The Peace and Power of Knowing God's Word....

I knew it was coming. In fact, I've known for some weeks now that it was inevitable.

Now that we're having the kids Let's Act Up! class at the park, and since every week during the time that we're there the park is covered with Jehovah's Witnesses, I knew my day would come to have to deal with them.

Forgive me if I sound negative...truth is, I am. I don't want to be cornered in my own neighborhood park by someone from a cult. I just don't.

But, today was my day.

One other mom and I were approached, and although I tried several times to graciously shut the conversation down, the man wouldn't stop.

Yet, glory be to God, all the many things that I've spent the past 8.5 years studying from His Word just came flowing out.

I admit, I was shaking. That's a bit odd for me, but I think it comes from the fact that I am jealous for God's Word to be preserved in Spirit and in Truth, and having grown up in a cult myself, I hate the way that cults twist the Word of God.

We started off with the 144,000 thing. The JWs believe that only 144,000 are "true Christians", and all the others will only experience Heaven on Earth. The 144,000 is a reference from Revelation, but the truth is that the 144,000 are 12,000 from each of the tribes of Israel who will be used of God during the tribulation to share the good news of Yeshua with the Jews. (Thank you, Precept Ministries, for the "LORD, I'm Torn Between Two Masters Study")

The man was surprised (greatly!) that I knew anything about that.

Then he asked me if I was a Christian. Once I said yes, he asked me how often I read my Bible. To which I told him everyday.

I could tell that this was an answer He wasn't used to hearing from people who profess to be Christians.

So, then he started in on the trinity. He said that Jesus wasn't God because when He hung on the cross, He prayed to God.

The years of study allowed me to take Him to John chapter one and we read together that "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."....and then that later the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (Thank you, Precept, for the "God, Are You There" study of the book of John...1st one I took, almost 9 years ago!)

I showed him that when you read that in context, it's clear that the Word is Jesus.

Then we went to Genesis where I explained to him that God said, "Let Us make man in Our own image"...and that the word used there is Elohim. I then explained to him that the "him" in Elohim shows plurality. It's NOT one person..and that Genesis also shows us that the Spirit was present at creation, and that the New Testament shows us that all things were made by and through and for Jesus. ( Thank you, Precept, for the
"Discover 4 Yourself " children's study "God's Amazing Creation").

It was amazing...the more he brought up, the more God brought back to mind all that He has spent this past decade (almost) teaching me from His Word.

One of the ones that really pushed my button was when he started asking me about the Jews. He told me it was the Jews that put Jesus to death. (OK, so this got me mad enough that I was shaking..but, I was still kind, I hope.)

I said, "NO THEY DIDN'T! OUR SIN killed Jesus! The Bible makes it clear that all have sinned, and that SIN is what cost Jesus His life." ( Thank you, Precept, for the 40-Minute study, "Having a Real Relationship With God".)

I forgot to add that you can't blame one people group for killing someone who CAME TO EARTH FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF LAYING HIS LIFE DOWN!

He went on to bash the Jews and say that they'd had their chance and they didn't accept Jesus then and won't now.

I explained to him that one of my best friends in the world is a Messianic Jew, all believer in Jesus, and all Jew...and that she and her husband pastor a congregation whose sole purpose is to share the JEWISH Messiah with the Jewish people in the North Valley...and that last month alone they saw 14 Jews accept Yeshua as Messiah.

Praise God for that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then he went into this whole diatribe about God's name being Jehovah. I said, "Yes. That's ONE of His names...but there are many."

He didn't know, evidently, that God has many names found in the Hebrew, and that each one shows another area of His character. (Thank you, Precept, for the "LORD, I Want To Know You" study!)

I told him that there would be no salvation for me without the Jews. My Savior was a Jew. The New Testament makes it clear that the Olive Tree (Israel, the Jews) is who the promises were made to, and that I am but a branch grafted into Israel and her promises, through Yeshua.

So, he launched into covenants, and said, "None of God's covenants were conditional".

OOOOOHHHHHH! Yessiree Bob! We just finished the Covenant study a few months ago...I was ready for this one! (Thank you again, Precept Ministries, for the Covenant study!)

I said, "OH YES THEY WERE! Not all of His covenants were conditional. The Abrahamic covenant surely wasn't. But the Mosaic covenant was, without a doubt, conditional!"

I told the man, in love, that I didn't want anything from Watchtower...the magazines that they publish. I also told him that I know that he has been blinded by lies from the evil one, and that I will be praying for him to know the Truth.

When I got home and recalled it all for Shane, I realized...I'm going to start going to the park with a pile of 40-Minute Studies..most likely the one, "Having a Real Relationship With God", because it covers the basics of salvation perfectly.

The next time I see him, or the next time that I am approached in that way, I am going to tell them that I grew up in a cult, and that I understand the bondage associated with one. In a cult, there is no freedom in Christ..there is only legalism and bondage and fear.

I'm going to give them one of the books, and tell them that I have nothing to gain from giving it to them. (They are taught that they gain points toward eternity based upon how much time they spend handing out literature and going door to door...their "salvation" is based upon works, not upon the shed blood of Jesus, His death, burial and resurrection.)

I'm going to tell them that I had to pay for those books with my own money, and that no one will even know that I've given it out...but that their eternity rests upon seeking God and asking Him if they have believed a lie or not.

That's why I love Precept Ministries...they don't tell you what to believe, they teach you how to get into the Word of God for yourself, and let Him teach you the truth.

I've never been more thankful for all that I've learned through Precept study guides and God's Word, than I was today.

It impressed upon my heart in a very deep way, how VITAL it is that we KNOW God's Word!

If I hadn't known the Word, I might have been led to believe some of what the man had to say today.

It also solidified once again, how crucially important it is for my children to know the Word of God.

The day will come when what Mom and Dad think may not hold much water for them...but if they've learned to trust God and His Word, then they will always know where to go to find the truth.

By the way, new Precept studies will be starting soon!

We're going to be having a family study, akin to a home church, in our home starting in the next few weeks, and I think we may actually do the Covenant study again, because Shane really wants to do it, and because it's just so foundational.

Children and parents will all be invited. I'll keep you posted with the details, but if you think you'd like to join us, please leave a comment here to let me know to be sure to e-mail you with the details.

"You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free!"

Putting on a Heart of Humility

Humility..it's the word that the children in the Precept class are working on this week.
We're studying through Colossians 3:12, and are learning how to put on a heart in keeping with the new man, or the "newness of life" that we are promised in Romans 6:4, through Christ.
The first two characteristics that they learned about were kindness and compassion. Those seemed so much easier to explain to little children. They "got" those concepts, and rather quickly.
But..humility? I had a hard time trying to figure out how to teach them about humility.
Eventually, we acted again. And they seemed to get it.
I set up a "scene" with two of the children. Then I asked them both to sing a song, and told them that after they sang the song, I was going to compliment them..and then I explained to them how I wanted them to respond.
One said, "Oh, I know. I'm really gifted. I have a great voice. I'm glad you got to hear it!"
The other said, "Thank you. But, give the glory to God. He is the one who gave me this voice to bless Him and to bless you. The glory is His alone."
The kids INSTANTLY understood the difference.
That's what I think humility is. And, when I think of the first example we have of one who refused to walk in humility, I think of Lucifer.
He wanted to be glorified. He wanted to be like God. He wanted the praise. He forgot that all praise belongs to God alone.
By contrast, we have Jesus, of whom the Scripture says in Phillipians 2:5, "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied (laid aside His priviledges) Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men."
Wow! Our Savior, God the Son, when here on earth did not regard equality with God a think to be siezed!
He knew that He was a bond-servant to God Most High. Period! That was His role here on earth..to listen and obey God.
That's the believer's sole role too.
When we focus more on being right, then we do on emptying ourselves, we've missed the heart of Christ altogether.
That's what I hope the children learned. In order to truly "put on" a heart of humility, we must be willing to realize that we aren't here to be exalted.
We are here only to be used of God that He may be exalted in our lives...for His glory.
We'll see how the kids seemed to understand it, this week when we meet again.
They get to come to class and share examples of ways that they walked in the heart characteristic that we learned the week before.
It's so precious to see them learning to walk in newness of life..and to see how excited they are about it!
I love these kids so much! They bless me every single week by their hunger for God's Word.
It amazes me..we don't do any crafts..we don't have play time...we are just learning to study God's Word, and they are learning to interrogate the text by asking the 5Ws and an H questions.
They're marking key words, and making lists of what they learn from those words...then they have time to discuss what they see in Scripture...interpretation and application flow quickly for these little ones, but only because we spend the BULK of our time in observation.
Already they are learning not to jump from observation to interpretation...they are learning that God is the teacher, and He will show them how to interpret His Word, but that they must be faithful to spend time observing first.
We are also memorizing Scripture together by acting it out.
Everything we do during our class is based in God's Word, and their moms tell me that they can't WAIT to come to class!
It's so refreshing...even at these young ages... they aren't looking to be entertained...they are just hungry for the truth of God's Word.
What a blessing to be a part of their learning!
Oh that we would all be this hungry for the truth of God's Word instead of the philosophies of man.
These kids inspire me!
Have a great week,
Jesica













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The Believer's Responsibility for the Body and for The Word

Galatians 1:10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

How are you living out your life as a minister of reconciliation? Are you aware of the fact that God says in His Word that this is your job description?

Do you know that it also says that as a believer in Jesus Christ, that you are to be an ambassador for Christ?

Think about it...both of those truths tell us that our lives are not our own...wow! Scripture even says that too..we've been bought with a price ( the blood and flesh and life of Jesus Christ ), and it's NOT ABOUT US ANYMORE!

What does it mean to be a bond-servant?

It means that we are totally and completely to be at the will of God in all that we say and do.

Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, was SERIOUS about this!

He said that even if he himself, or an angel, should preach a gospel other than what they had heard originally, that they were to be accursed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He included himself in that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He is SERIOUS about the holiness of God's Word...and so is GOD!

God tells us in the Old Testament that He has exalted His Name with His Word.

Why do we feel, in the church, that we can't be bold in the Lord?

Why do we buy into the thought that we don't have to PROTECT God's Holy Word with our very lives?!

Why do we seek the favor of MAN instead of the favor of Almighty God?

Why do we work harder at protecting man than at protecting God's Word and His body?!

We have to realize that God hates that junk! He hates it! He will not put up with it!

He is Holy, and we are told to be holy as He is holy.

He would not tolerate someone twisting His Word to meet their own needs and their own glorification..and He does not want His church, His body, to tolerate it either.

Yes, we are to speak the truth in love. No doubt about that...but speak the truth must...and it won't always mean that the person who it's being spoken to walks away feeling all rosy inside!

Maybe they'll be mad.

Maybe they'll be hurt.

Maybe they'll be convicted.

The end result is not our business. God doesn't say, "Speak the truth in love unless someone is going to be offended. In that case, just coddle them instead."

He never says that, for to do so would be contrary to Who He is...and contrary to the truth that He GUARDS His GLORY..and that we, as His body, are supposed to do the same...to follow in His model.

In fact, let's look at that passage a little more closely, for it is WAY too often taken totally out of context, and used to serve one's selfish need instead of serving it's intended purpose.

Ephesians 4:14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,
16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

So, look for yourself and see..what's the PURPOSE behind "speaking the truth in love"????????????????

That the whole body may grow up in all aspects into HIM who is the head, even Christ! For the growth of the body, for the building up of itself in love!

How can a body of believers truly grow up in all aspects into Christ, if we are not willing to speak the truth, relative to v.14 regarding "the winds of doctrine, the trickery of men, and craftiness in decietful scheming"?!

We must do so! We have an obligation to protect both the body of Christ and the Word of God.

If we need an example of what happens when a body of believers doesn't do this...we need only to read the Old Testament and see what happened to Israel and Judah.

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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

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