Questions every Christian should be able to answer Part VII, Bible Study 0819/09

Posted on August 21, 2009 by growintheword

Questions every Christian should be able to answer Part VII
Worship
Bible Study 08/19/2009
Delivered by Bishop Walker

All of us have our own understanding of what worship is. Is it who we are or what we do? We wonder does it have anything to do with the context that we are in such as having music in the background or is it something you can do in the shower or driving down the road.
Worth is the English word for worship. Worth has something to do with value or something that is important enough to justify. Worship has worth. When something is of value, you contribute to it. Ex-If you have a penny or a quarter, you realize that the quarter is more valuable, because you know the worth of the quarter.
Many of us know we have a ways to go to get to real worship. The more we grow and learn about God, the more we appreciate the value that worship has in our life. Until we realize the value of God, we can never worship him the way we are supposed to. The essence of worship is tied to the value of who God is. God is worthy of our worship. When we worship, we contribute worth to God.
There is a Hebrew word for worship called – shachah ( shaw khaw – Strong’s #7812). It means to bow down, to prostrate oneself. It is to bow down or do give homage to God. This whole idea of going prostrate is that we come off of our ego trip and we literally humble ourselves in the presence of God.
There is a word in Greek for worship called proskuneo(pros-koo-neh’-o), meaning kiss toward or kiss the hand of him. It is not about a one night stand with God. God doesn’t want you to worship him in the moment and then later you are out cursing and drinking. God wants worship to be continuous, always being at a point where we can connect with God.
Latreuo (lat-ryoo’-o) is a Latin word for worship. It is a correlation between worship and service. Whatever we do for God must be worship. Everything we do must have God in it.
When we put all three of these together we get that Worship involves our attitude, our emotion, our actions, our mind, and our will. We literally come to a place where we humble ourselves and lay before God. We do this willingly without getting forced to do it.
Here is a great quote that will bless you. “Worship is the soul bowing itself in adoration or contemplation before the object worshiped”. Worshipping God is to bow before God in adoring contemplation of himself. When we pray we are occupied with our needs and the needs of others. When we render thanksgiving we are occupied with our blessings, because we are thankful, but when we worship God, we are occupied with only him. When we are worshipping God it has nothing to do with other people or material things. It is all about him. In worship we empty ourselves focusing on him and we are saying God is the most important thing in our lives. We are declaring that in him we live and have our very being.
In Acts 17, Paul has a discourse with some historic philosophers on Mars Hill. This was a place where scholars would come together and talk about philosophical and theological things. Paul told them on one occasion that they had been worshiping God ignorantly, because they thought worshipping God with chairs, religious artifacts, and even particular temples was the way to worship. Paul reminds them that God could not be worshiped in a particular context. Paul reminded them that God could not be worshipped in a temple made by mans hands. The idea is when we really apply worship in our lives; it is a sense that we are occupied with God. The only way to be occupied with God is to have a sense of focus.
When we worship, we get to a place where at this moment, nothing else matters but him. We declare that we just want to fall back in love with God. We come not asking for anything. Our worship has nothing to do with context. In worship, stuff could be going wrong in our lives, but it has nothing to do with our response to God. Our worship to him is a defiant way of saying to the devil that no matter what happens in our lives, it never will deplete the glory of God. In other words we will not sit with our lips stuck out because a certain thing we wanted did not happen. What happened or didn’t happen has nothing to do with who God is. God is simply worthy of our Worship. What do we do when God doesn’t do what we want him to do? What if we don’t get the tuition? What will we do if he doesn’t heal our body? Do we say since he didn’t do what we wanted, he must no care for us? God is not our bellman who takes our bags wherever we want him to. God is sovereign and has the ability to do whatever he wants to do. What we have to do is recognize all things work together for the good of them who love God and are called according to his purpose. If we can just worship God, we will understand that God may be working this thing out while we are in worshipping him. Many of us have contiguous relationships where we only will worship him if he does what we want, but true worship has nothing to do with contiguousness.
I. Why do we worship?
1. Man was created to worship God. 1 Corinthians 10:31: 31Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. -Whatever we do is worship, because God gets the glory out of whatever we do. Our simply going to school or work every day is an act of worship, because we represent God and he gets the glory in all we do. When we take breaks, we don’t talk about management or anybody else, because what we do is about worshiping God. When a preacher preaches, they don’t just throw stuff together, because their delivering the word is an act of worship. As worshippers, we want to give God the best every time we step out. Everything we do ought to be to the glory of God.
2. If you minimize your gifts, you minimize God. You must use your gifts to the glory of God, because he gave them to for you to worship him. Everything God created still does what it is supposed to do. The rooster still crows, the cow still moos, but yet God’s greatest creation (mankind) just sits with their hands folded instead of doing what God called them to do.
II. God is seeking worshippers.
1. God is looking for someone who values a relationship with him. Can you imagine having children in the house? You brought all their clothes, all their food, all their games. You go through the house and you see clothes on the floor, food left in dishes on the table, and games strode all over the house. Because of all this you see, you begin to feel that everyone in the house is taking your for granted. You begin to wonder if you are loved, because you see all the stuff you worked hard for laying around. You can tell that they don’t realize the value of having you. John 4:23: 23But The hour cometh and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. –Just like the previous example given, God is searching the house for someone that sees the value of a relationship with him. God is looking for somebody ready to say that he is the best thing that has ever happened to them or someone ready to say they appreciate everything that he has done in their life. The time has come where God is looking for true worshippers.
III. God calls us to worship.
1. Worship will be our occupation in heaven. Psalm 95:6: 6O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. – All we are going to do in heaven is worship God. Some people are ashamed to worship out of fear of what people may think or the fact that they don’t appear weak.
2. Worship before the throne. Revelation 4:5-6: 5And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 6And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. -There is a sea of crystals before the throne. Now to get a visual, imagine the stage of a theatre being the throne and all the seats on the floor and the balcony being a sea of crystals. There are some people who are in the back of most churches that worship God, but it is mechanical. They go through the motion, but there is no intimacy. Imagine being in the relationship with someone and you were trying to get them to love you like they love them. Ask yourself have you ever been in a relationship with someone where they loved you 90% but there was 10% you just could not tap into. That 10% represents what we allow to interrupt us from worshipping God. Now like this relationship, we only allow 90% of our beings to worship and focus on God until that 10% of us that has us distracted, hurts us. After the hurt we finally decide to focus 100% on God. As you worship at a 100%, you begin to come closer to God on the throne in the midst of the sea of crystals. The more you worship, the closer you get. Finally you find yourself at the throne of God and you look down into the crystal and you are able to see yourself the way God sees you though the reflection of the crystals. You could not see this far away, but up close you see yourself and how flawed and sinful you really are. We are so unworthy. Seeing all of this, you wonder why God would use someone like us. When we are this close, we don’t’ have time to see other peoples mess. All we see is how messed up we are. After we realize that he still trusts us with our gifts and blessing despite how bad we look to him, we can’t help but to bow down and worship him. Until you get close to the throne, you will never see yourself as you really are!
3. Around the throne were 4 beasts. These beasts had eyes and could see. The beasts represent the 4 gospels and like the beast they saw and then they wrote about it. Because of the vision John saw, he wrote it down.
a. Verse 7a says: 7And the first beast was like a lion… The lion represents the gospel of Matthew. Matthew is where it is written that Jesus is King of kings like the lion is the king of the jungle.
b. Verse 7b says, and the second beast like a calf… This represents Gospel of Mark. Mark like the calf depicts Jesus as a servant.
c. Verse 7c says, and the third beast had a face as a man … This represents the book of Luke. Luke shows us the humanity of Jesus Christ such is found in the story of the prodigal son.
d. Verse 7d says, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle… This represents the Gospel of John. Here we have the dispensation of the Holy Spirit being announced.
4. What were 4 beasts doing around the throne? The word was together. The only way we can get worship together is to get the word together. This has nothing to do with your belief, your doctrine, or your denomination. This is about you getting into the word. If we get the word together, our worship will come together.
5. Your bible says and the four beasts had each of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within, and they did not rest day or night. You question might be what did they do? Well we are glad you asked. They cried, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come!” Revelation 4:8: 8And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. – It is like you have this marvelous depiction of seraphims bowing down around the throne saying Holy, Holy, Holy and when they came back up, God had done something else, and they bowed down again saying Holy, Holy, Holy and then they looked out over creation, God had done something marvelous again, and they had to go back down and say Holy, Holy, Holy once again. Every time they go down and come back up, God has done something marvelous again. Just like this, every time you go worship God, you come back and God has done something for you again. They worshipped God in heaven and therefore we ought to realize the power of worshipping.
IV. Who do we worship?
1. We worship God alone. Even though we have admiration for a man or woman, there is no saint or angel that should be worshipped but God himself. If you are not careful, you will let your admiration for someone slip into idolatry. You will begin to worship inadvertently what you never intended to worship. Ex-Our church (Mt Zion) is a melting pot of many cultures and doctrines. There are lots of dominations that make up the Mt Zion church family. There are former Baptist, Primitive Baptist, Presbyterian, AME, CME, Church of God in Christ, Catholics, Apostolic, Church of Christ, and etc…We come together because we are trying to get this word on one accord, because until we get this word together, we will never begin to worship God in truth.
2. The word of God says worship God alone. Acts 10:25-26: 25And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. 26But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man. – Peter was the one God left over the disciples. Peter was also the one that God said he left the keys to the kingdom to. Peter was an awesome leader and Cornelius met Peter and fell down and worshipped him because he admired him so, but Peter told him to stand up, because he also was a man!
3. In Revelation, after John had seen all he had seen, fell down at the feet of the Angel of the Lord to worship him. The angels that showed him these things told John not to worshipper him and went on to explain that he was his brother. He tried to tell John that he was just like him and he instructed him to worship God. Revelation 22:8-9:8And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. 9Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. – We have icons today where we worship men of God, but Bishop reminds us not to worship him. He explains that he is thankful that we love him, but he reminds us that all worship goes to God. Bishop explains that he is just a man that is being used by God. Just like a parent that would never leave their kid with someone that is irresponsible, he wouldn’t leave us with someone that would feed us nothing but junk food. He explains that he is just a man that eats cheerios and drinks mountain dew to stay awake just like the next man. He explains that he is simply a man being used by God. There are people that might admire you, but don’t let people worship you. Have them worship God. We can admire people, but not worship them. We can appreciate Michael Jackson’s music, but we don’t worship him. We admire the King of Rock, the King of Soul, and the King of Pop, but all those great kings are gone, yet the King of Glory still lives! Bishop says he is jus t a man. He explains he cries he bleeds and sometimes people get on his nerves just like they do ours.
V. What are the results of worship?
1. God is satisfied. He is pleased when we worship him.
2. The worshiper is satisfied. Psalm 42:1: 1As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. The deer that panted is used as a reference to the worshipper . God is not a taker. He adds value to us. If you let God occupy your space, he will take your takers away from you.
3. A worshiper gets direction and clarity. God will not let you worship him and not give you direction. Isaiah 6:1-3: 1In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.-A king’s train indicated the size of this kingdom. The earth is full of the glory. It is here right now and we need more of it. What we have to do is empty our self so you can take more of it in.
4. God will remind you how big your blessing is. Isaiah 6:4: 4And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. – Your blessing is too big for a door.
5. God burned the sin out of him. Isaiah 6:5-8: 5Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. 6Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. 8Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.-we look for volunteer, but if you around worshippers, they volunteer themselves. Find a worshipper, they will do it whether you like it or not. If a volunteer is not a worshipper they will quit as soon as you make them mad.
6. There is incredible power in worshipping God. God will strip you and purposely get you to a place to worship him. Trouble will bring you to your knees. Just when you think you can’t get any lower, God will put you on your face. It is then that you will worship him and your breakthrough will come. You would have never got that low, if trouble hadn’t come your way. Trouble brought you to your knees, but the acknowledgement of his worth will bring you to your face.
a. It was spoken over King Hezekiah’s life that he was going to die. After hearing that report, he turned to the wall and worshipped and talked to God and God gave him 15 more yrs, because worship is God’s soft spot. 2 Kings 20 : 1In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. 2Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, 3I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. 4And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 5Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. 6And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake
b. God had closed up Hannah’s womb, she was worshiping so hard her mouth was moving, but no sound came out. The priest thought she was drunk. She told them she wasn’t drunk, but desperate for something from God. There priest told her that she could go in peace and as a result of her worship, Samuel was born. 12 As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. 13 Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. 14 “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!” 15 “Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord. 16 Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.” 17 “In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.” 18 “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.19 The entire family got up early the next morning and went to worship the Lord once more. Then they returned home to Ramah. When Elkanah slept with Hannah, the Lord remembered her plea, 20 and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,[f] for she said, “I asked the Lord for him.”
c. There was a discourse over his Job’s head between God and the devil. Satan says he had been look to see what he could devour. God says I have been looking for somebody too. God says he was looking for worshippers. God asks had Satan considered his servant Job? God said he would put his reputation on the line with Job, because no matter what happens to Job, God knew Job would not fail to worship him. Satan says who wouldn’t serve God with all the blessing Job had, but he asked permission to take everything so he could prove Job would curse God. God gave Satan permission for Satan to take everything away but his soul. Job found himself in a Major recession so to speak. Everything was leaving even his children. Job 1:20: 20Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, -Job worshipped God and got 3 times what he originally had. Our response to God can’t be limited to praise. Job gave a response, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord. The important thing to know here is that Job did not sin or charge God foolishly. If you ever get to the place where you worship him in spite of, you open yourself up for the greatest miracles of your life.

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Lessons from by the riverside, Sermon 07/26/09

Posted on August 14, 2009 by growintheword

Lessons from by the riverside
Synopsis of sermon 07/26/09
Delivered by Bishop Walker III

Text: Psalm 137:1-4: 1By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. 2We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. 3For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. 4How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a strange land?
There are experiences that shape us into our destiny. Romans 8:28 says all things work together for them that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. Look at the portion of the scripture that says all things. It is this portion of the scripture that we often want to discard. We often don’t want to count the bad things. We have to realize that bad things that happen to us count too. All things good and bad collectively work together for our good.
In the text Israel had been taken captive and they were held by the riverside. This represents remembering or reminiscing over what we used to be and what we used to have. In the text the captors of Israel are now mocking them by saying to them “sing some of the songs of Zion”. Israel was noted for the songs they sung in worship to God. Israel was monistic which meant they believed in worshipping one god, this being the one true and living God. The captors were trying to mock Israel’s relationship with God, just like many of you are experiencing your faith being tested right now. God knows how you will speak well of him when all is good, but can you do it when the bottom falls out? Like the captors of Israel, God wants to know if you can sing your song when things have gone all wrong. Is there substance in your relationship with God?
Lessons that we learn through our dilemma will launch us forward into what God wants to come out of our life. In our text Israel has been assaulted and the kingdom has been divided. Their captors do things in this text to trip Israel up concerning their relationship with God.
I. Don’t let the enemy dictate your faith response
Psalm 137:1: 1By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
1. The verse says they are sitting. Sitting means you have accepted where your life is or your present condition. How long will you let the enemy decide how you will end up? There is nothing wrong with weeping, but if you do, do so standing up. Ever talk to someone with same sad song all the time? After you finish talking with them on the phone, you feel down. They have a spirit that brings you down. You have got to learn too stand. You got to stand up, get up, and depend on God to work it out.
2. We have begun allowing the enemy to dictate our faith response now days. While you are going through, your faith ought to be better now more than ever before. We come to take authority over what is trying to take our response! Despite what happens, this is the day that the Lord has made and we must rejoice and be glad in it!
3. While going through our trials, we must remember the response of Jeremiah. Jeremiah 29:4-11: 4Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; 5Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; 6Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. 7And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace. 8For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. 9For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD. 10For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. 11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
a. God allowed this to happen according to verse 4 of Jeremiah 29.
b. We are supposed to build houses. According to verse 5, though we have been taken captive by our situation, we are still supposed to build house and be productive. We still are supposed to bear fruit.
c. We are supposed to reproduce. Verse 6 says we are supposed to reproduce. Verse 7 reminds us to even pray for the well being of the place that God allowed us to be held captive, because out of it, we will receive peace. God promises in verse 11 that he will return us back to our land. We ought to produce rather than whine in a jacked up situation. Don’t let the enemy dictate your faith response. You have a choice to whine or plant seeds, be productive, and have peace.
II. Don’t let the enemy force your resignation
Psalm 137:2-3: 2We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. 3For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
1. The captors wanted Israel to give an offering of praise to them. Faith needs a corresponding action. We can’t declare our situation is over. Israel hanging up their harps indicates that they had given up and that they thought it was over.
2. God is not concerned about what is on the outside of us but what is on the inside of us. Israel’s songs pointed to the goodness of God in their lives, so them not wanting to sing would signifying the loss of their faith in God. We dance and say God is good as long as things are going well, but we seem deflated when things go bad.
3. Who can give God glory when the bottom falls out? Israel had seen God deliver before yet they resigned or gave up when things got bad. Remember the devil can’t take from you what God promised you. You have to refuse to put down your harp. Israel’s harps represented who they were. When the enemy is after your song, you have to really ask what he is after. Your song is not just simply about compositions or a collection of notes and words. Your song points to your infinite faith. It points to who you are. There is music in your service. Your song has nothing to do with you opening you mouth.
4. Israel’s song represents a shift. Your ability to sing or have a song in a bad situation represents that you are in another palace. That other place for Israel means a shift from where they were verses where God wanted them to be. Ex- Paul and Silas prayed at midnight, which represented a shift. Acts 16:25-26: 25And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. Paul and Silas prayed at midnight. They sang praises and prayed their way out. When we are in a tough situation and we continue to sing, this shows that our spirit has already shifted out of our situation. Some people wonder how you sing despite what you are going through.
5. All the enemy is trying to do by asking you to sing, is to see fight out of you! Grab your harp and start playing again. Get back up in the choir. Keep doing what God told you do. We sing because we are happy and because we are free. You have to go back and get your harp.
III. Don’t allow your ego to rob you your future recovery
Psalm 137:6-7: 6If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy. 7Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. The Edomites had destroyed Israel’s city. The Edomites represent the people that have done us wrong in our lives.
Most people who preach out the scripture that we selected for this text will tell you that scriptures usually have points of reconciliation. Because this is a Psalm, it does not end in reconciliation. It actually ends with more lamentation or sadness. The Edomites had destroyed Israel’s city. The Edomites represent the people that have done us wrong in our lives.
1. Israel wanted the same thing that happened them to happen to their captors. Psalm 137:8-9: 8 O Babylon, you will be destroyed. Happy is the one who pays you back for what you have done to us. 9 Happy is the one who takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks! -Many of us are in this same place right now. We have to remember that what we are dealing with is only temporary. Troubles don’t last always. Why are we tripping so hard over what is happening in our life? This is not a time to give up.
2. We must remember:
a. Don’t bail. Just believe.
b. Don’t let boundaries determine your blessing. Don’t let your situation block your blessing.
c. Don’t be bitter. Being bitter can hinder your breakthrough. The prophet Isaiah speaks to the people about what God is going to do for them. He reminds them that God is going to turn it everything around for them. Vengeance is the Lords. We don’t have to do anything when we are a child of God. All we have to do is sit back and watch God work. God will deal with your adversaries for you. Ezekiel 25:12-14: 12Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them; 13Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword. 14And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord GOD.
3. Is God really going to do this for us? The enemy didn’t realize they messed with the wrong person when they messed with us. Victory shall be ours. God will restore it all in this season that the enemy robbed you of.
4. In our situation, God was trying see:
a. What your posture was going to be: Others were watching you to see how you will handle your situation.
b. Trying to see your potential: You never would have seen your potential in your comfort zone.
c. This was about your profession: God wanted to know what you were going to say. God wanted to know would you complain or give him the glory
d. This was about your perseverance: God wanted to know would you quit ushering, quit singing, or quit coming to church all together because of your situation.
e. This was about your praise: Can you praise him even when things are not going right for you.

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Questions every Christian should be able to answer Part VI, Bible Study 08/12/09

Posted on August 14, 2009 by growintheword

Questions every Christian should be able to answer Part VI
How to study the Bible
Synopsis of Bible Study 08/12/09

Today we focus on learning the 27 books of the New Testament. Below is the method that we use to train our brain.
First we start with the Gospels. They are Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John.
Now Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John were acting up in Rome. This gives us Acts and Romans.
Next we have Corinthians. There is a 1 & 2 Corinthians so you say: Mathew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians.
After you come out of this, think about the phrase general electric power company. This first letters of these words stand for Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians.
Now think about TTT. This gives us Thessalonians, Timothy and Titus. Now Thessalonians is 1&2, Timothy is 1 & 2, and Titus is by itself. This gives us 1&2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, and Titus.
Next think about some fraternity and use the word “phi” and then add it to the word “lemon”. This gives us Philemon. Phi-lemon made some coffee, because he wife couldn’t make it, so he brewed it for James. This gives us Philemon, Hebrew, & James.
Now Peter, John, and Jude got a revelation. Now there is a 1 & 2 Peter, a 1, 2, & 3 John, and just plain Jude and Revelation. This gives us 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2, 3 John, Jude, Revelation
Congratulations, if you have stayed with us during this series, you now can recite all 66 books of the bible. Let’s practice: (Next page)

Old Testament
• Genesis
• Exodus
• Leviticus
• Numbers
• Deuteronomy
• Joshua
• Judges
• Ruth
• 1 Samuel
• 2 Samuel
• 1 Kings
• 2 Kings
• 1 Chronicles
• 2 Chronicles
• Ezra
• Nehemiah
• Esther
• Job
• Psalm
• Proverbs
• Ecclesiastes
• Song of Solomon
• Isaiah
• Jeremiah
• Lamentations
• Ezekiel
• Daniel
• Hosea
• Joel
• Amos
• Obadiah
• Jonah
• Micah
• Nahum
• Habakkuk
• Zephaniah
• Haggai
• Zechariah
• Malachi
New Testament
• Matthew
• Mark
• Luke
• John
• Acts
• Romans
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians
• Philippians
• Colossians
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians
• 1 Timothy
• 2 Timothy
• Titus
• Philemon
• Hebrews
• James
• 1 Peter
• 2 Peter
• 1 John
• 2 John
• 3 John
• Jude
• Revelation

Though this was a short bible study, we hope that this is something practical that you can use to get you closer to God

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Questions every Christian should be able to answer Part V, Bible Study 08/05/09

Posted on August 7, 2009 by growintheword

Questions every Christian should be able to answer Part V
How to study the Bible (continued)
Synopsis of Bible study 8/5/09
Delivered by Bishop Walker III
Review of the first part of this topic (07/22/09):
The bible is divided up in 8 groups.
• Historical: This involves Genesis thru Esther
• Poetical or wisdom-literature: This includes Job thru the Song of Solomon.
• Major Prophets: This involves Isaiah through Daniel.
• Minor Prophets: This section involves Hosea through Malachi.
• The gospels: This section involves Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John.
• New Testament historical: Acts of the Apostles is the only book of the New Testament to be considered historical.
• The epistles: Romans thru Jude.
• Prophetic works: The Revelation of John is a book mostly in highly figurative and symbolic language, which dealt with things which must shortly come to pass.
Remember that we learned that what we are after when we read a scripture is what the author originally intended. We try not to impose our understanding of the text on the scripture. In order to achieve this, we have to remember that context is important. Keeping this in mind, we have to realize that every word that we read has a context. To understand this context, we use tools of historical data to aid us. We try to understand historical data such as the Roman World, Caesar the ruler, tradition, and customs. When we keep this all in mind while we are reading the Bible, it helps us put into place what the text is really saying.
What is genre? It is a style. For example you have many genres of music such as Gospel, R&B, Jazz, Blues, Country, Rock, & etc… The 8 parts of the bible is often referred to as genres. Ex- When we look at Psalms which is from the genre poetry, we can’t view it from a historical prospective or genre.
I. Interpret the Old Testament in the light of the New Testament
1. We live by the whole bible, not just the New Testament. You can’t’ understand the New Testament without understanding the Old Testament.
2. We have got to understand progressive revelation. God did not give all understanding to Moses or Abraham all at once. As time went on, he gave more and more understanding to them. We have to look at the Old Testament as a chamber with expensive historical artifacts in it. The lighting inside the chamber is really dim. You know that the artifacts are in there, but because the lighting is so dim, you really can’t see them. For example: Jesus was mentioned more than once in the Old Testament, but it was hard for people to notice, because the light is not had not been turned on yet.
3. The light shines in darkness and reveals revelation. Matthew 5:17: 17Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. – Jesus didn’t write the Old Testament off when he came on the scene. Instead Jesus came to shed light on what the Old Testament meant. The time, in which Jesus lived, the Old Testament was the only thing that people had to reference what God would have them do. In fact everything that the Pharisees and Sadducees said to Jesus was stuff they lived by based off of the teachings of the Old Testament.
4. Jesus wasn’t a Christian, he was a Jew. Jesus is however, the essence of Christianity. Christianity is based on or relating to a belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Messiah, and acceptance of his teachings, contained in the Gospels. We are Christians because we follow Jesus. Jesus can’t be a Christian because he didn’t follow himself. Christianity didn’t come about until the day of the Apostles. Jesus said he didn’t come to destroy the law, but fulfill it. Ex- Remember when the Pharisees and Sadducees wanted to stone the woman for being caught in the act of adultery? Well they were justifying their action based off of the Old Testament. Jesus told them that whoever was without sin should be the first to cast the stones. This was an example of Jesus shedding light on the Old Testament and its meaning.
II. The dependence on the Holy Spirit
1. The Holy Spirit is the only way to understand the word of God. John 16:12-15: 12I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you., 1 Corinthians 2:9-11: 9But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. – In these scriptures, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, God revealed things that the people hadn’t ever heard before.
2. Being deep in the word does not involve how deep you make yourself look. Being deep in the word is allowing the Holy Spirit to teach you the word of God. Ex- What Bishop Walker does (preaching 4 services a Sunday and preaching all over the nation through the week) can’t be done in his own comprehension? When he is preparing messages, he applies the skills he learned in seminary. After years of knowing this stuff, it kind of becomes second nature to him. Bishop applies the methodology involving historical data and it all ends up as a compiled pile of data. Now Bishop can’t leave this pile of data just like it is, because it would sound like a lecture. Now Bishop has to ask God to make the pile of data live (much like Ezekiel and the dry bones). Now the Holy Spirit throws everything that the folk in Bishop’s congregation have been going through on him, so when he preaches, the words Bishop speaks will be the words of the Holy Spirit. This is why Bishop can preach the same sermon for all four services and each word will give different revelations for different needs, for different services, for different people, although the sermon is the same
3. How do you know if you are at the right church? When the preacher seems like he is all up in your business every time he preaches, then you know that you are in the right place. The Holy Spirit tailored the word for you. The challenge is we don’t receive some gifts of spirit because we try to analyze it with our mind. You have got to lean not to your own understanding, but in all your ways, acknowledge him. As a result, he will direct your path. Ex- Bishop says he only goes to church about 3 times a year. You might think this is funny because of how much he preaches, but Bishop explains that when he is in church, he is working. Even when he goes to visit, he is not able to sit in the back and allow his self to be ministered to, because they want to invite him to the pulpit.
4. Answer as many questions as you can about the text. You need to ask who, what, when, where, why, and how.
a. Who- Find out who is talking?
b. What-Find out what is happening?
c. When-Find out when it was written. The time that the scripture was written in can be important.
d. Where-Find out where the story is taking place.
e. Why –Find out why the situation happened.
f. How-Find out how the story happened.
5. We have to receive Revelation: Revelation brings about inspiration. It is receiving the word of God without error
6. We have to have Transmission: This is copying as accurately as possible the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts of the scriptures. Translations are importation of the original manuscripts used for seeking and rendering the scriptures in our language. Don’t be married to just the King James Version of the Bible. Find you a bible that you can understand.
7. We must have Interpretation: This is finding out what the author means by what they said or wrote and putting it into meaning that our intellect can understand.
8. We must avoid misinterpretation: People often miss what the Bible is really saying, because they misinterpret the scripture.
9. We must avoid sub-interpretation: This failure to ascertain the full meaning.
10. We must avoid super-interpretation- This attributing more significant meaning than the passage actually meant.
11. We must follow through with Application: This is using a variety of gifts to make the word of God relevant to man so that change of behavior results.
III. Learn the Books of the bible using a bible methodology.
There are 39 books of the Old Testament. Starting with the Old Testament, here is a good methodology that we can use to learn the first 39 books of the bible. This is not biblically sound, but it is a way to train the brain to remember the books of the Old Testament.
1. First we start with the Pentateuch or the first five books of the bible which includes-Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
2. Next we use the phrase JJ Ruth which stands for- Joshua, Judges, and Ruth
3. Next use the phrase, Samuel was King and wanted chronicles. Remember there was 1 and 2 of each book which gives us – 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, & 1 & 2 Chronicles.
4. Then you have to think about being at a family reunion and meeting some long lost relatives. Please meet Aunt Ezra, Uncle Nehemiah, and Aunt Ester from Sanford and Son. This gives us – Ezra, Nehemiah, & Esther. Ezra by the way is the only book in the bible where you see the word pulpit.
5. Next we remember the wise grandma JPPES (like the wisdom Genre). This gives us – Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon.
6. Next we have the Major Prophets. We have Isaiah and Jeremiah. Jeremiah cried or lamented. There were some Dry bones which give us Ezekiel which can be found next to the 3 Hebrew boys which represents Daniel. This gives us – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentation, Ezekiel, and Daniel.
7. Minor Prophets Hosea, fell in love with prostitute (hint look at the first two letters), the first Joel (rhymes with Noel), then musically join Amos-Obadiah. This gives us Hosea, Joel, Amos, & Obadiah.
8. Jonah wanted the Micah which gives us – Jonah & Micah.
9. Last we have a phrase that has to be done to a rap beat. Na-hum Ha-bak-kuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
Congratulations, you have successfully learned the first 39 books of the bible.

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