Title: Pharaoh repents and prays so many times - but then he just can't give up all the wonderful toys that his slaves provide him.
S: Ex 14:5 "Pharaoh and his officials changed their mind about them and said, "What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!"
O: Ah, those comforts that we so love and that others provide for us..... can we give them up.... that is the question... that top of the line T.V. - that better car... they take time and workers to acquire.... repentance and commitment to God is okay - but if it takes away those comforts - well all those things I thought about doing while sitting in the church pew --- just like the pharaoh.... how different am I?... commitment means living differently.
A: I am up early again with my Bible again- that is a 2 days in a row - but like pharaoh there are so many things I go back on.... good thing God is not finished with me yet.... the next goal is church ... to become involved... to be part of a place.... after several years of going to the same place.... went to a ladies tea and I was the new person..... most there had never seen me sitting in church..... guess I have not become very involved but that must change.
P: Involvement and service with others at church. Can't be like Pharaoh and just say I will repent and change and then change my mind the next day....
Title: Here is Pharaoh with all his wealth and his fancy chariots and he is in pursuit of a bunch of slaves on foot who just want church together....... all because his affluent lifestyle may take a step down.
S: Ex 14:7-8 "He took six hundred of the best chariots along with all the other chariots of Egypt......so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly..."
O: Here is this rag a tag group with their cloaks pulled up and stuck in there belts so they can walk faster - what do they want - church - just to worship together - that is it - and what they had to do to get to church - beg and plead and finally run for it.... and here is the king of Egypt... the Pharaoh who has repented so many times and admitted he was a sinner and promised to let the Israelites go.... but he just can't give up his lifestyle.... what a contrast... the two types of worshiper the wishy washy Christian who says he repents and that he is a sinner and asks for prayer time and time again and then -------on the other side are these Israelites.... who "march out boldly" and what is their passion.... why are they risking everything....... church..... they want to worship God together.... do they ever impress me.... hmm the Pharaoh must have thought he could bring them back as only one of his best chariots for every 1000 men..... that is a confident Pharaoh.
A: How passionate am I about worshiping together..... will I beg and plan and then march out boldly with a few worldly possessions leaving all behind because I want to worship.... not at all.... that will have to change... this is why this is called A for the Application part of the Bible Study -- the application is the actual change that I make that comes from what I observe in this Bible....
P: Change and change today.
Title: When you step out for God there is apprehension and fear that we have done something too radical, that we have made a mistake.. but God is faithful.
S: Ex 14:12-14 "It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" Moses answered the people "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring to you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only stand still."
O: What - all this worry and fear that these things that need to be accomplished will be too difficult and what does God say --- just stand still - The fact of the matter is that they did run into the Red Sea - something they could not cross and the Pharaoh and his army were in in hot pursuit. The could not believe God would do it - I have sympathy with them as many times I do not believe that I will ever get the one thing that I have prayed for - why oh why is that so difficult for me to believe --- but there it is ---- just stand still - stop with that anxiety of how God is going to pull it off -- He just will --- this is nothing for Him --- He can do it...I have to just march out boldly and then just stand still and wait for God to take over. Chariots and armies coming at full speed are nothing.......
A: What it takes is faith. When it looks impossible that is when we are to just have faith and let God handle it because he is the only one who can. What can I do with this feeble body and a cloak and sandals ....... I have to keep this picture in my mind.... no wonder God wanted the Israelites to remember it.... I will go... my daughter will go... my husband will go.. it is not impossible.
P: Lord keep the vision alive of marching boldly out.... cannot get fearful and think about Egypt.
Title: It is at night that God drives the sea back for us to walk easily through on dry ground.
S:Ex 14:21 " Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. ..... and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground.."
O: Moses held up his hand with that very special staff that now has done so many miracles and he held it up all night. I wonder if the people were watching him and wondering if he was crazy .... they have gone south and the wrong direction and now they are stopped by the Red Sea and their leaders stands beside the water all night with his hands up.
A: The solution may not always be obvious. It may look strange to others and not something that can be explained.
P: When the answer looks ridiculous - don't flinch - God has figured it out and will bring it to pass.
Title: So - because the Jews were safe on the dry land - the Egyptians for running toward the dry land in the Red sea????
S: Ex 14:27 "Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the Lord swept them into the sea."
O: Well if the Israelites had faith and followed Moses into a path through the Red Sea that is one thing --- that the Egyptians flee toward the Red sea - makes no sense except that they were following leaders that would not turn back - because they were under orders or because they were sure they could capture the Israelites or why - but to willingly go into a river -- very odd.
A: Greed does things to people..... think it is true there are only two gods - God and money.
P: To have faith to follow God's leading - even if it looks impossible - and also to have the discernment to realize if greed and gain is pushing me into something that will lead to destruction and ultimate death.
Title: The song of Moses - when God doer. ...es us good - how important to praise God. Miriam took a tambourine in her hand and all the women joined her with tambourines and danced. Have not seen that in church for a while...... wish it happened.
Title: From dancing and praise to a pity party in 3 days.
S: Ex 15:23-24 "When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter.....So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, What are we to drink?"
O: How quickly from the mountain tops to the valleys - I have done it.... how can I be critical of these people who are just like the rest of us and forget very quickly what God has done.
P: I must hold my tongue and not complain.... it is so easy to do.
Note: Manna - still in desert today - tree sap from tamarisk tree - sweet tasting - on desert - each day.... omar is about 4 litres. They ate manna for 40 years.
Acts 2
Acts 2 is controversial but here goes.
S: Acts 2:1 "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place."
O: On this occasion it was a particular event in history .... a specific day.
A: Is it for every service or just for this moment in time in history - here it is a particular day however other scripture has further information.
S: Acts 2 : 4 "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."
O: Is speaking in tongues for every Christian - well in this instance all of them spoke in tongues.
Title: The debate is that this was for this particular occasion and it was for the purpose of spreading the gospel in everyone's own language.
S: Acts 2:6 "When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.|"
O: Any speaking in tongues that I have heard is not in a language that anyone in the room knows. So was this particular day a unique event in history - if I read this literally and do not put any preconceived ideas on it - it seems to be. Think there may be two kinds of speaking in tongues - this one time event and the unutterable groaning that is also a speaking in tongues prayer meant for God. So - maybe two kinds ..... not sure what I mean about this.....
Title: Peter's explanation of the Day of Pentecost.
S: Acts 2:17 "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people"
O: Does this mean speaking in tongues - well it says prophecy, dreams, wonders and signs and salvation - so think that tongues is probably not an impossibility either.
S: Acts 2: 37 "When the people heard this they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins might be forgiven, And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.",38
O: Wow - when the Holy Spirit comes and then Peter preaches - there is a great change in his effectiveness ... people want to get saved....and they ask how ..... this is what a holy spirit filled Christian is like - "he cuts to the heart".
A: This lukewarm Christianity is not worth doing..... no wonder the results are not happening......
P: God help me to change.
Title: Results
S: Acts 2:41 "Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day."
O: Peter - what an example...... can anyone so similar..... yes anyone if they are full of the Holy Spirit and get out there and preach.
P: Cravings - more, Lord, more.
Title: So how often were they in church - everyday.
S: Acts 2:46 "Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts."
O: None of this one hour on Sunday - everyday they met together.
A: They ate together, prayed together, what a church.... and
Acts 2:47 "The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
No comments:
Post a Comment