Saturday Scripture Study with Bibi: Reconnect With God While There's Time!

Hello, everyone! It's great to be back with you at the start of a brand new year. I hope you had a wonderful holiday season, and I wish all of you a healthy and blessed 2015!

During this particular study series, we have been discussing the parables of Jesus. He used parables as part of his teaching lessons. These parables contain powerful messages that are just beneath the surface of the story; which in turn motivate us to dig deeper, and learn how to better walk with Christ, Our Lord.

We are now at Week Eleven of our series. During this study, we will discuss how sin, and the condemnation that it brings, separates us from having the kind of relationship that we should enjoy with Our Heavenly Father.

Before we begin our study, let's pray together: God, you have made the heavens and the earth. You have revealed your beauty in creation and inspired the book that we are now about to study. Please help us now as we read together. Take us deeper into understanding more about you and your love for us. Amen.

Let's talk about two very closely related ideas: preparation and separation. But here's the deal. If the former is not achieved, then the latter will be assured.

As we begin, keep this thought in mind. It's sin that separates or keeps us from communion with God (Isaiah 59:1-2). Thus, if communion, or fellowship is the connection between God and man, then sin is the short circuit that breaks this connection; and the blood of Jesus is the grace that reconnects us to Him (Ephesians 2:16-17).

The broken circuit of sin is restored exclusively by the grace of God, and our readiness to receive and obey the gospel message. For only by grace through faith are we capable of being reconciled to God, as our transgressions are not pinned on us (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Barring the offering of Jesus and his resurrection, the circuit cannot be reconnected (1 Corinthians 15:17). The short in the circuit simply can't be fixed apart from the grace of God and a working faith (Galatians 5:4).

Without a doubt, death culminates from sin in our lives. You see, death is the ultimate separator. It severs forever the living from their loved ones, which in turn causes terrific anguish. More importantly, physical death disconnects the infinite spirit from the finite body (James 2:26). Yes, our bodies return to dust, but our spirit endures the transformation and must answer for our actions in this life (2 Corinthians 5:10).

God promises to make only one distinction in the day of judgement. He will decide between those justified, and those who are unjustified. And, we all know how that will end. The corrupt will be punished for eternity; and the good rewarded with eternal rest. This is described by the apostle Paul as eternal separation from God in 2 Thessalonians 1:9.

In the following parables, the Lord teaches his followers to be mindful that eternal separation is condemnation. In the parable of the tares, Jesus illustrates a farmer whose enemy sowed weeds throughout his wheat field (Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43). He explains the parable himself, pointing out that good and evil must be permitted to grow accordingly in the world; while he will separate them in the end.

In Matthew 13:47-50, the parable of the dragnet, Jesus tells us that as the seeker of good pearls and treasure, similarly the man casting the net into the sea is searching for items of inherent value. Christ compares him to end time events, when divine and final judgement will separate the wheat from the chaff.

Lastly, in Matthew 22:1-14, the parable of the wedding feast, he relates the gospel invitation to a wedding feast, God invites the logical attendees (the Jews), who turn down the request and proceed to murder the messengers. God then sends the same invitation to the less obvious choice (the Gentiles), who then fill the hall to capacity. Even so, one attendee manages to disguise himself as a Christian, although he isn't. This false follower is then tossed outside among those who had declined His invitation (Matthew 22:14).

If you learn one thing from this study, you should understand that the pain of being separated from our loved ones (at death) is nothing compared to the horrible possibility of eternal separation from God. Surely, we should be aware that every time we stumble in sin we are given a tiny taste of what Hell is. And, when it's all said and done, Hell is eternal separation from the God who loved us so much that He came to die for us.

Questions:

1. What is it that first separates a man from his God? What does Isaiah say is an additional result of falling into this state?
2. What does Ephesians 2 argue is the result of Jesus' death for the faithful?
3. What does James call the body without the spirit?
4. Does the Bible really teach that some people will be punished in the day of judgement?
5. What corresponds to the farmer's field ( the world or the church?)
6. Who are the wheat? Who are the tares? Who is the enemy?
7. What will happen at the harvest?
8. What bearing does this passage have on church discipline (cf. question #5 and 1 Corinthians 5:9-10).
9. How does the parable of the dragnet compare to Jesus' message in Matthew 7:21-23?
10. How does Jesus describe the furnace where the wicked will be cast?
11. Who is represented by the king and the son?
12. Who are represented by the likely attendees, invited first? Why?
13. How did they respond?
14. Who corresponds to the second group of guests?
15. What type of Christian is depicted in the man without a wedding garment?

Until next time...

May your week be blessed!

Bibi

Don't Let Pride Take You For A Ride

"Sin comes when we take a perfectly natural desire, or longing, or ambition and try desperately to fulfill it without God. Not only is it sin, it is a perverse distortion of the image of the Creator in us. All these good things, and all our security, are rightly found only and completely in Him."  -Augustine, The Confessions of Saint Augustine.

Looking back on our Christian walk, most of us started off great. With hearts fully committed to God, our eyes were focused on Him completely. Then perhaps, at some point, our pride began to swell up; in effect hampering us from being all that He wants us to be. We were convinced that we know better than He does.

If left to fester, pride will totally change not only our attitude toward God, but the direction that He has set for us. That's why, as believers it is so important to be cognizant of Satan's objective. And what might that be? He would like nothing better than to deeply torment and destroy our lives. Satan never rests ( 1 Peter 5:8) while on the hunt to cause as much damage as he can in the life of a believer.

It's quite fair to say that pride just might be one of the toughest things that we struggle with. It can also be quite devastating. If you think about it, many problems in our lives transpire due to pride's work. The sad truth is that many of us fail to recognize this, even becoming prideful over the favorable things God has given us (e.g., jobs, children, education, where we live, etc.)

It's no secret that God specifically detests pride. As a matter of fact, it's right up there at the top of His list of sins He hates (Proverbs 8:13). After all, it's one of Satan's favorite weapons to use because of the ease in which we take our eyes off of God, and focus on ourselves instead.

And no matter how much we try to dress it up, excuse or justify it, pride always achieves the same result: we end up being arrogant and disobedient toward God. You're probably thinking, "But, isn't okay to have pride in what I can do? I am talented and reasonably intelligent. Is it so wrong for me to take pride in my God-given talents?"

Not at all. We should have a sense of pride in doing our best. God provides us with talents and abilities to use for His glory. It goes without saying that He wants us to do our best. We couldn't ask for a better cheerleader! By using our gifts for good, we not only honor Him, but His life within us, too

Problems arise, though, when we fail to honor God with our attitudes. This is where it all starts to unravel. We start believing Satan's lies, We begin thinking that we can bring about whatever we desire apart from Him. In the end, this always leads us away from Him, and enables Satan to step right in.

Pride has many different faces. That is precisely why God warns us to be wary in our defense against it. If we open a door to it, even just a crack, the enemy will swoop into our hearts with thoughts that trick us into thinking we are much better than God desires. He wants you to have a healthy self-worth, However, He also wants you to learn how to deal with pride so you won't miss out on the blessings He has in store for you.

Scripture: Proverbs 11:2; Proverbs 16:5; Proverbs 16:18; Galatians 6:3; James 4:6

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray that I won't ever be so puffed up, or full of pride that I distance myself from You. Please keep my feet on the ground, and my heart filled with Your goodness and love. Amen

God bless you always,

Shayna

Shine A Little Light On Me!

"Every problem is an opportunity to prove God's power. Every day we encounter countless golden opportunities, brilliantly disguised as insurmountable problems."  -Charles Swindoll, One Step Forward, Two Steps Back, p. 35.

Come to think about it, Jesus came to help us with our every day problems. That's right! And, He doesn't just love people who indulge themselves in the limelight. He loves ordinary people like you and I, too.

No doubt, there are many areas in which we could use some help. But, one particular area He wants to help us with is the dark times of life. Yes, we all experience dark times in our lives at some time or other. It doesn't matter who you are.

These are those times when you’re tempted to lose heart, be depressed, discouraged, disappointed, doubtful, fearful, and anxious. Oh yeah, there are going to be times when you need a "light" to shine in your darkness; one that you can't create on your own. Here's some good news for you. Jesus wants to be your light!

The fact is, there are literally billions of people out there looking for Jesus. Many of them living in dark emptiness; searching for the light that can bring love, happiness and purpose to their hollow existence. They just can’t seem to find a way out of the darkness. As a result, this more than likely leads to many other problems.

Friends, if you’re one of those people, I'm here to tell you that Jesus wants to be your light. I know that without the light of Jesus to help guide us, finding our way through the dark can be lonely and scary. To put it bluntly, we simply can’t keep body and soul together without the Son of God lighting up our spiritual lives.

Our shady hearts, stained by self-centerednesss and confusion, need His light. Besides, because we live in such a dark world, we desperately need the "light of the world" to come and rejuvenate our lives. We need Him to remind us that we don't have to muddle through life alone. There's a much better way for us. It's His way!

If you haven't already, let Jesus renew your life. Let Him show you how His light can lift you from depression and disappointment, doubt and fear. Let Him show you how He can bring you love, joy, purpose, power and peace so that you can lead a meaningful life in Jesus Christ.

Scripture: Romans 8:28; John 16:33; Proverbs 3:5-6; Psalm 46:1; 1 Corinthians 10:13

Prayer: Holy Father, I know that as long as I live on this side of Heaven there will be problems. Even so, I am comforted knowing that when the path gets rocky, and the storms of life rage on; You will be there to take my hand and help me get through it. Amen

May your day be blessed!

Kristi

Time For A Relationship Check with God

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." -Will Rogers

Have you stopped to think about your relationship with God lately? I mean, have you really taken the time to just do some serious thinking about it? If you have, do you like the direction it's going? Are you happy with the way it is, or do you think it could use a little work?

There are some Christians who never seem to improve their relationship with God. They might languish where they are. They remain dependent on others to keep them motivated; requiring constant nurturing to keep from falling away, or becoming apathetic. 

Many things can be considered "high maintenance." For example, there are cars that require a great amount of attention to keep running. Many employees require close supervision to do their jobs right. Some significant others require a heavy dose of gifts or dates to keep from losing interest. 

Is this you? Have you in essence become a "high maintenance" Christian? Do require lots of attention from others in order to keep faithful? How about lots of coddling, or pampering to remain active? 

When you first became a Christian, starting your new spiritual life, chances are you were high maintenance. There are some lazy, "high maintenance" Christians out there who only work when someone prods them on. Yes, even some churches can be considered "high maintenance!" I refer you to the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 3:1-4; 2 Corinthians 12:20-21).

Now, it's not all bad. Some "high maintenance" is good and necessary, as in the work of the local church (e.g., help for the new Christian, or the hurting Christian). But, when it exists where it shouldn't, then there can be some real problems (e.g., new Christians not being helped, because others expect pampering, or the sick and dying being neglected, because others require attention). 

Certainly, there are times in our spiritual lives when we all require some high maintenance. However, to avoid keeping it from those who really need it, we should give serious thought and effort toward overcoming "high maintenance."

We know that as newcomers to Christ we're going to be high maintenance. That just goes without saying! But, somewhere along the line we should get to the point where we don't need it anymore. In other words, we make the transition from needing "support" to becoming "supportive" of others. We reach this point through individual growth.

Early on, we get our strength from fellow Christians who help us along when we need it. But we should also reach a point where we receive our strength from God. This is where we become the producers, as opposed to just being consumers. I refer you to the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:11-13; 2 Corinthians 1:3-6.

In closing, I'm not trying to discourage "high maintenance" when it's truly warranted (Galatians 6:2; Romans 15:1). I simply want to challenge you to think about your service to Christ. I want you to reflect about your work in the kingdom (Galatians 6:4), and whether you're carrying your own load, or not (Galatians 6:5).

Scripture: Revelation 3:16; Romans 12:11; Proverbs 15:19; John 5:39-40; Hebrews 11:6 

Prayer: Dear God, on those days when I find myself starting to drag and fall back; please give me a little nudge to remind me that you're there to help me keep on. Amen

Have a blessed day!

Makinzie

Video - Lisa Bevere: Don't Act Like Men

From her teaching series "See It," Lisa Bevere demonstrates how women can be the answer, not the problem, in relationships. Awesome message!  ~Eve

What Will the New Year Bring?

"If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.” (Psalm 37:23-24)

The start of a brand new year is an excellent time for reflection and hope. Reflection allows us to pause and think about the old year gone by. Thus, letting us redirect our thoughts and actions towards more positive results. Hope allows us to continue forward knowing that God is with us every step of the way. Though, it's true, the paths ahead may be new and unfamiliar, it is with confidence and security in knowing that our Heavenly Father is always present; that we press forward unafraid.

One night, I was trying to think of a message of encouragement for this upcoming year. Suddenly, I was reminded of David's words in Psalm 37. I actually found myself using them to encourage several people who were going through hard times. In the end, I thought that the truth in this text would be helpful to others.

David understood that all believers fall at some time. We stumble, we lose our way, we struggle, and sometimes we trip and fall on our journey. There aren't any exceptions. No one is exempt. We all fall sooner or later. But here's the important thing. It’s what happens when we fall that makes all the difference.

God ordains every step we take. This includes: the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, the positive and the negative. What I am trying to say is that God not only “directs” our steps, he also “determines” or “orders” or “ordains” our steps.

You see, because he is God, there are no "accidents" with him. Nothing ever happens to us by luck, chance or fate. This means that no circumstance, good or bad, can come to us except what God determines for us.

We might wonder what 2015 will bring.  Will it be a good year, or a bad year for us personally? In many respects, we will discover that life will be the same this year because of similar, ongoing challenges in our walk with the Lord.

Sure, there will be good days and bad days. You will experience some victories and some defeats. Some of your prayers will be answered; some won’t be answered. Some of your dreams will come true; others won't. Some of your plans will come to fruition; others will remain undone. But know this: Your steps in the coming year are "ordained," or “ordered” by the Lord. He is in charge of every detail of your life.

I mentioned above that next year will be just like last year. Let me change that statement around just a bit: Next year will be just like last year—only entirely different! Certainly, some things will be the same, much will be different, and some things will be brand-new to us.

However, be encouraged. The future rests in the good hands of a God who loves you more than you can imagine. Certainly, you may stumble during the new year, but you won’t completely fall. This, my dear friends, is God’s promise to you. Amen.

Scripture: Matthew 5:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Isaiah 43:18-19; Psalm 34:8; Romans 14:11

Prayer: Dear Lord, I pray that this new year will be a blessed year; a year full of hope, love, and your presence in my life. No matter what this year brings, I will confidently face it knowing that you are in charge of every detail of my life. Amen

May God bless you all,

~Eve

A Blessed New Year to You!

The Coffeehouse Bible Ministry wishes all of you a Happy and Blessed 2015! We will return from our winter break in January. May God bless you all!  ~Eve