Let me apologize for being a few days late on my posts. I have been at home with my Mom and family while we laid my Uncle to rest. It has been a beautiful time of restoration, grieving, loving and praising! The time that we have been able to spend together has been sweet but exhausting. I just didn't feel I was able to put my best into the posts these past few days. Thank you for understanding. Today I will post both Day 4 and Day 5!
Let's get to it!
Day 4- Empowered to Act!
We have nothing going for us except what God puts into us! #LessonsLearnedFromGideon
Fill in the blank answers below from page 27
The Judges were called by God and then empowered by God to unite the people of God for the purpose of standing against the enemies of God.
Did you look up any of the verses from Judges?
I looked up the following two verses
Judges 2:18
"Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the Judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them."
Judges 3:10
"The Spirit of the Lord came on him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishanthaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him.
The common theme between each of the verses listed in the study is the Spirit of the Lord comes over his people to help them achieve His goals for them.
I love how God chose to use certain people for such visible positions. The fact that He chose seriously flawed people to fill these positions gives me hope that He can use you and I to do His work!
'God handpicked people for the job who were terribly flawed, then empowered them to fulfill these roles in spite of their shortcomings. He chose them from circles that would have seemed inappropriate to observers.'
1 Corinthians 1:27-31
'But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things- and the things that are not- to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before Him. 30 It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God- that is , our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."
The role of the Judges-
1. Unify God's people
2. Fight against the oppression of the enemy
3. Operate by the empowerment of God's spirit
What connections do you see between the judges' role in the Old Testament and the role of modern believers as members of the family of God? Use the references in the margin for guidance if necessary.
I feel like we have the same role as the Judges did in their time.
Psalm 133:1
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!
Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Micah 3:8
I am filled with power- with the Spirit of the Lord.
How do you think the church fares today in being one body of believers? Think of specific examples to support evidence for or against this goal.
Ohhh, this is a sticky one. I do not feel that a group of believes we do a very good job. We need to remember that we are all on the same team! If we boil down the different denominations to their basic principles, they are the same. With the same goals, to share the Gospel and Gods love.
Ephesians 4:2-3
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
The four attributes that are necessary in helping maintain harmony and accord among believers.
1. Be completely humble and gentle
2. Be patient
3. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit
4. Persistence
Which of these attributes is the hardest for you to maintain right now and why?
I think I fail in each of these at different times and in different situations. Being gentle and patient are on the top of the list, though.
As Priscilla points out on page 31, spiritual warfare exists. We are in constant battle with the enemy. Victory requires constant effort to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5) Only through God's empowerment were the judges able to deliver the people out of oppression and into God's freedom and governance. It is the same with us. For us to be successful for Christ we must be diligent in our efforts to be obedient.
Ladies, as we move forward with our day let us really think about our fellow Christians with love and understanding. Just because they may worship a little differently does not mean they do not love and serve the same God. We all have the same goals. Or we should. Let's be in prayer for patience, persistence, gentleness and humility.
I love you all and see you again in a bit:)
-Randi
No comments:
Post a Comment