WORD STUDIES.

WEEK SIX: DANIEL, THEE MAN.

Weeee read Daniel! Yayye.

Daniel had some serious integrity // excellence.

And the Q posed to us post our Daniel-read, was what in/about Daniel is applicable to us in an outreach situation.

The one thing that sticks out hugely for me, is Daniel’s relentlessness, regardless of the situation to walk and live out the giftings God blessed him with. Like seriously, Daniel was going to walk into whatever it was God called him to because of his level of commitment (no matter the outcome). That’s what.

Week V ///

Exodus this week! A long book, and a loved one by me.

I love story after story of seeing how God works and fights for His people despite their idiocy [which He deals with, too]. It is a testament to God’s redemption; individuals who choose to obey His call, and much, much more.

When Moses is led to take the Israelites out of Egypt, it is a story of second chances, of new life // renewal.

God has done the same for every believer; He has taken us out of an old situation, which is fundamentally the same for us all:

unbelief.

The coolest though is that the born again experience is not a one size fits all.  The particulars of our past experiences are all so different.

But God does not drop us off into this new life and up and leave.  He walks with us and is continually available to fellowship with us.  Just as He leads the Israelites [eventually] into the Promise Land, He leads us into ours. 

At the moment I feel that He is preparing me for mine.

Of course there are different stages and seasons in the journey, but for me right now it is definitely just a push toward getting to know Him better and better. But on a personal rather than intellectual basis. And seriously, it is the coolest thing to experience 


WEEK FOUR:

Man, the book of Romans.

A totally loaded book, which you could talk about forever.

But one of the things we were to observe had to do with the strengths/weaknesses of the Roman church.

In Romans, Paul doesn’t get around to bullet pointing admonishments to their problems.

I think one just has to look @the text in it’s entirety & take a peep at what he emphasizes.

Paul states that the faith of the Roman church was heard from all around the world.  So faith, evidently, was a definite strength of the church. ;l

For me, this makes sense that the seemingly counterpart to faith they seemed to have had, was perhaps a little bit of pride.  Paul speaks more than once to the importance of lifting up the “weaker” brother & sympathizing w/ separate sets of convictions [which implies that there is certain measure of judgment going on].

 

WEEK TRES:
 

Spiritual warfare can be a very subjective concept to respective churches.

For some, it can mean entering into an intense prayer time that is being led and directed by the Spirit alone; yet others may believe that it is just some ongoing thing in the heavens that we as humans are completely separated from, and can have little, if anything at all to do with such matters.

I think that Ephesians pretty clearly communicates that spiritual warfare is something that we deal with in our immediate/day-to-day surroundings. 

For we do not wrestle with the carnal, but against “principalities [etc.]”; so we can see that we are spirit beings first & foremost – yet in a physical body,

When you begin to realize that our outward struggles are usually inward ones made manifest, it sheds light on the importance of being clothed in the armor of God [+ the intrinsic importance of the armor].

When I look at what spiritual warfare is and means to me + the perspective of the Bible, it is clear that it can and should be dealt with in both Spirit led prayer, as well as responsive action.

Week II: Acts > > >

The Holy Ghost will take the chicken out of you.

The Holy Ghost will take the chicken out of you.

You can beat up the devil; make him black and blue.

And the Holy Ghost will take the chicken out of you.

Our past week we read Acts, and the questions on the Holy Spirit made this kid’s church song /slash/ moment of old pop into my head one or three times. :]

Acts is real awesome. It really sheds light on early Christian life & the tool that the Holy Spirit is to us as believers now, post-ascension.

When Peter is preaching in Chapter two is the first time he mentions this gift that we “freely receive” when we accept Jesus [and chapter 5.32 reads “. . . whom God has given to those who obey Him”].

Throughout the book the HS’ work is exemplified all over.

When we are filled with the HS we can see that we are boldly given the proper words to say. We become full of faith/wisdom.

The Spirit directs; explains visions, signs.

The Spirit gives insight into the future.

(Chapters 4,6,7,8,10&11)

This is always done with the intent of purpose/action to garner lost souls for God’s kingdom.

Not just to exercise God’s power for no reason.

Week I: Matthew > > >

This past week, we read the Gospel of Matthew.

For our Bible readings throughout the DTS, we will be working with reading the whole text at once -- and aloud.

This is the first time I’ve read one of the longer books in one swoop.  It really helps to see the wider perspective and aim of the content.  Because it is easier than one would think to take any single verse out of context, when it is not pitted against the entire book.

And of course it is great to hear the spoken Word [Romans 10.17]