Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you [uncompromisingly]
righteous [you who are upright and in right standing with Him];
shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
(Psalm 32:11 AMP)
Our Next Bible
Study
Philippians
Chapter 3
Joshua Chapters
18
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Prayer Requests:
Mary, Geraldine, Lil, Brian, Aiden, Dave, Elroy, Winslow,
Pauline, Shelia, Brad, Mike, Frosteen, Phil and Kathy, Marsha, Grace, Adrian,
Hans and Erin, Matt and Julie, military personnel, unemployed, Chris, children
with cancer, unsaved, Melinda & Barry and family, Ryan, Nick and Rachel, Tammy
and Curt,,
children with birth defects and their families, our Bible Study, special
unspoken needs, and remember me, Brenda Hendricks.
~
Praise Report:
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)
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 and
previous Bible studies, please visit our
archives
May God grant you safety, reassurance of
His love, and the revelation of Jesus Christ,
Brenda Hendricks
Good parenting involves discipline that goes beyond punishment. To train
up a child in the way he should go, a parent must know when to let go
and let the kid. My mother had this lesson down pat, when it came to
homework at least. Her theory was that teachers gave homework to see how
much the parents knew. And she was not about to play that game. She had
done her homework during her school years, and she made it plain that we
had to do our own.
Despite Mother’s do-your-own-homework rule, I often asked her how to
spell words I wasn’t sure about. She always gave the same answer, “If I
told you, you wouldn’t remember it. You know where the dictionary is,
use it.” She gave basically the same answer about information I could
look up in the Encyclopedia. She had supplied me with the resources I
needed to do the job. God had granted me the ability to use them. The
end result: I never won a spelling bee, but I love research. The bonus:
I have learned that what I do for myself strengthens me, and I
appreciate it more.
Like a godly parent, Joshua encouraged the tribes of Israel to stand for
themselves and possess the land. In chapter 17:14-17, the tribe of
Joseph approached Joshua with a complaint. The conversation may have
gone something like this:
“We are blessed with many people and much livestock. You only allotted
one small chunk of land for all of us. It’s not enough to contain such a
vast people.”
Joshua replied, “Since you are so numerous go cut down the trees and
clear the land I have given you.”
“That’s still not enough. We are a mighty people.”
“So you are. Then go to the plains and settle there.” Joshua said.
“But the Canaanites who live in the plains have iron chariots.” The
tribe of Joseph whined.
Joshua became a bit distraught with their childish behavior. “You are
powerful. Haven’t you participated in enough battles to trust God for
your personal victory? Go clear what needs cleared. Drive out the
Canaanites. They are strong, but God is with you. Possess the land as
the God of our Fathers has promised. ”
Many people in our society today can relate to the tribe of Joseph. They
proclaim -- we deserve more, and we demand you give it to us now. But
few are willing to work for the blessings they think belong to them let
alone fight the enemy to possess the land. We seem to have forgotten
that with every blessing comes more responsibility. And hardship often
accompanies responsibility. A weak nation gives free gratis to her
people without the necessity of work. However, God never intended for
anyone to be leisurely and idol.
For even
when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work,
he shall not eat."
(2
Thessalonians 3:10 AMP) Difficult words for many people in today’s
society. We prefer the “name it and claim it” gospel to the true word of
God that demands we labor for our sustenance and trust God to care for
us regardless of our possessions.
Moreover,
we tend to forget that God is more concerned with our spiritual position
than our temporal possessions. As Joshua told the tribe of Joseph to
clear the land and drive out the Canaanites, God tells us many times
over in His word to clear our path and drive out the enemy. Paul
encouraged the Philippians to “work out their salvation with fear and
trembling” (2:12). This verse does not imply that our salvation is
through works. However we are to work at maturing in the faith. You see,
salvation comes through faith, not of ourselves but is a gift from God
(Ephesians 2:8). Our salvation enables us to enter the “Promise Land”,
but our journey doesn’t end there. We must work to clear the land so we
are prepared to add to our number. Along the way, our enemy who is the
enemy of God will try to destroy us. Therefore, we must fight to drive
him out. The process is a daily routine of “working out our salvation.”
Paul was
adamant about the treasure we possess in Christ Jesus. To gain salvation
through Christ as a cherished, coveted parcel of land (not that we can
buy it or could afford it even if it were for sale) is the reward for
faith. Again not that we can conjure up faith, it is a gift from the
Father. Can we, in all earnestness, cry out with Paul,
I want
to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of
sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so,
somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
(Philippians 3:10-11 AMP)? Paul grasped his salvation, yet he didn’t
stop at the threshold of the Promise Land and wait for the “good stuff”
to fall in his lap. He pressed on toward the goal continuously working
to become more Christ-like.
Brothers,
I do not
consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do:
Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on
toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward
in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 3:13-14 AMP)
Forgetting
what is behind:
1.
Sin, first and foremost must be left behind, in that we no longer
practice shameful habits that displease and disgrace our Savior. Also,
letting go of sin means to forgive ourselves as God has forgiven us.
2.
Former motivations, positions, achievements no longer hold us
captive.
3.
Even friends and family lose their position in our lives. Jesus
must be supreme in our lives. Yes, friends and family may forsake us
because of our dedication to Christ.
Straining
toward what is ahead:
1.
We are cloaked in the righteousness of Jesus. (1 Corinthians
1:30)
2.
We have a mansion in heaven and are joint heirs with Jesus (John
14:2-4, Romans 8:17)
3.
We have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and are adopted
into his family. (John 14:13-15, Romans 8:15)
While we
have work to do, responsibilities to meet, battles to fight, we stand
secure in the joy of the blessings we have in Christ.
Prayer:
Heavenly
Father, You have conquered the enemy through the blood of Jesus. I bring
You praise, honor, and glory. Nevertheless, my work is not complete
until I follow His example. Prepare me for the task and grant me
perseverance that I, like Paul, may press on toward the goal of
perfection through Jesus Christ. In His name, I pray. Amen.
