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Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Adam, Eve and Us

another chance to teach on Wed. night.

Adam, Eve and Us
Genesis 2:15-3:14

Overview

2:15-17 Adam was put in the garden and given the limitation.
2:18-20 God sees that it is not good ro the man to be alone, but first He has the man name every creature and see for himself , that none of them are a “helper” suitable for him
2:21 Eve is created- Adam and Eve are to cleave, to be joined to become one flesh
2:25 “And they were both naked and were not ashamed.” The beauty of this is restored when church is really church - we are able to share and confess our sins and know that we will be prayed for, loved, supported and helped by other sinners.
3:1 The arrival of satan happens and the first thing he does is question the wisdom, love and power of God and His setting of a limit.
3:3 Eve adds to what God said - she got her information second hand so maybe Adam had added to it. Eve’s big mistake, entering into a conversation with satan.
3:4,5 Direct lies about God’s character
3:6 Eve stays around the tree (lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life) 1John2:16
Adam was near-by, but not cleaving.
3:7 Shame, guilt
3:8 Hiding from God
3:9-13 God uncovers the sin
3:14 God’s first words are directed to the “serpent” and in them is hidden the gospel of hope.

Big Themes

The Tree of Life Vs The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil

Moment by moment dependence Follow a plan, program or set of rules
See from God’s perspective Judge - but always from a place of not knowing everything
What has God said? There is nothing wrong with that, it is ‘good.’
Humility waiting for guidance Pride seeking for the knowledge that puffs up

Cleaving

Deut. 30:20

The differences between the sexes are complimentary they are to be celebrated with humility. This is not an adversarial relationship.
A ‘becoming one’ - I don’t want to hurt you because when you are hurt, I am hurt.
Culture (satan) tearing away at this by making females more masculine and showing that they can do all things well. The point of God’s limit is to receive them as good, loving and helpful. There is true freedom only in His limits. There is bondage in complete freedom.

Why was the tree of life not attractive ?
Was it the cross?
Sin brought us into a place of being self - conscious

prior to this Adam and Eve were not aware that they were separate entities from God.


BONUS Material

John 12:20-26
Greeks ask to see Jesus.
Jesus puts them off for now, but with a message that indicates how to know Him forever.
Not just to meet Him here and now
Quote from Reggie “To find Jesus, follow the path of suffering and pain.”

Romans Bible Study 17 chapter 5:3-8

Romans Bible Study #17
Romans 5:3-8
word: ‘tribulation’

3And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. NASB

3-5There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit

6-8Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him. The Message


Verse 3. The tribulations push us beyond our self. They cause us to rely on, lean on, trust in, One who is greater than us. We glory in the tribulation that reveals we are poor and needy. As “poor and needy” we can receive the great grace that is available to the broken and contrite. The prideful, skating thru life unhindered by any ‘hard times’ are in an illusion. The grace and mercy of God, must one day reveal this lie. The revelation will come in the form of tribulation that ‘breaks the hip’ of the self-sufficient and causes them to walk with a limp the rest of their lives. A step-by-step reminder of their dependence on God.
Perseverance is cherished by God because it says to all the world, “I’m going to keep going in this direction because I know God’s word is true.” It sees beyond the temporary circumstances and proclaims the faithfulness of God.
Verse 4 Christians and non-Christians go thru tribulations. The difference for Christians is knowing and trusting that behind such times stands a sovereign, loving God with a good purpose. From the “ground” of this knowing, sprouts the “plants” of perseverance, hope and virtue.
An example from one of the churches that Paul visited and that supported him.
2 Cor 8:1,2 Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia,
2that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.
There is no “physical explanation” for those two sentences, only a deep trust and belief in a God who cannot be seen could cause “deep poverty to overflow in liberality.” I have heard of this in poor nations where the people are so ‘hospitable’ that they give you there very best, even though it might cost them a months wages.

Verse 5 This verse isn’t an “I know that” verse in an educational sense, but in a revelation sense. God has sovereignly moved on my heart in such a way that I know I am forgiven and the recipient of His great love Ephesians 3:19
This is the “love of Christ which surpasses knowledge.” The depth of your heart cries out “Father ” and you know that He hears you. What Jesus did on the cross becomes personal and powerful. Things that didn’t use to make sense, are clear, because of the gift of the Holy Spirit and you can “see” better than you ever have. You have a deeper appreciation for the lives of others and want the best for them=love.

Verse 6 Paul has made this point before, but now he is making it again to emphasize the “personal” aspect of it. We, you and me, were helpless, you and me were ‘ungodly.’ There was nothing in us that was attractive to God, His love chose us anyway. It was all Him. It was all Mercy. If you truly, deeply know that and keep that truth at the core of your being you will be saved from many sorrows.

Verse 7 Paul will ‘give you’ that for a “good man” someone might lay down there life, but that analogy has nothing to do with what Jesus did for us.

Verse 8 God’s love is so much higher and more amazing than any comparison that could be made. We the ungodly, horribly stained sinners, offenders of God, breakers of every commandment. Here we stand with absolutely nothing to offer God... And YET, And YET, He chooses to give His life for us. Amazing Grace


Word– Tribulation- anything that tests your faith. Loss of health, broken relationships, accidents, natural disasters, verbal or physical assaults, or even
everyday inconveniences plumbing problems, cars break down, traffic jams.
Anything that makes life harder and threatens your faith in the goodness and power and wisdom of God is –tribulation. They are normal Acts 14:22. They are necessary, they are for our good.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

a good five-fold lesson

talking to my friend steve about a situation
and got some real-life insight into the beauty
of the five-fold ministry gifts working together

a teacher seeing only the need to deliver truth
pushes through and cares not about the
"collateral damage"

a pastor is concerned for each of the sheep
especially the youngest and most impressionable

so they need to come to a compromise and work
out a way to teach as much truth to as many people
as can handle it.

Praise God for such a superb design. Humility+corporate unity.
thank you YWAM some of your truths from 1986, 1987 have stuck
with me.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

The end times

Tonight i will teach my church what Reggie and others taught me in Ohio.


Tribulation, Anti-Christ, End Times
Sometimes, what we think we know, is not the truth. Maybe we think that Mercury is the hottest planet because it is closest to the sun. That makes sense, but it is wrong, Venus is the hottest planet because it has an atmosphere that holds in the heat, Mercury has no clouds or atmosphere and so it cools down every “night.” This subject, has a lot of those kinds of things in it, and so we need to approach it with an attitude that says, “Let the Bible teach us,“ not us tell the Bible what we already know. As we look at this there will be questions and whatever can’t be answered this week we will look at next week.
In Matthew 24, the disciples ask a direct question, Jesus gives a direct answer and then refers them to a specific prophecy in the book of Daniel. We will use this chapter in Matthew and some sections of Daniel as our guide to “understanding the times of the end.”
WHEN?
In Matt. 24:3 the question the disciples ask is “when?” Jesus goes thru events that lead up to the end times in 24:4-14, but then in 24:15 He answers the ‘when.’ He refers them back to the book of Daniel where the abomination of desolation is mentioned three times. Daniel 9:27, 11:31 and 12:11. Daniel 9:27 tells about a ‘mid-week’ betrayal of a covenant. Daniel 11:31 mentions a “him” who is at the center of this betrayal. It is part of a larger section from 11:21-11:45 that gives an amazing amount of detail about “him.” Daniel 12:11 speaks of a specific number of days that the ‘tribulation’ period will last. A number of things are ‘going on’ in the tribulation, but 12:7 gives this insight for us to consider,
“I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed.” (Leviticus 26:40-42 - When they accept their punishment.. I will remember. And when God says ’remember’ it marks a point in time when He is going to take action!)
WHAT HAPPENS
Back to Matthew 24. After verse 15 - (which gives the ‘when’ of when the tribulation / end times, starts) Jesus paints a picture of the depth of difficulty that will mark those days. He uses “those days” 3 times, verse 19, 22, 29. In verse 29 He has started a 3 verse explanation of God’s triumphal close of the tribulation. So the final 3 and 1/2 years of this “stage” of God’s plan starts with the abomination, has tribulation and then ends in a triumphant return and gathering. The rapture. The church goes thru the tribulation. It’s call is to be a light in the darkness. It’s greatest apostle was willing to be cut off, in order to see the Jews come in. Suffering leads to glory. Death brings resurrection. God’s sent ones are given grace to go into horribly awful situations and bring life. God’s promises are to carry us through the worst of times, not to pull the church out, and allow the unsaved Jews and the lost wander through the tribulation period with no ‘light.’
A good cross reference Bible will list, 1 Cor. 15:52and 1 Thes. 4:16, as parallel verses for Matthew 24:31. That is correct. The rapture is after the tribulation.
THE MAN
666 There is positively no mystery in this number. 6 is the number of man in scripture. 6 three times indicates the anti-christ will be ultimate man. Jesus was the incarnate Son of God, 1Tim. 3:16, the mystery of Godliness., satan is a copy cat, the anti-christ is satan incarnate, 2nd Thes. 2:8 the mystery of iniquity or lawlessness.
Michael arises and casts satan out of heaven Rev.12:9 (this is great news for the church, more on that later) simultaneously on earth the anti-christ, a normal human up till this point sustains a fatal wound of some kind(Rev.13:3, 13:12, ) and before all the world he ‘resurrects’ as satan possesses him and he begins to exercise the power and authority that satan gives him (Rev. 13:4) in conjunction with a religous 2nd in command, the false prophet, who is also working signs and wonders meant to deceive (Rev. 13:11-15). As said earlier, Daniel 11:21-11:45 gives a play by play of the actions of the anti-christ. Though there have been rulers who fulfilled parts of these events, none of them ended with a massive resurrection of the dead, Daniel 12:2.