Enemies

The GT Weekend! – Incorruptible Week 2

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The GT Weekend! – Incorruptible Week 2

Rebecca Adams

November 17, 2018

Accepted,Anxious,Believe,Community,Enemies,Freedom,God,GT Weekend,Help,Hope,Power,Praise,Prayer,Purpose,Relationship,Scripture,Trust,Truth

Rest your soul through reflective journaling,
praying Scripture,
and worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

His Words Before Ours

1 Peter 2:11-15

Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul. Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.

Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good
Read More Of His Words

Reflective Prayer

Father God, it’s so easy for me to get comfortable here, and to pour my energies into preserving and maintaining that comfort that I forget the ‘real life’ You have called me. I replace Your priorities in life with my own.

Remind me often this weekend, Spirit, to live with gentleness, to stay focused on the eternal, so that others will see You in the way I live. Give me courage to bravely open my mouth and share about You because You are the most important priority to me. Teach my to love well, regardless of who you put in my path to love. Thank You for graciously allowing me to share You, over and over each day!
Pray Scripture

Worship Through Song

Reflection One

Kendra shared that “Hopelessness has been hanging heavy here, Sisters.” Does that resonate with you somewhere? Maybe it’s a relationship, a loss, buried under a load of stress, financial strain, or the highs and lows of emotions….Hopelessness hangs heavy.

We fight Hopelessness by finding solid footing on which to stand. Here’s the secret, “It’s God’s Word!” Dig in, girl. Hope is waiting. Just do it, sit with Him.

Stop the everything, pause the worry and hang up the heaviness just to sit. Open His Word, 1 Peter, Psalms, Hosea, or Genesis. The where isn’t nearly as important as the Who you are sitting with. Tell us where you landed at the GT Community on FB!
Monday & Tuesday

Reflection Two

Doesn’t a lot of the world we experience negatively make much more sense when we realize we have an adversary? Shannon shares how our enemy desires only to steal, kill, and destroy us as believers in Jesus. He is ready to bring false accusations against us over and over to break us down, making us doubt the truths we know from Scripture.

Where are you seeing a pattern of lies you’re being tempted to believe? Where do you see the enemy working to steal something the Savior has given you?

Write these out, share them with a friend, and spend time fighting by holding onto truth and being transparent with believing friends.
Wednesday & Thursday

Reflection Three

Loving people is hard work! ‘Love one another’ is easy to say, and ridiculously difficult to do. But God calls us, over and over, to love genuinely and constantly. Graciously, this task is not ours to handle on our own; in fact, it’s impossible without the Spirit of the Lord!

Think through who the hard-to-love people are in your life. Shorten the list to 2 or 3, then set an alarm on your phone to pray for them at the same time every day this week. Ask God for opportunities to share His love with them, and be ready to obey!
2-for-1 Friday

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Nov 5 - Nov 23, 2018 - Journey Theme #43
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Incorruptible Day 9 Redeemed From Emptiness: Digging Deeper

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Incorruptible Day 9 Redeemed From Emptiness: Digging Deeper

Shannon Vicker

November 15, 2018

Believe,Bold,church,Digging Deeper,Enemies,Faith,Follow,Forgiven,Future,God,Gospel,Grace,Heaven,Help,Jesus,Kingdom,Life,Love,Meaning,persecution,Relationship,Sacrifice,Scripture,Service,Sin,Struggle,Truth,Wisdom

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "Redeemed From Emptiness"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Peter 5:8–14

8 Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 9 Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.

10 The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while. 11 To him be dominion forever. Amen.

12 Through Silvanus, a faithful brother (as I consider him), I have written to you briefly in order to encourage you and to testify that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it! 13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, as does Mark, my son. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Who is Peter writing to in these verses?

Peter addresses this letter to believers living in exile in 1:1, but in 1 Peter 5:1-4, he specifically writes to the elders and 1 Peter 5:5 addresses young men. However, the second half of 1 Peter 5:5 and following is written to both groups. 

Who were these elders and young men? Elder is not simply a term to describe age. The Greek word Peter uses, “presbyteros”, refers to those in a position over others or an overseer within the church. They would have been strong believers who had been walking in the faith. 

The younger men mentioned in verse 5 refer to those who sit under the elders. They would have been men in the church who were not elders and would have probably been less spiritually mature than the elders. 

After giving them each specific instruction, Peter then turns his attention on both groups. He continues with words of advice and warning intended for both groups of people, which is what we find in these verses.  

The Everyday Application

1) Who is Peter writing to in these verses?

While these verses are addressed in the original context to the elders and young men Peter was writing to, there is still an application for us.

We may not be pastors or hold the specific office of elder within the Church, but Peter’s words are still a warning to us. These words can be applied to those who have been walking with Jesus for many years and those who are new to a relationship with Him. 

As believers, we are members of the global, timeless Church and we should heed the advice and warnings Peter gives. 

The Original Intent

2) Who is the adversary Peter is writing about and how does he attack?

These verses are very clear there is an adversary in the devil. Peter specifically describes this adversary as a roaring lion. In order to understand our enemy, we must look to other parts of the Bible to learn who he truly is. 

Both Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 introduce the devil as a fallen angel cast from Heaven due to pride, thinking he could become god himself.  Job 1:7 informs us this adversary, Satan, roams the earth going to and fro. Another translation of the Hebrew, “accuser”, tells us he looks for those to accuse. This is precisely what he is doing in the book of Job, looking for one to accuse; this is still his aim! 

Peter paints a description of a lion ready to attack when he finds the weak, separated member of the pack. The devil will attack when he sees the greatest opening to do maximum damage. These attacks look different depending on each person, but John 8:44 reminds us our enemy is the father of lies. His attacks are not truth and should not be held as such.  

The Everyday Application

2) Who is the adversary Peter is writing about and how does he attack?

Our adversary is still alive and well just as he was when Peter wrote these verses. Matthew Henry’s Commentary explains that Peter describes the enemy by his character. First, he is our adversary, our enemy, who wants only to hurt and destroy us. Second, Peter calls him the devil or Satan whose role is to accuse believers. Third, he is a roaring lion on the prowl.

Lions do not hunt the strong animals who can defend themselves. Instead, they look for the weak or hurt animal, separated from the pack. 

Satan is the same; he is on the hunt looking for the weak believer separated from community to attack. It’s easier to attack a weak believer without community as there is less chance of defense. The enemy will lie to believers in order to accomplish his goals. We must recognize our enemy for exactly who he is, and respond accordingly with truth!  

The Original Intent

3) How do we resist our adversary?

After describing the adversary, Peter doesn’t leave his readers to wonder what to do. Instead, Peter gives them specific advice on how to deal with this adversary.

These elders and young men are to resist him and stand firm. The beginning of verse 8 also reminds readers to be sober-minded and alert. Be on the lookout for the attack that is coming.

It’s no secret the enemy is looking ready to attack at the opportune moment; believers must be ready. Peter also reminds them they are not alone in their suffering. Other believers are experiencing suffering alongside them. 

Matthew Henry writes, “It was the faith of these people that Satan aimed at; if he could overturn their faith, and draw them into apostasy, then he knew he should gain his point, and ruin their souls; therefore, to destroy their faith, he raises bitter persecutions, and sets the grand potentates of the world against them. This strong trial and temptation they must resist, by being well-grounded, resolute, and steadfast in the faith.”

These believers must cling to the truth they know of the One True God who saved their souls. They must cling to their salvation in what Jesus has already done on their behalf and not give in to the lies their enemy is aiming at them. Lastly, they must never forget they are not alone. Believers throughout the world experience the similar attacks from their common enemy.

The Everyday Application

3) How do we resist our adversary?

We are to resist our adversary stand firm just as the believers Peter is writing to. The believers in 1 Peter are reminded of other believers suffering and we too must remember there are believers around the world experiencing similar sufferings to us. 

 Paul Marshall of Freedom House states that 80% of the world’s believers, those who are genuinely walking with Jesus and living out their faith, live in persecution. 

Just as a lion looks for the one separated from the pack, our adversary wants to separate us from other believers. He wants us to feel alone, not belonging to a larger community of believers. When he separates us from other believers, his attack becomes much easier.

We need biblical community around us reminding us we are not in this battle alone. We must also remember that while we may be in the middle of a battle, the war has already been won. 1 Peter 5:2 reminds us we already share in the glory!

No matter what lies the devil is telling us, we must cling to the truth and stand firm. Once we place our faith in Jesus, we are redeemed from all we have ever done and will ever do. Jesus did it all when He went to the Cross bearing all our sin and shame then rising from the grave, defeating death and the devil himself.

We fight our battles, but we are never, ever alone and never without hope!

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Incorruptible, Day 8
Journey Study

Peter reminds us that we are exiles too. Separated here on earth from the One in Heaven who crafted our hearts to beat in rhythm with His. Aliens here with broken relationships, heartache, loss, destruction, and sufferings coming in all shapes and sizes.

Exile is not forever, Sisters. We can trust that truth because of our God’s character!
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Nov 5 - Nov 23, 2018 - Journey Theme #43

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Incorruptible Day 1 Temporary Residents

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Incorruptible Day 1 Temporary Residents

Rebecca Jenner

November 5, 2018

Adoring,Believe,church,Daughter,Design,Enemies,God,Good,Gospel,Grace,Jesus,Life,Love,Meaning,persecution,Pursue,Relationship,Sacrifice,Scripture,Significance,Truth

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Peter 1:1-2
John 10:7-15
John 15:18-19

Exiles
We have heard the term, but what does it mean?
For the Christians in the first-century church in Jerusalem, it meant they were hated and persecuted to the point of being driven from their homes and communities into the wild areas of modern-day Turkey.
This persecution took our Lord Jesus to the cross, where He willingly laid down His life for us. The same religious leaders who led the charge against Jesus then focused on His followers (Acts 8:1-4).
It is to these exiles Peter wrote.
He began his letter by reminding them that they were….

Chosen
To those chosen, living as exiles, dispersed abroad….
Chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
through the sanctifying work of the Spirit,
to be obedient,
and to be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ.
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
1 Peter 1:1-2

Let that sink in, sisters.

The same God who created the stars and made the earth conducive to sustaining human life chose you to be in relationship with Him.

What blessed grace!
What an honor!

When you’re in a relationship with God, you become more like Him.
Not because He forces you.
Not because He guilts you.
It’s because you come to realize that His ways are better for life…for the abundant life that Christ affords us.

As you become more like Jesus, you become less like the world. Maybe you’ll feel your friends distancing themselves from you. Maybe you’ll experience more conflict.Then maybe the enemy whispers to you (like he does to me) that you don’t deserve to be a Christian – or that you aren’t really a Christian – because of…blah, blah, blah.

Of course, we don’t deserve it!
That’s why it’s called grace.
Left to ourselves, Jesus says, “you did not choose me!”
Sweet friend, if you find yourself listening to those whispers, focus on grace.

By His grace, we are set free.  (Colossians 1:14)
By His grace, He will never let us go. (1 John 4:13)
By His grace, He has chosen us and not rejected us. (1 Peter 2:4)

Obedient

To those chosen, living as exiles, dispersed abroad….
Chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
through the sanctifying work of the Spirit,
to be obedient,
and to be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ.
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
1 Peter 1:1-2

Why were we chosen?
Chosen for what?

Peter says we were chosen for obedience. (1 Peter 1:1)
Paul says we were chosen to be conformed to the image of the Son. (Romans 8:29)
These are summed up when Jesus says we were chosen to produce fruit. (John 15:16)

We, as children of God, are chosen, called, and set-apart to be obedient to Him as we are conformed through the work of the Holy Spirit, into becoming like Jesus, producing His fruit in our everyday lives. (Galatians 5:21-22)

Fruit that loves. (Luke 10:27)
Fruit that shares the hope of Jesus precisely because we are exiles. (Matthew 28:18-20)
Fruit that accepts and values one another as equals. (Romans 15:7)
Fruit that serves. (Galatians 5:13)
Fruit that is patient (Ephesians 4:2) and kind (Ephesians 4:32).

Exiles.

We are to be in this world, but not of it. (Romans 12:1-2)
Just like our brothers and sisters in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, we are exiles in our countries, cultures, cities, and neighborhoods.
Our citizenship is in heaven. (Philippians 1:27a)

We are exiles.

Chosen for relationship with the Almighty through the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.
Called out for obedience through the sanctifying work of the Spirit.
Yes, we are exiles, sisters.
This world is not our home.

Hallelujah!

May His grace and peace be multiplied to you as you live here as exiles, changing the world around you for the Kingdom of God!

Lord, help entrench ourselves in Your grace as we live in this foreign land as temporary residents, just passing through on our way to Forever with our Wonderful Father!

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Incorruptible Day 2
Digging Deeper

This world is not our home, but rather a temporary place of residence until Christ returns. Peter called upon the “exiles” to abstain from the “passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:10-12) for the sole purpose of pointing those around them to Christ. We are the exiles of this age, pointing people to Him, the one true God and Redeemer. He has given us a promise in the Holy Spirit until He returns to sustain us, to enable us, and to live as exiles until we go to our eternal home.
Dig Deeper!

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Prayer is central to our ministry as believers in Jesus as we carry eachother’s burdens and intercede for one another. Our team is honored to share the work of praying alongside you!

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Nov 5 - Nov 23, 2018 - Journey Theme #43

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Pause 2, Day 4 Putting On Life

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Pause 2, Day 4

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  
For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:2  
 
Before crossing the line of faith, and asking Jesus to save us from eternal separation from God because of our sin, we had no choice but to obey the desires of our flesh.  
We were ruled by the Enemy.  
Chained by his death-grip.  
 
But, in God’s vast grace, we were transferred from the Kingdom of Darkness  
into the Kingdom of Light!  
In that transfer, sisters, our past life was crucified with Christ.  
That body, those passions, are dead.  
 
The way we used to walk with all the gossip, the lies, the lust, the self-focus, the jealousy… dead. Powerless.  
The only power it holds is the power we allow it.  
It’s like walking into a coffee shop with all of its sights, smells, and delicacies only to stand at the door acting as if we can’t have coffee.  
 
We are alive to Jesus and alive to the life He calls us to.  
Put off the flesh.  
Put on Life! 

Today's Challenge

1) Be a scribe and copy the precious words of Scripture down word for word. Make space in your journal to write down all of Colossians 3 today. As you copy, lookup a cross reference or two as you come to them (they are the small letters next to certain words in your study Bible or online at www.biblia.com). As you write, think of the incredible gift it is to be invited into God’s presence through His word!

2) Choose one of these options to walk into more with Jesus as you make the intentional choice to “Put On Life!”
a) Pitch in to do something extra at church. Whether it’s helping with cleanup, opening doors, trimming weeds, or offering to help in a child’s classroom, step up to loving deeper by serving in a new way.
b) October is Pastor Appreciation Month and a note of genuine kindness goes a long ways in showing love and giving encouragement. Consider sending your pastor an email or card!
c) Check out some local ministries in your area and make plans to serve with them for an afternoon. Maybe it’s organizing school donations, serving soup, or stuffing backpacks for kids. Even better, get some friends to join you!
d) Prayer walking is a simple way to begin shifting the eyes of your heart to truly see others. Walk around your neighborhood, some city streets, the aisles of your grocery store, or intentionally sit at a local coffee shop and pray, pray, pray. Pray for the people around you, pray for hearts to turn towards Jesus, pray for your own heart to be ready to share the full gospel if given the chance. Don’t worry about seeing results, that’s God’s job!
e) Strike up a conversation with a random stranger. It may move to spiritual topics, it may not, but showing love to those outside our immediate circles always begins with a simple conversation. “What have you been doing today?” “Do you live nearby?” “Where do you go to church?” “What are your favorite local restaurants?” “I love your top! Where did you get it?” These open-ended questions work well!

3) Share the exciting, bold ways you Put On Life today with the rest of the GT Community! Our Facebook community page is always open! Or snap a photo and tag us on Instagram @gracefully_truthful

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Colossians 3

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Therefore, put to death what belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, God’s wrath is coming upon the disobedient, 7 and you once walked in these things when you were living in them. 8 But now, put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator. 11 In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. 14 Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.19 Husbands, love your wives and don’t be bitter toward them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they won’t become discouraged. 22 Slaves, obey your human masters in everything. Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people, 24 knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong he has done, and there is no favoritism.

How Does “Pause” Work?
1. Each day, Monday through Friday, for 2 weeks, we will provide you with a simple challenge. Each challenge is designed for you to engage with the Almighty in a deeper way and perhaps in a new way than you have been recently.

2. Having a journal is a must! You’ll want to take notes as you walk this special Journey of Pause.

3. Each week focuses on one or two passage of Scripture and we walk with you as you study and flesh these out for yourself. As you write your thoughts, read His Word, and pray, questions might come up. That’s Perfect! Ask a trusted fellow believer, a pastor, or send us an email as you work through them!

4. Jumping in at the middle? No problem! Here is the entire Journey Theme.

5. Connect with others on Facebook by visiting our GT Community Group!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Pause 2 Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme? Here’s a link to all past studies
in Pause 2!

Dwell Day 5 Building Altars

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Dwell Day 5 Building Altars

Audra Darville

October 5, 2018

Believe,Brave,Character,Dwell,Enemies,Faith,Faithfulness,God,Gospel,Grace,Life,Power,Praise,Prayer,Scripture,Truth,Worship

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 28:10-19
Habakkuk 2:2-5
Psalm 94:16-23
Joshua 4
Psalm 139


 

Life can be difficult, exciting, scary, or down right turbulent.
We get so caught up in what’s going on around us we forget
to give God glory or even look for His hand.

Our tendency to forget isn’t a secret to God.
And so, He invites us to build altars.

Genesis 28:10-19 tells of Jacob and his dream. Jacob was twin to Esau and son to Isaac, who was Abraham’s son of promise. Through Isaac, God promised Abraham he would become the father of many nations, ultimately having lineage leading to Jesus Christ Himself. Jacob was a Hebrew, which meant he was offspring of Abraham and set apart for God.

Esau, with a chip on his shoulder for his dad, Isaac’s, faith in the God of Abraham and a desire for lucrative women, decided to marry outside the Hebrew faith. Eventually, Esau’s lifestyle choices led him away from the Lord God as he worshipped false gods.

Isaac, seeing Esau’s choice, warned Jacob to marry a Hebrew woman, who believed as Isaac did. Jacob obeyed and began traveling back to Haran, which was Grandfather Abraham’s homeland. As Jacob stopped for rest during his travels, he was given a dream by God, wherein God renewed the Promise of Inheritance He had given to Abraham and Isaac.
God said, “Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 28:14)
It was in incredible encounter with the Living God!

Jacob awoke and incredulously declared,
“Surely the Lord is in this place!”
As a reminder of God’s promise and his encounter, Jacob set up an altar where he had dreamed.

Jacob’s altar reminded him of truth, despite what circumstances might say.
The altar was a testimony of what God had said and done in his life.

We might not go around setting up rock towers and anointing them with oil as Jacob did (Genesis 28:18), but we can create similar spiritual memorials through journaling.

Transparently, I’ve been in a season where the enemy is continually planting doubt in my mind.
“Are you sure God said that? Or was that just your feelings?”.
One way I battle these lies is with my prayer journal.

As I pray, sharing my thoughts with God and writing how God responds,
my altar to the Lord is built. When the Enemy lies, I go back to my documented prayers to clearly see my testimony of God’s truth.

Why is writing an important battle plan against the enemy?
The Lord has always especially used the written word to make Himself known,
even Jesus was first introduced in John’s gospel as “the Word made flesh.” (John 1:14)

As Habakkuk, one of many prophetic books, exemplifies by recording the Lord as saying,
“Write the vision; make it plain on tablets…” (Habakkuk 2:2)

We are told to plainly write how the Lord moves and acts.
Not only for ourselves, but also that others might know Him!

Centuries after Jacob, his dream, and his altar, Joshua was leading the Israelites (Hebrews) into Canaan, the land God had promised through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In order to cross into the land, they had to go through the furiously fast flowing River Jordan. Like He had done before with Moses, God parted the waters and all of Israel crossed over on dry land.

Then Joshua records something unique as he commands 12 stones to be brought from the Jordan and built as a memorial altar before the Lord.
Why?
Joshua answers wisely, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come,
‘What do these stones mean?’
then you shall let your children know, Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ (…)
so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty….” (Joshua 4:21-24)

A memorial was made.
An altar was built.
That all might know the Lord.

Journaling is that practice of building altars, it’s our memorial for what the Lord as done and how He has spoken truth over us.

The greatest “journal” of the Bible is the book of psalms, which overflows with memorial altars. Here, the psalmists carefully recorded various circumstances and God’s faithful, solid true response to their hearts. As a result, the world reaps the benefit of seeing how a life centered on God is unshakeable despite rocky circumstances. Their “journaling” allowed the name of the Lord to be made known!

Journaling allows us to trace the places He has taken us,
the prayers He has answered,
and the tangible way He loves us.
It has built my trust in Him and it can build yours as well.

A worship chorus by Elevation Worship says,
I’ve seen You move, come move the mountains
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again
You made a way, where there was no way
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again.

How can we trust He will do it again
if we don’t have the reminder that He has done it before?

Journaling can be challenging at first, because sometimes you have no idea what to write, but there are easy ways to start.

A Journible is a great tool for journaling. In these unique books, you become the scribe, recording the very words of Scripture. Then, with simple prompts, you’re encouraged to respond with your heart, engaging in conversation with the Almighty.

If you enjoy using technology over pen and paper, Journey is a great resource that allows for online journaling.

Whatever method you choose, don’t miss out on the opportunity to build an altar and declare God’s faithfulness!

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discipline,dwell,faith,faithfulness,hope,journal,relationship,Truth
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Have you asked God to point out your sin lately? To be honest, I’m a little afraid to pray that prayer because I’m afraid of what He’ll point out. Recognizing and dealing with our sin can be painful, but ultimately leads us to Jesus.
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Roads Day 14 True Hope In An Age Of Enlightenment: Digging Deeper

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Roads Day 14 True Hope In An Age Of Enlightenment: Digging Deeper

Rebecca Adams

September 27, 2018

Believe,Character,Clothed,Digging Deeper,Enemies,Future,God,Gospel,Hope,Jesus,Life,Power,Prayer,Prophecy,Scripture,Sin,Struggle,Truth,Worship

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "True Hope In An Age Of Enlightenment"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 16:16-19

16 Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation, are the servants of the Most High God.” 18 She did this for many days. Paul was greatly annoyed. Turning to the spirit, he said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out right away. 19 When her owners realized that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.
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The Original Intent

1) How can an evil spirit predict the future? Do Satanic forces know everything like God does?

It’s important to know that Satan and his demonic angels, or spirits, cannot know the future. Satan is not omniscient (all-knowing); only God is. Satan knows only what has been revealed by Christ since the beginning of Satan’s existence.

Satan prowls as a lion, watching his prey, studying his prey like the commander of an army would study his opponent to know his weak points. This long-time study of human interaction and patterns allows Satan to use this information in cunning ways to make it appear that he, through his demonic forces, can “tell the future”.

Examples of false prophets and deceptive prophesies that appear true, but end up being lies, are strewn all throughout Scripture. Only what comes from Christ can be absolutely trustworthy. Jesus is quoted as saying Satan “was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) 

The Everyday Application

1) How can an evil spirit predict the future? Do Satanic forces know everything like God does?

Satan’s craft of choice is deception; he will stop at nothing to lure us into his lies. He is called the “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4) for good reason. Not because he is all-powerful like God, but because he hungrily seeks to rule this world with his limited dominion and turn every human heart, along with all of creation, away from the God who loves us, and towards anything else. 

Satan’s success is our demise as we are deceived into worshipping things, people, and desires that will absolutely never satisfy like the One who crafted our hearts for perfect union with Him. With all of this deception swirling around us from the “father of lies”, how can we possibly know whether we are being tricked, or where our hearts are worshipping something other than the God of the Bible? Scripture is the solid answer.

The whole of Scripture is effective for teaching us how to live, and how to differentiate between truth and lies. From various belief systems, to cultural messages, and even good things we do, Scripture helps us understand our heart’s worship and which lies we are believing. Truth is available; it’s solid, sure, and life-giving, and worth seeking out!  

The Original Intent

2) The girl seemed to be proclaiming truth about God, why was Paul “greatly annoyed”?

This was not a one-time incident between Paul, Silas, Luke (the eyewitness author of Acts), and the girl who was possessed by a demon. Paul and his duo were regularly going to the place of prayer by the river to meet with believers, preach the gospel, pray, and encourage the saints.

The girl, led by the demon, found them out intentionally, and followed them chanting, “These men, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation, are the servants of the Most High God.”  It was obvious to all on-lookers that this girl was demon-possessed, which was not an uncommon sight.

Even though the message was indeed true, its messenger was from the “father of lies”. Paul wanted nothing to do with publicity from a false source. The gospel Paul was preaching and teaching of Jesus did not need “help” from a deceiving demon to proclaim.

The gospel of Jesus is altogether other, full of light, life, hope, and most importantly, solid truth. This message had no place coming from the mouthpiece of a deceiver.   

The Everyday Application

2) The girl seemed to be proclaiming truth about God, why was Paul “greatly annoyed”?

We too, like Paul, should be “greatly annoyed” when truth becomes jaded because of the source from which it comes. Whether it’s religious beliefs that use Christian language, a preacher who distorts truth, or leaders who use the Bible to make falsehoods appear “true and biblical”, all of it should feel like a punch to the gut.

We, as believers, are called to act boldly, to love deeply, and not shy away from firmly taking a stand for truth and its ultimate Source, the Almighty God. Respectfully and lovingly? Absolutely! But we cannot hold loosely to truth so as not to offend someone.

Sisters, share the full truth of the gospel with love and grace! Eternity is at stake. Speaking truth isn’t about winning a religious argument, it’s about saving friends, family, and those around us for eternity as we point each one to the solid hope we have in Christ!

This Journey Theme, Roads, has tackled 9 religions and given us practical tools, equipping us to have good conversations with others. Use these tools, dig into Scripture, and hold firm to truth, Sister, hold firm! 

The Original Intent

3) What does the phrase “hope of profit” reveal? 

“When her owners realized that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.” (Acts 16:19) This display of anger boils down to 2 things, control and worship.

Satan had given them the false idea that they were in control and were planning their own wonderful destiny by making large amounts of money through their scheme. No doubt they were self-assured, confident, and adept at knowing how and when to best promote their “propaganda”, the slave girl and her false demonic prophesies.

When it was stripped of them, their indignant response was anger because their plans had been foiled, their false sense of control had been seized from their hands. Their source of power wasn’t solid and unshakeable, it was only found in their ability to manipulate and attempt to control something outside themselves for their own gain. 

The focus of their worship was not the unchanging God of the Universe, it was money, power, and self-gratification. If these men had been intent on worshipping the One True God, they wouldn’t have time or desire to worship lesser things.

The Everyday Application

3) What does the phrase “hope of profit” reveal? 

When we hold firmly to truth, circumstances no longer hold us captive because we are personally in a living relationship with the Author of Life. Our very lives are held in His mighty hands.

The men in this story worshipped themselves, and were held captive by Satan and his lies. They had been deceived into thinking they really did have power and and control in life, but they didn’t. Satan was simply using them to further his own twisted purposes of leading people astray and far away from the glorious truth and hope of Jesus Christ.

These men were “owned” by a slave owner, just as they were “owning” this slave girl. And so are we, all of humanity is under the rule and reign of Sin and Satan. It is only through the offer of salvation by grace alone through faith alone by Jesus, fully God, fully man, sacrificially offering Himself on our behalf that we can be freed from the Slave Master Sin!

In this incident in Scripture, when Satan lost to the power of Jesus Christ, these men lost too. Not So With Jesus! Sister, is God the Son yours?! For all who call on the Name of Jesus Christ, salvation belongs to them.

Not a Jesus who is only “a” god. Not a Jesus who was created. Not a Jesus who holds no standard of right, wrong, or justice, but the Jesus of the Bible. It is only through this Christ, and this Christ alone, that our victory is forever won!

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Roads Day 13 Journey Study

The more I envisioned the power of unity becoming a reality through the methods of my own individual enlightenment, the more I recognized I was the flaw in the logic of this plan. Or at least, the recognition of my own, fallen, sinful humanity, revealed the flaw.
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Screenshot Day 14 The Story Isn’t Over: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out The Story Isn’t Over!

The Questions

1) What does this passage teach us about Satan’s relationship to God? 

2) Why does Job have a “hedge of protection” and “blessings” from the Lord? 

3) What would it have meant for Job to “curse” God to His “face”? 

Job 1:9-12

9 Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Haven’t you placed a hedge around him, his household, and everything he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he owns, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 

12 “Very well,” the Lord told Satan, “everything he owns is in your power. However, do not lay a hand on Job himself.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence. 

Original Intent

1) What does this passage teach us about Satan’s relationship to God?
It first tells us they actually have a relationship in that God does not “ignore” Satan or his evil workings; God is intricately involved and has full knowledge of all Satan’s schemes.  Additionally, Satan is very much under the control of the Lord God; Satan does not have any power that is not first allowed by God. It’s important to know that while Satan is the archenemy of God, they are not on equal footing, not even close! When comparing power and authority, The Lord God holds all of it, only allowing Satan to have a certain measure of power because of the current fallen state of the world we live in. Our world is sinful because we, as humanity, have chosen it. The Lord graciously allowed humanity to have “free choice” in who we would worship, either God or Satan. In our sinful, arrogant ways, when left to our own choice, we choose to worship Satan by pridefully loving ourselves more than God.  

2) Why does Job have a “hedge of protection” and “blessings” from the Lord?
The word “hedge” has a cross-reference (noted by a subscript letter that correlates to other Scripture verses) to Psalm 3:3 and Psalm 34:7. Both of these, and their surrounding verses, refer to God sheltering, shielding, delivering, and saving His children because they cried out to Him, trusted Him, and feared Him (as in, stood in awe of Him and His authority). Protection from what? The Enemy and his attacking schemes. This hedge is precisely what Satan is referring to in regard to Job. In essence, Satan is saying, “Of course Job trusts You, God! You are protecting Him with Your power and impenetrable shield!” Satan argues with God that if the hedge were removed and the blessings God has given Job were taken away, Job would easily fall prey to Satan’s desires for Job to curse God and be spiritually separated from God.  

3) What would it have meant for Job to “curse” God to His “face”?
To curse, or blaspheme, God is to discredit Him and speak irreverently about God, His Word, or His character. Job made it his regular habit to intercede for his children, praying for them in the event they had “cursed God in their hearts”. To curse God “to His face” carries significant weight. The psalmist writes in Psalm 10:3 of cursing God as being equal to renouncing Him entirely, this would be similar to what Satan is describing here to God about his hoped-for-response from Job if blessings were removed. This would be a complete abandonment of the relationship with God from Job’s perspective. God used similar language in Isaiah 65:2-3 in describing Israel’s rejection of God. Later in Job’s story, his wife urges Job to simply “curse God and die”, as the result of cursing God would be death. (Job 2:9) 

 

Everyday Application

1) What does this passage teach us about Satan’s relationship to God?
Do you fear Satan? Are you ever afraid of what the Enemy might do, or ways he might attack you or the ones you love?  Only the Lord God has the power and authority to see all things, know all things, and be present everywhere at every moment. Satan has none of those powers. The Enemy cannot know your thoughts, but God knows every intricate detail about you including your thoughts, your words, your motives, and the hairs on your head. (Psalm 139:4, Luke 12:7) Satan cannot do anything beyond the extremely limited amount of power the Lord God allows, which means that we can live free of fear from Satan and his attacks. Hide yourself in the shelter of the Most High God and cling to the truth that He alone is our stronghold. (Psalm 91:1-2, Psalm 59) If God is for us, as Christ followers, who can be against us?! (Romans 8:31)

2) Why does Job have a “hedge of protection” and “blessings” from the Lord?
God’s nature is to protect and defend and guard His beloved. Sit with that for a moment. Do you ever worry that you’ve made God angry so He will no longer protect you, as if He were a fickle parent or friend? He will not abandon His character based upon your choices; His love for you is unchanging and unconditional. He loves to protect His own and He loves to bless us and give us good gifts. (Matthew 7:11) However, like Job modeled, we cannot associate God’s physical blessings in our lives with God’s presence. God is a gracious, generous, protecting God, but He never guarantees our safety or the permanence of physical or relational blessing. In this passage, we see God lift a portion of His “hedge” of protection, and later, even Job’s family died and blessings were removed from Job’s life, but God never once abandoned Job nor did His good character change. Take it from Job, enjoy the gifts of God, praise Him for them, fear Him only, trust Him whole-heartedly and He will faithfully protect you. But when His protection looks different than you expect or His blessings are removed for a time, trust His character and His good Father heart! 

3) What would it have meant for Job to “curse” God to His “face”?
Cursing God to His face is a stubborn insistence that we hate Him, we reject Him and despise Him; it’s a total renouncing of God Himself. This is clearly Satan’s end goal, not only for Job, but also for every created person, past, present, and future. For anyone to renounce God spells victory for Satan, but utter loss and destruction for a soul. The truth is that each of us, in our core, have renounced God to His face. We have each stubbornly chosen to set ourselves as rulers over our lives. But the gracious, good news of Jesus Christ brings hope!  While we were still sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6-8) He sacrificed Himself, even as we spat in His face, cursing Him. That is radical love! By His grace, He offers us a path of restoration, a way to come home. When we acknowledge that yes, indeed, we do want to be our own god. We would rather choose sin over God’s ways. And yes, we see how that sin does separate us from a Holy God, we have come to a place where we can ask Jesus to save us from ourselves and span the gap with His own righteousness in place of our sinfulness. Saying Yes to Jesus, frees us from the curse of Sin and unshackles us from the dominion of Satan! 

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

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This is Screenshot Week Three!
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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Screenshot Day 13 The Story Isn’t Over

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 13:24-30
Matthew 13:36-43
Job 1:6-12
Hebrews 4:15-16
John 16:25-33 

Screenshot, Day 13

I often hear my husband say, “Don’t put a period where God has put a comma.” 
Sometimes, I’m tempted to give up when I can’t see progress.

In ministry, it’s disheartening when someone who once followed Jesus wholeheartedly, has abandoned those ways, choosing to chase the world instead.
Especially after you’ve invested time and energy into that relationship.
I’ve been discouraged, questioning what I may have done wrong, or could have done better.  The following story of Jesus reminds me never to lose hope,
remembering that what I can see isn’t the whole story.  

Jesus tells the story of a farmer who sowed wheat in his field. In the night, an enemy came and contaminated the field with weeds.  As they both grew, it became apparent there were both weeds and wheat in the field so the servants asked the farmer if they should pull the weeds.  The farmer told them to let both grow together.
At harvest, the reapers would bind and burn the weeds, while storing the wheat safely in the barn. 

Unlike most parables, we get the benefit of Jesus’ interpretation of this one.
Since He took the time to give its meaning, we should listen closely!

“The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 
the field is the world; 
and the good seed – these are the children of the kingdom.  
The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil.  
The harvest is the end of the age and the harvesters are angels.  
Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom all who cause sin and those guilty of lawlessness.  They will throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  
Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom.  
Let anyone who has ears listen”
Matthew 13:36-43 

God is the one responsible for planting the seed. 
He alone is responsible for salvation and already knows the eternally fate of every person He created. Regardless of our desire to see the ones we love and serve begin a relationship with Jesus, we do not have the power to save them.
Only Jesus does.
Certainly, we have a responsibility to share the gospel and pray for them.
Remain faithfully obedient in that task, no matter how long it takes! 
But only Jesus has the power to save.  

Evil exists in this world.
God has allowed Satan certain liberties on earth for a time, and the Enemy has not wasted his opportunities to sow weeds of Death and Destruction.
In the book of Job, Satan, intent on stealing, killing and destroying (John 10:10), is busying himself with God and His people.  After a time of roaming the earth, Satan appears before the Lord, which makes it clear that he answers to God’s authority, not the other way around.
During their conversation, God asks if Satan has considered Job, to which Satan replies, “Haven’t you placed a hedge around him, his household, and everything he owns?”
He concluded by saying that, without all the blessings from God, Job would not be a faithful follower.  God then gives Satan permission to do whatever he desires with Job’s possessions, but not to touch Job himself.  

Nothing can come into our lives that hasn’t passed through the loving thought of our Heavenly Father.
Weeds from the Enemy are abundant in this world, 
but we are not abandoned by our Heavenly Father!
While He does not cause evil, He does allow certain things to enter our lives to refine us, grow us, and ultimately bring Him glory. (Romans 8:28)

We also must remember our Savior is not immune to our suffering.
Hebrews 4:15, teaches that Jesus knows and understands our pain for He was tempted and tried in every way as we are.
Because He has experienced our suffering, He invites us to come boldly to Him in our need!  

I have a friend with a challenging parenting situation.
She and her husband have made some tough decisions concerning their child and much pain has been involved. It’s hard to understand why they’ve had to endure such difficult circumstances and I’m sure they’ve asked “why” many times.
Just as each of us have at various points in life as well. 

My friends both serve and love God, having purposed to parent according to godly principles.  And yet, for a season, their difficulties make it appear the enemy has prevailed.

But, as my friend continually reminds, “the story is not over”.
Her hope is not in what she sees right now,
but in the One who has full authority over what is allowed to enter our lives.
She views the pain of her present situation through the lens of God’s final authority and goodness, choosing to remain faithfully committed to Him, despite the weeds growing around her.  

Jesus concludes His parable by reminding us that in the end, God wins.
Evil will be bound and burned.
God’s children will “shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom”.
What a beautiful hope we have!

Yes, my friend, weeds will grow around you, 
but be reminded, “The Story Isn’t Over!” 

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The GT Weekend! – Screenshot Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Jesus loves you dearly, my sister. He has a plan to use your precious life. How does it make you feel knowing He loves you so much? How are you being obedient in letting Him transform your life? Who can you share truth with this week? 

2) Grab a card and write out Ephesians 2:8-9. Post it somewhere you can see it and be reminded of this truth all week long.
“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; 
it is God’s gift – not from works, so that no one can boast.”
(Ephesians 2:8-9) 

3) Radical love is costly and can take many different forms. When have you chosen to do something uncomfortable to reach across obvious social, racial or religious lines? How did it feel? If you haven’t taken that risk yet, what is holding you back? As the Holy Spirit to embolden you to love radically this week! Share your experience with us at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com . 

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage
from Luke 6:27-30  back to the Lord and let His Spirit speak to you through it!

27 “But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don’t hold back your shirt either. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and from someone who takes your things, don’t ask for them back.  

Prayer Journal
Lord, we are provided with example after example of You calling us to love in ways that don’t make sense in our earthly culture. Loving our enemies doesn’t come naturally; it requires a close walk with You so we can learn to trust You calling us into these deeper waters. As we teeter on the edge of the boat, waiting to jump in, let us trust you as we take a step onto the water. Keep our eyes fixed on You Jesus, so we might not waver.  

 

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