Our Next Bible
Study
Philippians Chapter
2:17-30
Joshua Chapter
8
Prayer Requests:
Lil, Brian, Aiden, Dave, Elroy, Winslow,
Pauline, Shelia, Brad, Mike, Frosteen, Phil and Kathy, Dodie, Adrian, Hans and
Erin, Matt and Julie, military personnel, unemployed, Chris, children
with cancer, unsaved, Melinda & Barry and family, Ryan, Nick and Rachel, Tammy,
children with birth defects and their families, our Bible Study, special
unspoken needs, and remember me, Brenda Hendricks.
Praise Report:
February was
packed with inclement weather. Praise God for the shelter He has provided.
God is sending workers to the field. Through
faithful servants, many are learning more about Christ and in turn, are telling
others.
A testimony of God's faithfulness as we step out in obedience to honor Him by
bringing His Hope, Joy , Peace, Protection, Provision and Comfort to our troops
through HIs Holy Word so that they may be saved. May they know Him and make Him
known in Jesus Blessed Holy Name I pray...Amen!
Hallelujah!
When fretting
because my prayers seemed to go no further than the ceiling, I received this
answer from my Father:
"There's no need for your prayers to go any further than your tearstained
pillow. I am here with you. I don't expect you to ascend to me any more than a
father expects his infant to jump into his arms. I have loved you with an
everlasting love and with loving kindness I have drawn you.”
(Jeremiah 33:3 paraphrased by me)
WOO HOO!!
God is so good—always, all ways.
We are looking forward
to your praise reports. Please keep us informed so we can share the wonderful
grace of Jesus.
For previous lessons on Joy
or
previous Bible studies,
please visit our
archives
May God grant you safety, reassurance of
His love, and the revelation of Jesus Christ,
Brenda Hendricks.
Eating is a big deal to me. I like it. It has lots
of benefits like restoring energy,
building strong muscles, bones, and teeth, sustaining live. However, no
matter how many perks I can come up with for eating, over indulgences result
in severe consequences that remain inevitable for me. Front and foremost, my
system cannot tolerate large amounts of sugar. Besides the obvious weight
gain and tooth decay, sugar causes me to become lethargic and moody, which
eventually leads to depression. I have also had my share of migraines due to
excess consumption of the sweet treat.
Knowing all this, you might think I’d avoid the substance all together. Ah
contraire, my friend. I push it to the limit, and at the onset of the above
symptoms, I kick myself for bringing on the obvious discipline I need.
God created me with an intolerance to sugar and has given me full knowledge
of it, its symptoms, and the cure. Can I blame Him for the consequences of
my deliberate noncompliance? Not at all. He supplied me with all I need to
know to walk in obedience and to retain my joy. Whether I’m submissive to
Him or conform to the desires of my former ignorance is totally up to me.
Because
He gifted us with free-will, God never
forces His children into obedience. And the LORD
never crosses the boundaries He has set in place, even though He knew from
the beginning that we would rebel.
When Joshua led the Hebrew army into victory over the
people of Jericho,
God had instructed them to let all the wealth behind as an offering to Him.
Obedience was the key to their joy in victory. Not that big of a deal, after
all, God had supplied all their
needs down to having the Egyptians give them
wondrous gifts, livestock, servants, and all necessities to get the Hebrews
out of their land.
The Israelites did according to the word of Moses; and they
[urgently] asked of the Egyptians jewels of silver and of gold, and
clothing. The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so
that they gave them what they asked. And they stripped the Egyptians [of
those things]. And a
mixed multitude went also with them, and very much livestock, both flocks
and herds
(Exodus 12:35, 36, 38).
God had plans for the Israelite people. All He asked was obedience and
trust. According to Joshua chapter 7, Achan did neither. And it cost his
family dearly. For a few pieces of silver and a robe, Achan, his entire
family, and all his livestock were executed that day. Not only that, because
of this man’s sin, Israel lost God’s favor and 35 soldiers paid the ultimate
sacrifice during their invasion at Ai.
God demanded total submission and His chosen nation succumbed to the command
to destroy the wickedness in their camp.
We may not understand why God required the lives of Achan and his family,
including the livestock, but we can draw the conclusion that God takes sin
seriously. And grave consequences that may endanger generations follow our
insubordinate actions. Although some may say, “this is my life and what I do
harms no one but me,” everything we do influences everyone around us.
Moreover, if we are Christians, our actions grieve the Holy Spirit and
misrepresent our Savior in the eyes of unbelievers and weak believers alike,
damaging our testimony of Him. Ultimately, joy dissipates through
disobedience, dimming our reflection of Christ to the world.
Peter
knew firsthand how quickly our Christ-like light can flicker and die. The
night of Jesus’ arrest, he denied our Savior three times, then wept bitterly
at the realization of what he had done (Mark 14:66-72). No doubt, Peter lost
his joy and thought there was no hope of ever restoring it. He was so sure
that the LORD
wanted nothing more to do with him that he returned to his former
occupation—fishing (John 21). However, Jesus never intended to let Peter go.
The Master called him back into His service, restoring Peter’s joy a hundred
fold. As we read the introductory verse penned by Peter in his first letter
to the church, we can appreciate the disciple’s earnestness in pleading that
his readers obey God as His children.
The apostle Paul, also, beckons us to submission as he
writes, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians
2:12b). However, he reminds us that we are not alone.
[Not in
your own strength] for it is God Who is all the
while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power
and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction
and delight.
(Phil. 2:13 AMP).
Since Calvary, we have an advantage over Achan and all the people of the Old
Testament. We have the promised Holy Spirit to help us make right choices.
Re-read that verse! God is working in you and me, energizing and creating in
us the power and desire to do His good work! I feel strengthened in that
promise, how about you?
As we are strengthened, energized, and empowered, God takes joy and our joy
abounds. Our inner light radiates the love of Christ until we glow like
stars, giving the light of hope in the gospel of Jesus to the lost of this
world (Phil. 2:15). Those who will embrace that light will find eternal
life.
Achan’s disobedience led to death and exemplified the consequences of all
sin. But we have a promise in Jesus Christ. Through His death, all have hope
of eternal life.
