Be A Part of the Plan

"Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." - Proverbs 31:30

In life, it's not always the star players that make the biggest impact. Many times it's the lesser-knowns who can breakout and leave lasting impressions, too.

This applies to the numerous characters in the Bible who although not "major" names, nevertheless make big, long-lasting impacts on their own. Interestingly, many of these "minor" characters just happen to be women.

Jochebed was one such woman. We can read about her in Exodus 1; 2:1-10; and Numbers 26:59. As is common with characters like hers, not a whole of information is given. But what little we do know about Jochebed I will share here with you.

She was an Israelite, in other words, one of God's chosen people. She was also the daughter of a Levite. If you recall, the tribe of Levi was that from which came the priests and those who took care of the duties of the Tabernacle, and then of the Temple after it was built.

Jochebed was married to Amram, another Levite (Exodus 2:1). We can safely assume that they must have been very dedicated and religious people.  An interesting sidenote is that  Amram was her nephew; which basically made her Amram’s aunt as well as his wife (Exodus 6:20).

However, these types of marriages were prohibited later on (Leviticus 18:12). But this is just one of those little juicy tidbits that make the Bible such a great read! Now getting back on track, Jochebed probably led the quiet, nondescript life that was among most married women at that time.

Yet, Jochebed's mark in history was not due to any remarkable thing that she did on her own, but rather as a result of her marriage. You see, she was the mother of three children whose names must certainly ring a bell: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam.

At the time of Moses' birth, the Israelites, were an enslaved minority. Their numbers were gradually increasing which greatly worried the Egyptian Pharaoh. His main concern was that they would increase and join forces against Egypt with their enemies.

The Pharaoh, however, had a plan up his sleeve. He ordered all of the midwives to kill any Hebrew boys when they were born, but to spare the girls (Exodus 1:8–16). Human plans, however, have no bearing on God's master plan, as we shall see.

Not everyone was thrilled with Pharaoh's murderous decree. The Hebrew midwives chose not to participate in this infanticide; fearing God, they disobeyed his order. Instead, they told the Pharoah that the Hebrew women were giving birth faster than they could get to them. (Exodus 1:19).

When this plan didn't work out, Pharaoh gave orders to drown all the newborn male children of the Hebrews (Exodus 1:22). This was the hateful environment unto which Moses was born. Thus, for three months Moses was hidden by his mother Jochebed (Exodus 2:2).

By her loving actions to save her baby Jochebed, a "minor" player in the Bible, was about to become a "major" star in God's eternal plan. Moses was growing and it was getting more difficult to keep him hidden from Pharaoh's warrant of death.

One day, Jochebed made a decision to coat a papyrus basket with tar and pitch, set the baby Moses inside, and hide it in the thick reeds that grew along the bank of the Nile (Exodus 2:3). His sister Miriam watched from a distance to see what would happen.

By the guiding hand of God, Moses was discovered there by the Pharaoh's daughter who secretly arranged for him to be cared for until such time when she would adopt him as her own son. Little did Pharaoh's daughter know that the woman who raised Moses for her was his actual mother (Exodus 2:9-10).

I will not go any further into Moses' life from this point on because that's another story altogether, and any more information about Jochedbed is not to be found. But I think we can all agree that Jochebed's fear of God, along with her loving, motherly instincts played an integral part in God's plans.

Her story illustrates how God can use each one of us. By our love, devotion, and obedience to Him we can make just as big an impact as any of the major characters in Scripture. As Philippians 2:13 says, "for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."

Scripture: Psalm 32:8;1 Corinthians 2:9; Ephesians 3:20;  Isaiah 14:24; Psalm 138:8

Prayer: Teach me, Lord, what you want me to do, and I will obey you faithfully; teach me to serve you with complete devotion. I will praise you with all my heart, O Lord my God; I will proclaim your greatness forever, amen.  - Psalm 86:11-12 (GNT)

Have a blessed Monday!

Hailey

Bible Study Snacks - 2 Timothy, Chapter 2

Hi, everyone!

Happy Friday and welcome again to Bible Study Snacks! I'm excited to journey through another Bible study series with you. Those of you who have followed our other studies know I like to keep them short, informative, but to the point.

This week, we continue with our series on the The Second Epistle of Timothy, or 2 Timothy.  As always, I hope you had a great week, and that today finds you in good health, positive in energy, and strong in faith!

Although brief, the studies presented here are packed full of good information for everyone regardless of your level of biblical knowledge. It is my ultimate hope that they might inspire you to an even deeper study of Scripture!

As always, I whole-heartedly believe in the importance that any Bible study should begin with prayer. If you have your Bible ready, let us 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 some things to think about for this week's lesson...

This Weeks Objectives: Participants should be able to...

* appreciate the need for endurance and faithfulness to the will of Christ.
* note the warnings against profane and vain prattle, foolish and ignorant disputes.
* consider how the servant of the Lord can be a vessel for honor, useful for the Master and prepared for every good work.

For your convenience, here is a summary of this week's lesson, specifically 2 Timothy, Chapter 2...

Paul continues with exhortations to Timothy in this chapter, with an emphasis on endurance and diligence. Encouraging him to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, Paul then charges Timothy to commit what he has learned to faithful men who can pass it along (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Using the illustrations of a soldier, athlete, and farmer, Paul exhorts Timothy to endure hardship, to be faithful, and to work hard. Writing of his own endurance in hardship, Paul stresses the need to be true to the Lord (2 Timothy 2:3-13).

The last half of the chapter is devoted to telling Timothy how to be "useful to the Master," a worker who does not need to be ashamed. With warnings to shun profane and vain prattle, and avoiding foolish and  ignorant disputes, Paul reminds Timothy of things he should flee (youthful lusts) and what he should pursue (righteousness, faith, love, peace).

Properly handling the word of truth, and correcting others with gentleness and humility, Timothy can truly be a servant of the Lord who is prepared for every good work, especially when dealing with those who have been ensnared by the devil (2 Timothy 2:14-26).

REVIEW QUESTIONS:

1) In what did Paul want Timothy to be strong? (2 Timothy 2:1)
2) What did Paul want Timothy to do with the things Paul had taught him? (2 Timothy 2:2)
3) What three illustrations does Paul use to encourage Timothy to endure hardship and to work hard? (2 Timothy 2:3-6)
4) What did Paul want Timothy to remember? (2 Timothy 2:8)
5) What did Paul suffer in behalf of the gospel? Did it hinder the gospel? (2 Timothy 2:9)
6) Why was Paul willing to endure all things? (2 Timothy 2:10)
7) What encouragement is given by "a faithful saying?" (2 Timothy 2:11,12a)
8) What warning is given by "a faithful saying?" (2 Timothy 2:12b)
9) What was Timothy to charge others? (2 Timothy 2:14)
10) What was Timothy to be diligent in doing? (2 Timothy 2:15)
11) What was he to shun? Why? (2 Timothy 2:16)
12) What two individuals had been guilty of spreading such things? (2 Timothy 2:17)
13) What had they taught? What was the effect of their teaching? (2 Timothy 2:18)
14) What is the "seal" of God's solid foundation? (2 Timothy 2:19)
15) What will a "vessel of honor" be? (2 Timothy 2:21)
16) What was Timothy to flee? What was he to pursue? (2 Timothy 2:22)
17) What was he to avoid? Why? (2 Timothy 2:23)
18) List what must be true of a servant of the Lord (2 Timothy 2:24-25a)
19) Why must a servant of the Lord be this way to those in opposition? (2 Timothy 2:25b-26)

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 always, I will continue to pray that God’s message will come through to you loud and crystal clear. Until our next time together...

God bless you!

Sheri

Learn to Listen to God

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;" - Psalm 37:7 (NIV)

Talk, talk, talk. There's certainly no shortage of talk in the world. Most of us have been blessed with the ability to express ourselves through the use of our voice. Sometimes we even reach the point where we seek refuge from talk. There's no denying that we love to talk!

But in order to have fair and balanced communication between each other we must be able to stop talking and listen, too. And therein lies the problem for many of us. We love to talk, but don't really listen. When there is too much talking, and not enough listening, it makes for rather boring conversation.

We've seen this played out many times in our lives. Most of these so-called "conversations" are strong-armed by individuals who love to hear themselves speak, but don't particularly care to listen to what others have to say.

This can easily apply to our Christian lives. Yes, we may talk to God, but do we really listen or allow him to respond. He could be talking to you right now, but you're not listening to him. One might say, "God never talks to me" or "He never answers me," but this isn't true.

There are many reasons that could contribute to our thinking this way. The way we communicate with God is not that different from the way we would talk to a good friend. One talks, while the other listens. But sometimes this doesn't happen. We become frustrated and our feelings get hurt.

Consider the situation at the time that led up to these feelings. Maybe you were too angry to listen or wait around for a reply. Or, perhaps you were not very clear in what you were saying to God. The same courtesies and rules of conversation that apply to you and I also need to be applied in our talks with God.

But what if we deliberately choose not to listen to God? Then I'm afraid that we have nothing to complain about. Each of us, as adults, are not under any obligation to listen to God. We are free to choose whether we want to or not. I, however, would not advise anyone to go down that path.

The Bible serves up a variety of illustrations that demonstrate negative results of not listening to God. One such example is that of Amaziah, the king of Judah in 2 Chronicles 25. After experiencing some initial successes during his reign, he was eventually seduced by idolatry despite God's warnings that were conveyed through a prophet (2 Chronicles 25:14-16).

I don't have to tell you that it did not end well for him (2 Chronicles 25:27). Another example is Lot's wife in Genesis 19. Lot, his wife, and two daughters were ordered by angels to flee from the soon to be destroyed city of Sodom.

The angels gave them a clear warning not to, under any circumstances, look back toward the city (Genesis 19:17). Lot's wife, even though hearing the warning, did exactly what she was warned not to do, she looked back. She paid with her life for not following God's instructions (Genesis 19:26).

Thus, whenever God speaks to us we need to listen, I mean to really stop and pay attention. You probably know that he doesn't always respond immediately, but he will answer. Especially as humans living in the 21st century, we expect instant results. We click on a key, or slide our finger on a screen and we are presented with a response.

God doesn't work in this impersonal, artificial way. He prefers the tried and true method he has always used to communicate with us. That is, to speak to our hearts. We just need to learn how to listen to his voice. He isn't going to shout out or send an electronic message. He doesn't need to.

You and I are built to listen to God. We have everything we need. We just need to learn how to use it properly. It isn't that difficult to hear God. You see, God speaks to each of us personally, and how he speaks to you might differ from the way he speaks to me.

Whether by prayer, through the Bible,  a situation or another person, God will find a way to get through to us. We just need to learn when to stop talking and let Him talk to us. God is a great listener, in fact, the best you'll ever find. But we need to reciprocate in kind when He speaks to us. We need to listen.

Scripture: Mark 4:24; Romans 10:17; 1 Samuel 3:10; Jeremiah 33:3; Deuteronomy 13:4 

Prayer: I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.  -Psalm 116:1-2

May your day be blessed!

Blake

Video - Sheila Walsh: Christ's Perspective

Christian speaker and author, Sheila Walsh, uses a famous painting to illustrate how a position of worship changes how we see the world. Sometimes a change of perspective is just what we need! ~Eve

Love, In a World of Hate

"Learning how to love your neighbor requires a willingness to draw on the strength of Jesus Christ as you die to self and live for Him. Living in this manner allows you to practice biblical love for others in spite of adverse circumstances or your feelings to the contrary."  - John C. Broger

It's no big secret that "hate" has become more glaringly evident in recent years. It appears to ebb and flow throughout history, but it never truly disappears. The dictionary defines hate, as: to dislike intensely or passionately. 

We've been told that hate is a strong word; that we shouldn't toss it around haphazardly. We use it to describe our disdain for certain things, for example: inconveniences, taking medication, foods, clothing, etc. Hate may even be described as the main driver of war. 

But it is most destructive and hurtful when we use it against one another. How about you? Do you have an issue with hate? Do you find it difficult to engage in a spirit of goodwill toward others?

If we are honest we will admit that it can sometimes be easier to feel hateful toward others than to show kindness. Somehow we must deal with our hatred and replace hostility with love, or our world will crumble like a house of cards.

Christianity does not follow the path of hate. It is built on love. And at its heart, is the affirmation that God loves us. He requires his children to love him supremely and to love their neighbors as themselves. 

Jesus took the teachings of Moses and the prophets and condensed them into two great commandments (Matthew 22:35-40). Through further refinement of the total teachings of the Old Testament, we are presented with three great truths.

Before all else, we are obligated to love God supremely and faithfully. Next, we are obligated to love ourselves appropriately so that we might have a proper measure by which to love others. Lastly, we are obligated to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

The command to practice love in a world of hate in quite obvious. We should love God, ourselves, and others. We must love others even though they are displeasing. We must like those whom we do not particularly care for. But how can any of this work?

The Scriptures tell us that God not only requires that we love, but that he also provides us with the ability and the frame of mind to love. After all, God is love (1 John 4:8). He has manifested his love toward unloving people in the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ (1 John 4:9-10).

And because God loves you an I (1 John 4:10), we are both obligated and enabled to love each other. The Holy Spirit, who came to us the moment we were converted, took up residence in our hearts (Galatians 4:6-7), and poured out within our hearts the love of God (Romans 5:5).

Thus, God, who is described as love, "has given us of his Spirit" (1 John 4:13). In describing the function of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers, Paul declared that the Holy Spirit has entered our hearts to produce the fruit of love (Galatians 5:22).

You might be wondering how you'd ever find the strength to make this happen. God doesn't expect us to love in human strength alone. For this reason he has put his Holy Spirit within us to make it possible for us to love God supremely, ourselves accordingly, and each other as we love ourselves.

Scripture: Ephesians 4:32; Proverbs 10:12; 1 Corinthians 16:14; Colossians 3:14; Romans 5:8;  

Prayer: Dear Lord, may Your love be manifested in me; and may Your love also be distributed by grace through faith to everyone I meet, amen.

May the Lord bless,

Shawna

The Word Of God: Trending for Over 2000 Years!

"If the universe is so bad, how on earth did human beings ever come to attribute it to the activity of a wise and good Creator?"  - C.S. Lewis

Have you noticed lately how many high profile people have been getting into trouble because of their social media posts? It seems that hardly a day goes by without some celebrity or other public figure posting something they probably should have given more thought prior to, or not posted altogether.

I was talking about this with some friends over coffee when one of them brought up this interesting question, "If Jesus were alive on earth today would he use social media?" You have to admit, that is an intriguing question.

Another of my friends said that he probably would since it is such an effective way to communicate. Another said that Jesus, being who he is, would have no need for such things because he would still be able to spread his message no matter what.

I tried to wrap my mind around Jesus using Twitter or Facebook, for example, to help teach and preach his message to the world. I suppose that one would first have to take it all into the context of our modern day and age.

Without question, things were a lot different over 2000 years ago. The only effective communication among the common poeple back in Jesus' time was word of mouth, or oral communication. Only the priests and members of the privileged few had access to written manuscripts, as they were pretty much the only ones who could read then.

Needless to say, the options of communication were quite limited. Yet, this is what Jesus had to work with, so he did. Can you imagine if Jesus had to compete with the 24/7, non-stop cacophony that exists in our world now? One can only guess if it would create problems, or not.

Personally, I think Jesus liked rubbing elbows with the public. He liked the personal interaction from those who listened to him teach and preach. In this way, he knew that his message was getting across without being distorted or misinterpreted.

As you well know, there really is no guarantee of trustworthiness of what we read online. On the other hand, the people were getting his message straight from the source, by Jesus himself. What could be better than that! (John 17:17)

Jesus knew that his message was far too important to be entrusted to just anybody. That's why he hand-picked his own disciples. Yes, there was Judas Iscariot, but he was a necessary part of the larger picture. None of what Jesus said or did was by pure happenstance.

Jesus didn't send his disciples out into the world to spread his word before they were prepared. Every step of their discipleship was purposeful and preordained. Nothing was left to chance, and nothing was left out. The stage had been set by Jesus, and the disciples were quite ready to get his message out there.

Now in terms of longevity the word of God has been around a lot longer than the internet. In terms of authenticity, credibility, and faithfulness His word wins hands down (John 1:14). Amazingly, God has managed to do something that the internet, social media, or any other mode of communication hasn't come close to.

He has touched the heart and souls of humans with his love, compassion, and wisdom down through the centuries. The Bible, which contains God's words to humanity has no need for things like updates, or protection from hackers. His word is immutable (Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17).

If Jesus were to come to earth tomorrow, would he use social media? No one can really say for sure. But what we can be sure of is that His word has stood the test of time. And civilizations will continue to rise and fall, generations will come and go, but God's word will stand forever (Isaiah 40:8).

Scripture: Psalm 119:89; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 24:35; John 1:1; Psalm 136:26

Prayer: Dear Lord, may we all bring out the best in each other, and grow in the way we look at ourselves and others, amen.

Have a blessed Monday!

Hailey

Bible Study Snacks - 2 Timothy, Chapter 1

Hi, everyone!

Happy Friday and welcome to Bible Study Snacks! I'm excited to journey through another Bible study series with you. Those of you who have followed our other studies know I like to keep them short, informative, but to the point.

The new study series that starts this week is on the The Second Epistle of Timothy, or 2 Timothy.  As always, I hope you had a great week, and that today finds you in good health, positive in energy, and strong in faith! Before we start, a little background information is in order.

The very first verse of 2 Timothy (2 Timothy 1:1) tells us that the author of the book is the apostle Paul. 2 Timothy was written around A.D. 67, not too long before Paul was put to death. Feeling lonely and forgotten, Paul wrote this book while he was being held as a prisoner in Rome.

As he wrote this he felt that his time on earth was drawing to an end. Thus, we can look at 2nd Timothy as some of Paul's last words. Even so, he managed to look past his own troubles and show his concern for the churches, and especially for Timothy.

Paul desired to use his final words to encourage Timothy, and the rest of the believers to press on in faith (2 Timothy 3:14); and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 4:2).

Although brief, the studies presented here are packed full of good information for everyone regardless of your level of biblical knowledge. It is my ultimate hope that they might inspire you to an even deeper study of Scripture!

As always, I whole-heartedly believe in the importance that any Bible study should begin with prayer. If you have your Bible ready, let us 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 some things to think about for this week's lesson...

This Weeks Objectives: Participants should be able to...

* notice the great love that existed between Paul and Timothy.
* consider the exhortations to faithful service given by Paul to Timothy.
* compare the people who abandoned Paul, with a faithful friend like Onesiphorus.

For your convenience, here is a summary of this week's lesson, specifically 2 Timothy, Chapter 1...

The apostle Paul begins this letter to his "beloved son" with a prayer for grace, mercy and peace in his behalf. Thankful to God for the unceasing memories that he has of Timothy in his prayers night and day, Paul greatly desires to see the young man. Seeing him again will bring great joy as Paul is mindful of Timothy's tears and his unfeigned faith (2 Timothy 1-5).

Paul's purpose in writing begins in earnest with a series of exhortations toward steadfast service. He encourages Timothy to stir up the gift of God which was in him by the laying on of Paul's hands, to neither be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord nor of Paul His prisoner, and to hold fast the pattern of sound words which he had heard from Paul, keeping it by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Timothy is then reminded of those who had forsaken Paul, but also how Onesiphorus had proven to be a true friend and brother by virtue of his courage, diligence, and service (2 Timothy 1:6-18).

REVIEW QUESTIONS:

1) How does Paul describe Timothy in his salutation? (2 Timothy 1:2)
2) How did Paul serve God? (2 Timothy 1:3)
3) What two things came to Paul's mind when concerning Timothy? (2 Timothy 1:4-5)
4) What two women had this genuine faith before Timothy? (2 Timothy 1:5)
5) What did Paul remind Timothy to stir up? (2 Timothy 1:6)
6) What had God given Paul and Timothy? (2 Timothy 1:7)
7) What two things did Paul not want Timothy to be ashamed of? (2 Timothy 1:8)
8) How has God saved us and called us with a holy calling? (2 Timothy 1:10))
9) What has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ? (2 Timothy 1:10-11)
10) What two things has Jesus done according to 2 Timothy 1:10?
11) To what three functions had Paul been appointed relating to the gospel? (2 Timothy 1:11)
12) Though Paul suffered, why was he not ashamed? (2 Timothy 1:12)
13) What was Timothy to hold fast? (2 Timothy 1:13)
14) How was he to keep that good thing that was committed to him? (2 Timothy 1:14)
15) Who had turned away from Paul? (2 Timothy 1:15)
16) What four good things are said about Onesiphorus? (2 Timothy 1:16-18)
17) What two things did Paul desire of the Lord? (2 Timothy 1:16,18)

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 always, I will continue to pray that God’s message will come through to you loud and crystal clear. Until our next time together...

God bless you!

Sheri