we endure the bad things of this life. Only through single-hearted devotion will we be able to know that His hand surrounds us no matter what we face in this life. Only through single-hearted devotion can we know that our God has not abandoned us but is with us every step of the way (Hebrews 13:5-6).

Thus, if we want to have peace, contentment, joy and happiness, overcoming our depressions and anxieties, we have to be less focused on ourselves and more focused on God and others. Through this kind of lifestyle we are casting our cares upon God. Through complete submission to Him, we are saying, “Lord, take care of my life and my problems.”

Yes, we must pray. We must ask for God’s help. However, peace and joy do not come through a magical period of prayer that takes over our heart. Peace and joy come from turning away from self and turning to God. This won’t happen overnight. But, if you work on it daily, it will happen. You too can be blessed, bearing the fruit of joy and peace that passes all understanding.

Scripture: Deuteronomy 31:8; Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 27:14; Psalm 147:3; Proverbs 12:25; Mark 9:23

Prayer: Father, Your word says let not my heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid, Father, I come to You because I need to cast my worries, my cares upon You.  Your word said that I could because You care for me.  So Father, I cast all my cares, all my worries, all my anxieties, all my problems, all my doubts, all my fears, and all of my needs concerning this problem upon You. Be merciful, O Lord, for I am calling on You constantly. Give me happiness, O Lord, for my life depends on You. Amen

-thanks to Franklin Church of Christ

May God bless you!

Julie

Live In the Confidence of God's Will!

When God bolts the door, don't try to get in through the window.  The will of God never will lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.   -Source Unknown 

Some decisions in our life are major: where should we go to school? What job should we take? What home should we buy? Which person should we marry? What commitments should we accept and which should we decline? How does one recognize God's will for our lives in these times?

The Bible is where we get our good start when it comes to finding God's will for our lives. In the Bible we find commands and principles. If you were driving on a road and a sign said "Speed Limit 65" that would be a command. If it said "Use Caution" that would be a principle. The Bible has both kinds of directions in the Bible. God gives us certain commands:

• 1 Thessalonians 4:3 "It is God's will that you should be sanctified and that you should avoid sexual immorality, that each of you should learn to control his own body."
• 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
• 1 Peter 2:15 "It is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil, live as servants of God." 

He also tells us we shouldn't lie, we should respect our rulers, we should honor our parents, we should worship regularly, we should put God first.

It needs to be understood that these commands are clear and meant to be obeyed. There are other principles as well, such as: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength." We are told to be "kind, tenderhearted, forgiving, just as God in Christ has forgiven us." We are told that we are to" honor the Lord with our lives."

The commands and principles of Scripture will point us toward God's will:

• We find someone we are interested in but they are not believers and we fret over whether this could be the right person for us. But the Bible tells us that we should only get involved with believers. (1 Corinthians 7:39-40)
• We wonder whether we should declare all our income on our tax forms. The Bible is clear, "give to Caesar what is Caesar's"
• We question whether we should do what God says or whether we should obey our employer when we are asked to do something illegal or immoral. The Apostles answered that in the Book of Acts, "We must obey God rather than men."
• Our marriage is struggling and we meet someone that "seems to care for us" and we feel drawn to that person and don't know whether it is right. It's not! The Bible says "do not commit adultery". 

But even here we must be careful. There are lots of people who have justified every manner of crazy behavior because of the way they twist scripture. It is essential that we read the Bible in it's proper context; and not make it say what it does not say. When God's Word speaks, we must follow that guidance. But . . .what if the guidance we get is still not enough?

If we want God's guidance we have to seek God's guidance. James tells us if "anyone lacks wisdom he should ask of God who gives to all men liberally". But we must be asking sincerely.

Can I be brutally honest? Most of the time when we ask God to show us what to do, we are really saying "let me know that what I want to do is O.K." If we truly want to find God's will we have to keep all options open. Before we can find God's will we have to trust that God's will is the best. We must understand that what God chooses (even if it is not the choice we would have made) is always the right choice.

We must be willing for God to change our direction, or to say "no," or "not yet". We must trust that a closed door is not designed to defeat us or discourage us, it is meant to move us in a better direction. God will answer if we ask sincerely. It is certainly true that we will never be open to God's direction until we can pray with Jesus, "not my will, but yours be done."

When all is said and done we must walk by faith. God reveals things one step at a time. God generally guides one step at a time. Before we can see the second step we must take the first one. Let's not forget that God has given us His Spirit to guide us. He has given us minds to think and to weigh options. Sometimes we have to trust our "sanctified common sense". Sometimes we have to trust the brains and the Spirit God has given us and make the best decision possible. We must walk by faith that God will send his angels ahead of us.

For some of you, the first step may be to take that initial step of faith. Maybe the reason you feel outside of God's will is because you are outside of His grace. God guarantees guidance to all those who are His children. It is only when we are willing to bet our life on Him, and orient our life from Him, that we can truly be said to be a child of God.

One final thing about finding God's will for your life. God loves us so much, that even if we make a wrong choice . . . He can get us back on course. He may have to shut a door, or place obstacle in our path . . . but He will lead us in the way that we should go. He promises to lead us home and He will do so even if He has to go and get us after we make a wrong turn. So . . . live boldly and faithfully in the confidence that God will direct your paths . . . just as He promised.

Scripture: Philippians 2:12-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 2:6-8; 2 Thessalonians 2:14-15; 1 Corinthians 11:1-2; Ephesians 1:11; Isaiah 26:4; 1 Peter 3:15; Philippians 4:11; 1 Timothy 6:6

Prayer: Lord, what is Your will that I do? I am completely open to Your plan for me. I desire to live only in You and to be guided by You forever. Grant that Your holy will may be carried out perfectly in me.   -St. Jane Frances de Chantal (1572-1641)  

-thank you Rev. Bruce Goettsche

May your life be blessed!

Tiffany

Do You Exhibit Christian Characteristics of Generosity?

Powerball winners who won half a $587 million jackpot in November have been giving back to their local community in a big way. Mark and Cindy Hill won half of the largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history last year, however, instead of letting the money completely turnover their lives they have maintained a modest lifestyle and even Mark still meets friends for his morning coffee and a local convenience store, according to a Reuters report.

It is said that the Hills received just under $140 million as a lump sum payment after taxes, but they have not let the money go to their heads. Walt Stubbs, a friend and former high school classmate has told Reuters: "They are very conservative people. They are doing some really nice things for the community and they've taken care of their family." The Hills have also decided to let their hometown benefit from their good fortune; they have been donating substantial amounts of money to civic projects in Camden Point, Missouri.

It is said that the jackpot winners will pay for a new Camden Point fire station and ball field to help significantly change the face of the town. The Hills have already donated more than $50,000 to purchase land for a new sewage treatment plant that will eventually allow residents to give up individual septic tanks, Mayor Kevin Boydston said, according to Reuters.

The mayor said, "I've said all along that these lottery winnings could not have gone to a better couple. They are giving back to the community, just like they said they would." "I'm real proud of them," said Shirley Hill, Mark Hill's mother. "They have stayed grounded. That's their nature." -Christian Post, February 24, 2013, Anne Thomas

Today, we will look at one of the spiritual marks of a Christian. It is the mark of generosity. This is not limited to what we do with money! What we do with money is a reflection of our generosity. But as we shall see, generosity goes far beyond finances.

Generosity is the act of doing more than is expected of you. Can it be said of you that you are generous? If we only do the minimum, or if we only do that which we are expected to do, then we do not exhibit the characteristic of generosity.

In order to clarify this point, I have included some biblical examples of generosity for you. Beginning with the Apostle Paul, did you know that...before he was saved, he was a strict Pharisee caring for no one but himself?  After he met Jesus, his heart was opened to all men. He ministered to all classes; it didn't matter. He was at home whether in the marketplace, or in the majestic palace of the king.

In one city the people rejected him and the message he preached to the point that they stoned him and left him for dead (Acts 14:19). But he went back to those people and ministered to them. Paul said that he was "...made all things to all men..." (1 Corinthians 9:22 ) You see, Paul went beyond what was expected of him and displayed a generous attitude of service to others.

Another great example was the Good Samaritan. We are all familiar with the story told by our Lord. Here is a Jew who had been attacked and left wounded along the roadside. The religionists of the day observed him in his condition and saw no need to go out of their way to help him. But a Samaritan (they were known for their hatred of the Jews and in return the Jews hated them) came by and ministered to the needs of this hurting man. He put aside any cultural differences and in a spirit of generosity took care of this man. He certainly went beyond what was expected of him, wouldn't you say?

Of course, Jesus, is our greatest example. There was no prejudice in Him. He looked with love upon Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, bond or free alike. He saw their needs and responded to them. A sinful woman cried out for help, others would have stoned her, but Jesus forgave her and set her free. Throughout His ministry we see Him giving of Himself time and time again. He gave His time, His life, His love, and His blood.

Now we have seen several biblical examples of generosity, and hopefully get the general idea. But to whom are WE to be generous? How about starting with our friends and loved ones. Let's face it, sometimes we are most ungenerous to the ones we love the most. The Bible tells us that the man who will not provide for his own is worse than an infidel (c.f. 1 Timothy 5:8). Have you ever known a person that would do anything for someone else, but wouldn't take the time to do anything for his family? If anyone needs to see a generous spirit in us it is those we love the most!

This one is going to be difficult for most of us to do, but let's be generous to our enemies. I know it is hard to be generous to those who have hurt us. But when we learn to quickly forgive those who wrong us, we are manifesting the spirit of Christ’s generosity (Note: Matthew 5:44-45). A very cruel slave owner had just finished giving his Christian slave a terrible beating and in anger said, "What can your Jesus do for you now?" The slave, battered and bleeding, answered, "Master, He can give me the grace to forgive you!" That is the spirit of Christ’s generosity. "Father forgive them for they know not what they do..." (Luke 23:34).

We certainly could go on and on with this topic, but I would like to save the rest for another day. Right now, however, I would like to ask you some questions in relation to what we have discussed: How do we respond to others?  Do we go out of our way to reach them with the gospel, for example? Why should we be generous? Where would we be if God chose to remove His generous hand from us for just one second.

Let me close this message by asking, "Which do you want to be?" Alive and vibrant blessing many people? Or dead and literally good for nothing? The difference has to do with the spirit of generosity. When others look at our lives what do they see? They need to see Jesus! The world needs to see His reflection in our lives.

Scripture: Proverbs 21:13; 2 Corinthians 9:6; Isaiah 32:8; Deuteronomy 15:7-8; Psalm 37:26; Ephesians 3:20; Psalm 119:36; 1 John 2:6

Prayer: Lord Jesus, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to seek reward, except that of knowing that I do your will. Amen.    -St. Ignatius Loyola

-special thanks to Dr. Robert McKenzie  

Have a blessed day! 

Arianna

Saturday Scripture Gold with Bibi: The Faith of An Unlikely Heroine

Rise up, rise up, Rahab,
And bind the scarlet thread
On the casement of thy chamber,
When the battle waxeth red.

From the double feast of Gilgal,

From Jordan's cloven wave, 

They come with sound of trumpet,

With banner and with glaive.

Death to the foes of Israel!

But joy to thee and thine,

To her who saved the spies of God,

Who shows the scarlet line.

'Twas in the time of harvest,

When the corn lay on the earth, 

That first she bound the signal

And bade the spies go forth.

For a cry came to her spirit

From the fair Egyptian coasts, 

And a dread was in her bosom

Of the mighty Lord of Hosts.

And the faith of saints and martyrs

Lay brave at her heart's core,

As some inward pulse were throbbing

Of the kingly line she bore.  -C. F. Alexander

Throughout the Bible, we see that God likes to use the "unlikeliest" of people to do awesome things in His name. This week, we will briefly profile one such person and examine the part they played in God’s plan to fulfill His promises. Rahab was referred to in the Bible as “the harlot of Jericho” who eventually came to be honored among women for her courage on behalf of the Hebrew people.  

She was a Canaanite who lived in the city of Jericho at the time Joshua was preparing to march the Israelites into the Promised Land. Her house was located on the wall of the city and was strategically placed to lodge travelers. This was a prime location for her trade. Clearly, Rahab was a very “unlikely” person, wouldn't you say?

She is mentioned in several places in the Bible: Joshua 2, Joshua 6, Hebrews 11:31, Matthew1:5, James 2: 25. For our purposes this week, we will refer to Joshua 2. The story begins with Joshua doing something Moses had done years earlier: sending out spies (remember, Joshua himself was once a spy) and asking them to check out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho, which was considered the strongest fortress in the land of Canaan. 

When the spies arrived in Jericho, they stayed at Rahab's home where, presumably, they would be safe. But when the king of Jericho found out that two men had come to spy on the land, he sent Rahab orders to bring the men out of her home and turn them over.

She had the spies hidden in the house. But she told the king's servants that, yes, they had been at her home earlier; but they had left and she didn't know where they had gone. Rahab even offered to let them search her house, but they were in too much of a hurry to catch up with them.

By hiding the spies she faced the risk of being killed if caught by the authorities. She did not want to perish with the rest of Jericho. But she also knew that if she did nothing - this would lead to her own destruction. No one can serve two masters. Now, Rahab had heard of the God of Israel (probably from some of the travelers she entertained and sinned with) and made a conscious decision to act in faith (or take a step of faith) on what she heard about God to get her out of her present predicament.

With that threat taken care of, Rahab went to the hidden spies and told them, “I know the Lord has given you this land. We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt” (Joshua 2:9–10). 

Rahab's actions in saving the two Hebrew spies earned even her mention in the New Testament - in the epistle to the Hebrews and the epistle of James. The writer of Hebrews pointed out that it was by faith that she did what she did (Hebrews 11:31), and James tells us that it was her actions that demonstrated that faith (James 2:25).

Rahab wasn't the kind of girl to mince words. She and her family and friends in Jericho were terrified because they knew that Joshua's God was supreme. But she then made one request, one the men were happy to grant since she had helped them out: “Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families” (Joshua 2:12–13).

The men swore to her that she and her family would be safe, and Rahab let them out of her home through the window - but only after hearing their terms for keeping her and her family safe. After that, they hid out and waited for three days, avoiding the search party that was looking for them to return.

They then returned camp and reported to Joshua what Rahab had told them. The Hebrews readied themselves for the crossing of the Jordan, and the river dried up so that the children of the Lord could cross over. The people surrounded the city of Jericho. Trumpets blared and the people shouted, and the walls of Jericho came tumbling down. The Hebrews went to claim Jericho, destroying men, women, children, and animals “…with the edge of the sword” (Joshua 6:21).

Joshua told his spies to go to Rahab's house and get her and everything she had with her, including her family. The men did as they were told, taking Rahab and her relatives to a place outside the camp of Israel. They then torched the city. “And Joshua saved Rahab, the harlot, alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho” (Joshua 6:25).

Finally, did you know that Rahab was an ancestor of Jesus (Matthew1:1-6)? Her faith brought her into an immense inheritance. From a prostitute to the lineage of Jesus Christ; this is what faith can do. Her story tells us that no matter your stand in life, irrespective of where you are or who you are, a simple step of faith in Jesus Christ can turn your destiny around.

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6; James 2:17-18; Romans 10:17; Psalm 119:18; Revelation 22:5; Romans 5:1; Jeremiah 33:3; Matthew 17:20  

Now, let's pray...

O Father, give us the humility which realizes its ignorance, admits its mistakes, recognizes its need, welcomes advice, accepts rebuke. Help us always to praise rather than to criticize, to sympathize rather than to discourage, to build rather than to destroy, and to think of people at their best rather than at their worst. This we ask for in thy name's sake. Amen

-special thanks to James Stuart Bell and Tracy Sumner

Until next time...

Have a blessed week!

Bibi

Bible Study Snacks, Acts 16:16-40

Hi, everyone!

Happy Friday, and welcome back to another presentation of Bible Study Snacks! 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, I would like to continue our study of the Book of Acts, with Chapter Sixteen, Verses 16-40.

I have 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) Study carefully the conversions of Lydia and the Philippian jailer

For your convenience, here is a summary of Acts 16:16-40...  

Paul and his company were soon followed by a slave girl possessed by a spirit of divination that made money for her owners through fortune telling. For days she cried out, "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation." While true, itvannoyed Paul (probably because it was not of her own free will) and he cast the spirit out in the name of Jesus. This greatly angered the girl's masters, who had Paul and Silas beaten and imprisoned. At midnight while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns, a great earthquake shook the prison and broke free their chains. Assuming all had fled, the jailer was about to kill himself when Paul stopped him. When the jailor asked what he must do to be saved, Paul and Silas told him to believe on the Lord Jesus, and then proceeded to teach him and his family the word of the Lord.

That same night, the entire family was baptized. In the morning, the magistrates sent word to release Paul and Silas, but Paul demanded a personal release as they were Roman citizens who were beaten and imprisoned without trial. Scared, the magistrates came and pleaded with Paul and Silas to leave the city, which they did after a short visit to Lydia's house to encourage the brethren. Note that the author's return to the use of "they" indicates that Luke stayed behind in Philippi (16-40).

REVIEW QUESTIONS:  

1) Who began to follow Paul and his company?  What did she do? (Acts 16:16-17)
2) Why do you think Paul was greatly annoyed? What did he then do? (Acts 16:18)
3) What sequence of events followed this miracle? (Acts 16:19-24)
4) What did Paul and Silas do while imprisoned? (Acts 16:25)
5) What led to the jailer asking what he must do to be saved? (Acts 16:26-30)
6) What does Paul say and do in answer to the jailor's question? (Acts 16:31-32)
7) What happened that same hour of the night? (Acts 16:33)
8) What else did the jailer do for Paul and Silas?  How would you describe his attitude? (Acts 16:34)
9) When word was sent for Paul and Silas to be released, how did Paul respond? (Acts 16:35-37)
10) How did the magistrates respond? (Acts 16:38-39)
11) Leaving the prison, what did Paul and Silas do before departing the city? (Acts 16:40)
12) Who evidently stayed behind at Philippi? (40)

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