What happens when there is no knowledge of God in the land...

Tonight Shane and I had the pure joy of being with a precious group of fellow believers, as we all begin to work through "LORD, Teach Me to Study the Bible in 28 Days".

We were studing in Hosea 4:1-6 tonight, and therein we saw what happened to God's people, the sons of Israel, when they rejected God's knowledge, and forgot His law.

The Word says in v.1 that "the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land...(the sons of Israel)...BECAUSE there is no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of God in the land".

Then in v.2 it goes on to say what IS present in the land instead..."swearing, deception, murder, stealing, adultery, violence, bloodshed follows bloodshed".

Wow! Does that mirror anything we see in our own country? A country that is "hell-bent" upon removing God from our government, our schools, our homes...what is next? Will they make the attempt to remove Him from our hearts?

Sadly, that's already happened with many in our country.

And this passage in Scripture shows us that even in the days of the
Old Testament, when the parents failed to teach their children about God...about His knowledge (His Word)...that eventually they were left with a generation that didn't know God.

Didn't know His Word.
Didn't know His Law.
Didn't know His Precepts.

v. 3 Tells us the result..."Therefore the land mourns, and everyone who lives in it languishes along with the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky; and also the fish of the sea disappear."

MAN, OH MAN!

Because man chose to walk in unfaithfulness before God...to reject His knowledge, and to forget His law...utter destruction.

The interesting aside to all of this was that as we were driving home from Bible study tonight, having just studied these very verses, we drove past a drugstore and were in shock to see it surrounded by fire trucks and police cars, and the doorway taped off with police tape.

From the outside looking in, it appeared that something bad had gone down.

Then, we turned the corner only to see many more police and fire trucks in the parking lot of the local grocery store.

It looked like something bad had gone down.

Unofficial reports are that either a smoke bomb or pepper spray, or some other airborne irritant was purposely set off in these stores.

Hmmmm....has someone, somewhere forsaken God's Word?

Are there parents that have failed to teach God's Precepts to their children?

Who is responsible?

How did we get here?

How will we ever know how to order our lives in accordance with His will, if we never spend time in His Word?

Or, is it that even people who profess to be Christians, don't really care about ordering their lives according to His Word?

What are we teaching our children about the Lord?
ARE WE teaching our children about the Lord AND His WORD?

Or, do we depend upon the Sunday school teacher to do that?

If so, how do you know that what he or she is teaching them is correct?

How can we spend more time talking with our children about American Idol than we do about their loving, Almighty Creator?

Is there faithfulness and kindness and knowledge of God in your home?

We have friends who will not allow a Bible to be put on the floor in their home..that is how highly they revere the Lord and His Word.

Still others who won't let their Bibles out of their sight...they are from Romania, a land where Bibles were smuggled in for years.
They VALUE His Word...they live by it.

Where is your Bible? Why not go get it and read through Hosea 4:1-6, and ask God to speak to your heart about how you're doing with regard to seeking His knowledge...He promises that when you seek Him, you will find Him, when you seek Him with all of your heart.

May He speak to your heart today...as you diligently seek Him.

So in Love with Jesus,
Jesica

So, I was wondering about Noah's Dad...

I was spending some time tonight in prayer, and I asked the Lord if there was an example in Scripture of a child who had chosen to separate from their parent(s) because the parents weren't walking in righteousness before the Lord.

And, in that time, Noah came to my mind.

So...I went digging.

I remembered that the Word said that God found Noah to be the only righteous among those alive at the time. ( my paraphrase here ... for exact wording, see Genesis 5 )

So it made me question....were Noah's parents alive at the time? Had they blown it before God...is that why they weren't included on the ark?

This is what I found...Lamech, Noah's father, is mentioned in the genealogy for Noah...and when you do the math, you find that his father died 5 years before the flood.

Wow! I wonder what Noah's dad was saying to him all the while that he was building the ark. It would seem that Lamech was spared, since he died 5 years prior to the flood...but, I'd need to do a search on his name, and see if other Scriptures with his name show, before assuming that to be true.

I just found it interesting that Scripture says that Lamech had other sons and daughters, but it's only Noah...and his family, whom God spared.

Makes me wonder about Lamech...was he a man after God's heart...did he teach his children to follow the Lord, and then find that all but Noah would choose not to?

Or, did Lamech not do such a great job for any of them?

Lots more questions come up for me, out of this...that's just one more thing I love and appreciate about having learned to study the Word for myself...I know that I can find these answers out, by just spending some more time digging.

Isn't that awesome? To have a question for the Lord, and know that He will show us the answer as we turn to His Holy Word to find them.

Amazing that it's that simple, yet we have put our Bibles on a shelf, and only take them to church on Sunday ( and even that is a MAYBE, for many people ).

I remember that someone met Shane at a men's group shortly after we moved here and the guy said to Shane, "Oh, I recognize you...you're the guy who always brings his Bible to church!".

How sad! How sad that taking one's Bible to CHURCH makes them stand out from the crowd!

Where is Your Bible? Why don't you open it up and ask God to show you something awesome today...then send me a comment and tell me what you learned.

I can't wait to hear from you!

In Him,
Jes

Why I Love Inductive Bible Study and Precept Ministries

I had the priviledge of spending the past several days in Albuquerque for a Precept Leader Day and for a Kay Arthur teaching event at Hoffmantown Church.

I came in early to help the ministry team in any way that I could..I count it such an honor to give back to a ministry that has given so much to me. Learning to study the Bible inductively has changed my walk with God completely..and continues to change my life.

I love the people that work with Precept so much! They are so REAL and transparent, and fun, and they have such a HUNGER for God and for His Word, and to live a life of Righteousness that honors Him.

Kay spoke yesterday on one verse that really sums the heart of Precept up for her...and I just had to share it with you, because it's so perfect!

Psalm 119:102
I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, For You Yourself have taught me.

And that's it..don't you see?

When we study God's Word through exhaustive Observation FIRST...then we allow the Lord Himself to teach us the Interpretation of the Scripture, and then follow His lead and obey Him as we apply the Truth in our lives...We won't turn away from His ordinances.

That's what I love about Precept Ministries and Inductive Study.....it points me to God, not to a person to tell me what the Word means.

I love Kay with all of my heart, but I don't depend upon her to tell me what Scripture means.

She has allowed God to use her to teach people HOW to study for themselves, so that we can depend upon GOD to do the teaching.

Do you know how to study the Word for yourself? If not, and you want to learn, Shane and I have dedicated our lives to teaching people what others have so graciously taught us.

We'll be starting a couples' study on March 29th...all are welcome.

Shane and another man from our church will be leading "Living a Life of True Worship" starting very soon, at our church on Sunday mornings.

We have the childrens' Precept study on Friday afternoons...all are welcome.

The women are studying Covenant on Monday nights...all WOMEN are welcome. ;)

If you live outside of Arizona and want to find a class in your area, please go to www.precept.org and look on the right hand column for Classes...it will take you to a map where you can click on your state and then enter your zip code, and you'll have the info. you need to get started.

Or, feel free to leave me a comment with a way to get in touch with you. All comments are moderated by me, so if you send your e-mail or phone number, I will not publish your comment, but will get back with you asap and we'll get you plugged in.

If there's not a study in your area, I'll be happy to help you find the right materials to help you start one, or at least to help you get started studying on your own.

We have no excuse in America, for not spending time in God's Word.

Especially not when our brothers and sisters in Christ who live overseas are being brutally murdered for doing the very thing that we think we can't find the time to do!

That's just absurd, and a lie from the pit of hell!

You CAN learn to study your Bible!

You will be BLESSED when you learn to study your Bible!

You have been afforded the FREEDOM to study your Bible anytime, anywhere in this great country...without fear of death or imprisonment.

What will YOU do with that FREEDOM that great men and women have DIED to make sure that you have?!

I gotta tell you, from the depth of my heart, that over the past year and a half or so, I have gone through the most heartbreaking time in my life. I have lost someone that I love very dearly...she's still alive, so I didn't lose her to death...but I lost her because of the filth of sin.

I pray for her daily, that God will teach her His precepts, and that through learning them, she will choose to walk in obedience to Him.

But, until that time, I still wipe away many a tear as I think of all that she is missing in my life, and in my childrens' lives, and I in hers.

PLEASE hear me on this...If I did not know God's Word...if I had not been taught how to STAND on the Truth of His Word....if I had not learned to incline my ear to His still small voice, and to walk in obedience to what He whispers to my heart and teaches me through His Word....

I would be a basket case!

My home would be a war zone!

My children would be confused.

And I would be blaming God.

But, I am so far from any of those.

I am walking in the peace that passes all comprehension...and I am waiting on God.

He has made it clear to me that He has work to do in the lives of those involved, and that I am to stay out of His way.

So I am obeying.

Do I know that healing of this relationship will come in my lifetime?

No, I do not.

But, I pray fervently that God's Will will be established, and that restoration will happen.

Until then, I have chosen to take God at His Word....He tells me to "Cease Striving and KNOW that I AM God".

And I do know...and I can cease striving...because I've learned to study His Holy Word.

So my only questions for you are:

1. When are you going to start studying His Word inductively?
and
2. If you're already an inductive student, when are you going to share the gift with another person who also so desperately needs His Word?

Send me a comment...and let me know how I can help you.

All for Him...all for His Glory,
Jesica

A child who hits their parent....

Did you know that the Old Testament says that a child who hit their mother or father must surely be put to death?

Wow! God was SERIOUS about not transgressing His Covenant!

We had to deal with this yesterday with our child.

It wasn't really a hit, it was more of a head slam.

So, for you who say our kids are perfect ( you know who you are!), can't say that anymore! ;)

Shane found that verse in the Old Testament and shared it with our son and then was able to explain to him about God's mercy through Jesus Christ and that it's only because of Jesus' coming and fulfilling the Old Covenant that we are able to walk in grace before God.

But, that God's grace is not to be used as opportunity to walk in sin, thereby profaning His covenant.

It was a great study for Caedmon to learn, and today I have a new son. His heart was broken before God...it had to come through his bottom, unfortunately for him.

But, he got it. And we were reminded once again how serious God is about His Word, and WHY he has precepts in place to help us govern our lives according to His righteousness and not our own.

(In my righteousness, I wanted to tear his head off! Good thing I have God's pattern to live by and not what is right in my own eyes.)

Aren't you glad we don't have to put our kids to death for doing something like that, anymore? The death for sin was paid once for all when the Messiah of Israel came and reconciled us all to God, and imparted His Righteousness to us, through His death. (Romans 6)

And, through His resurrection we have newness of life to walk in God's glory through Jesus! ( Romans 6 )


Thank you again, Lord Jesus! Thank you, Father!

Precept for Kids

Have I mentioned lately how much fun it is teaching children how to study the Bible inductively?!

I am again amazed by how they "get it"!

Today in class, we talked about what it means to be a detective..and that when we study Scripture, we want to think like a detective does.

So, we staged a crime scene in class, and 2 of the children played the "good guy" and the "bad guy". Then, I came onto the scene as the detective, and asked the "good guy" questions about the crime.

The kids helped me think of questions to ask the victim, in order to figure out who had perpetrated the crime.

They loved it!

And, after my investigation took place, I explained to them that this was the exact way that we wanted to question Scripture..by asking the
"5 Ws and an H" questions.

I then asked them what the 5Ws and an H were..and they knew them! They just rattled them right off! Now remember, these kids are 4-6 years old, for the most part!

So, then we went through the last part of Genesis chapter 2, and we asked those questions of the Bible.

I just can't get over the fact that at 4 and 5 and 6 years old, these kids are understanding the basic principles of inductive study!

Then, we have an older child, who is so smart, and is such a whiz at studying this way! This child is also an amazing help to me...and such a joy to have in our class!

But, for the most part, this class is made up of 4-6 year olds...and they are EXCITED about studying God's Word!!!

I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT!

I think about what a gift it would have been in my life if I had been taught how to truly study the Word for myself..instead of just being taught what my "right pastor" ( ugh! I digress...that's a Thieme term...if you don't know what that means, read a past post ) thought the Scripture meant.

To have known from a young age how to study the Word, and how to allow the Holy Spirit to teach me Himself...and to allow Him to point out in my life what the application of the Scripture was...WOW! What an amazing gift that would have been.

But, God is good...so good, and He redeems the time!

So, now my heart's mission is to share this amazing gift with as many people as I can. Yet, I would have never imagined that it would be with kids as young as 4!

God's plans are so much richer than my own! :)

We're starting a couples study in our home....if you're interested in joining us for that, please let us know. We'll be studying "LORD, Teach Me to Study the Bible in 28 Days" ....and we'd love to have you and your spouse join us!

Have a great weekend!