Tag: Precept Ministries

Romans Study on Our Porch

We are studying Romans chapters 6-8. This is a coed group of adults. All over age 45. You might not know that by last night’s discussion.

Normally we have great discussions. Everyone does their homework and we all participate in discussion. Ron Duncan is a great leader: he asks open-ended questions, uses the leaders guide, doesn’t teach, etc.

Last night we had Bible study on our porch. Discussion was a bit different than usual.

Here is how the first twenty minutes went:

Ron: let’s get started.

D2: Someone needs to mow.

K: Advantage of wildflowers. I don’t have to mow as long as they are blooming.

D1: They sure are pretty.

M: The neighbors aren’t mowing.

Ron: Let’s open in prayer. (He prays)

Ron: ok. let’s review. What are we studying? Who wrote it and why?

D1: Romans

K: Paul. To the Jewish and gentile believers at Rome.

M: To encourage them

K: To instruct them to be obedient to the faith.

M: And to warn them against dissension that could cause division.

Ron: Good! What’s the overall theme of Romans?

M: We are justified by faith and not by works.

K: The gospel is the power to save for all who believe.

D2: We are saved by faith

K: and out of that justification come good works and obedience.

Ron: Yes! Great! Let’s look at chapter one. What’s chapter one about?

K: Second half of chapter one is bad bartering.

M: buy high sell low.

K: They exchanged God’s truth for a lie.

(Loud squawking from the shade tree by the porch)

R: That sounds like the baby hawk.

K: It’s too early for the baby hawk to be flying this far from its nest. I wonder what kind of bird that is?

T: It’s loud! (Looks up) There it is! On that branch right there.

M: I hope it doesn’t poop on you.

Ron: What group is addressed in chapter two?

D1: Those who follow the law.

Ron: What’s Paul say about that?

M: The law cannot save us. Salvation is by faith, not the law.

K: And true circumcision vs circumcision of the flesh. (Gets up to go inside.)

Ron: What is chapter three about?

D1: Chapter three addresses we are without excuse. Jews, Greeks, all have sinned and need a savior.

(K comes back outside with a plate of cookies.)

M: Ooh! Hot cookies!

D1: That bird may….

M: iced cookies!

T: yuck

Ron: What does chapter four teach us? Who is mentioned?

D2: Chapter four talks about Abraham. We are his sons if we have faith in Christ Jesus. (D2 and K sing Father Abraham has many sons)

K: Look!! A blue bird! I haven’t seen one here before! We need a bluebird house.

M: I hate grackles. (nuisance birds that thrive around fast food joints)

D2: I love the road runners. My father-in-law almost set the house on fire trying to kill a woodpecker.

D1: he was killing wasps.

D2: oh. But he killed the woodpecker.

D1: It had made a big hole in the side of the house. He shot it with a shotgun.

K: Oh! Didn’t that…

D1: Yup. Made a bigger hole. But got the bird.

K: We had a flock of turkeys here last week.

R: Look! A scissortail fly catcher on that t post!

K: State bird of Oklahoma.

Ron: Chapter five. What’s chapter five about?

D1: Adam brought sin. And Moses???

Ron: Uhm. Not Moses.

D2: Jesus.

K: By one man sin came into the world and by one man we can be saved??

Ron: What word is repeated?

M: Reconciliation?

K: By faith we receive the free gift of righteousness that leads to eternal life.

D2: Look at that deer!! She’s beautiful!

Ron: Ok. Moving on to chapter six…

M: Hey! You put the cold cookies on our table!

D1: We like hot cookies! But you can have one each.

R: Do you need milk to dip your cookies in.

Ron: I lost control before I ever had it.

——

I’m not sure he’s going to let us meet on the porch again.

But we had a great discussion. We spent an hour on chapter six. Really! We actually discussed chapter six with only a few distractions. Good stuff! Then we all sat on the porch talking about life and eating cookies for another hour.

I love this Bible Study Group.

View from our study table on the porch.

Grand Forks, North Dakota

This weekend I am in Grand Forks, North Dakota at Grand Forks Air Force Base. My friend Casey invited me to a women’s conference here.

Along with the women of the Prairie Rose Chapel, I will be studying Living a Life of True Worship tonight and tomorrow. This 40-Minute Study is written by my friends Kay Arthur, Bob and Diane Vareen. We will complete this six weeks study in just one weekend!

Today the leadership team decorated the space and went over the worship songs and the schedule for the conference. We also prayed for each woman registered for the event.

Tonight we start with worship songs then the wing chaplain’s wife will give a brief introduction to inductive bible study. After that we will jump right in to Lesson One! I’ll be leading the lessons.

Tomorrow we will cover lessons two through six.

Saturday evening after dinner, I’ll be sharing the story of how knowing truth from God’s Word carried me through storms. We will have a time of prayer afterwards.

I’ll be standing in the wings praying for the leadership. They will be the ones praying with individual women who ask for prayer. I want these women to look to their own leadership for prayer and guidance, not me, and to know these ladies love them and want to serve them.

Sunday we will all attend the morning chapel service. Part of my goal is to help the women plug into the local body, to develop relationships, and walk together through the storms and the calm.

We are having lunch together and local bible study leaders will share about the women’s studies that will be offered at the chapel this spring, including the Precept Upon Precept study of Ephesians.

Lastly, I’ll spend some time wrapping up the weekend, reviewing what we learned and the basics of inductive bible study. I’ll encourage them to join one of the studies being offered and to become part of a local body if they aren’t already.

Then I’m taking a nap.

Here are a few pictures of the set up. The coffee bar is almost finished. We just need to add cookies, chocolate, and other snacks.

We are expecting about 30 women. Tables are all set. The chapel is providing childcare for about 15 children as well.

I love the place settings! Each lady will take home her study, new colored pencils, and a bandanna.

You might notice the bandannas and much of the decor on the coffee bar came from my attic. I cleaned it out as part of the 30 Day Minimalist Challenge.

I am honored to be spending the weekend with women who serve in the US Air Force or are married to airmen, teaching them to learn truth for themselves directly from God’s Word.

Note: Contact me if you are interested in hosting a conference like this one. I love spending time with sisters in Christ studying His truth.

Coaching, and Leading Bible Study

My son is a coach. He works with junior high and high school students, many of whom act in foolish ways because they are young and ignorant, not stupid but untutored. Yet they are his students precisely because they want to learn.

He posted this last weekend:

“I’ve found if I don’t deeply respect my athletes and admit my failures when I don’t, then I have no chance of making a positive difference as a coach…..”

It got me thinking about how I lead Bible study. And my attitude towards the women in my class.

Do I love and respect the women in my class? Do I show them I care about them? Do I listen to their thoughts as we discuss each passage? Even the ones who may seem immature and ignorant of the Word? Do I view all those in my class as precious children of God, worthy of love and respect?

If not, I have little chance of making a positive difference as a discussion leader.

As I pray for my class and those who are new to Bible study, I am reminded that I, too, was once ignorant of truth – not stupid, but untutored. And I am reminded they are in my class because they want to learn.

Not too many years ago, I was ignorant. I had no idea how to study the Bible but wanted to learn.

A friend invited me to a six week study in her home. She cared about me and my family. She patiently and lovingly taught me to study the Bible inductively. She taught me how to learn truth for myself directly from God’s Word. She answered my questions about how to study, and she encouraged me to dig deeper. She did this with each student in her class. She modeled for me not only how to study, but also how to lead.

As we start a new semester of studies, I pray that I will be like her. I pray that I will truly care about the women in my class and that I will treat each of them with honor and respect as they learn to study God’s Word for themselves.

Happy Birthday Kay

Kay Arthur turns 84 today. She and her late husband Jack started Precept Ministries International in 1970. She’s still traveling the world teach people to study God’s Word. I’m privileged to call her my friend.

The Day My Life Changed Forever: August 13, 2013

I’m preparing to share my testimony of God’s grace be comfort over the past five years. I’ll be sharing at the Precept Ministries International Women’s Conference October 20-22.

500+ women from around the globe will be in Chattanooga. More will be live streaming the event.

I will also be teaching a couple of breakout sessions on having peace through grief.

This article is only part of the story

Source: The Day My Life Changed Forever: August 13, 2013

Women’s Conference

I am excited to be a part of this event this fall! Kay Arthur will be speaking along with other amazing women of God. Six main sessions.
I'll be speaking Saturday morning and leading one of seven break-out sessions.
Great worship, delicious food, fellowship with like-minded believers, and studying the Word of God. You don't want to miss it!
PEACE FOR TROUBLED HEARTS!

Spend the weekend in an intimate setting with Kay Arthur, Precept's teaching staff, and other women learning what God's Word says. Take time for yourself to fellowship, study, pray, laugh and cry as we show you how to Discover Truth for Yourself. Learn more about this powerful conference. http://bit.ly/2uxeygW

Loving My Bible 

I’m “loving” my own Bible this week. 

In Chattanooga at Precept Ministries International. In one week we are doing a seven week study of 1 Timothy. 

Each morning we have a 75 minute group discussion followed by lectures. Some days we watched a pre-recorded lecture. Today we had Kay Arthur live followed by David Arthur live! 

Kay is 83 years old and still traveling and teaching. It is a privilege to hear her teach.

We have the afternoons to finish a week’s homework. 4-5 hours of studying. 

My husband and an old friend are here. We are sharing a suite so we stay up late discussing our studies. 

God’s Word is amazing!


What Can You Know?

Last month my husband and I spent a week in Chattanooga studying 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John at a Precept Ministries International Spring Study Program.  I love these intensive study programs! 

As part of the study, we made list of what we can know according to 1 John. The author states clearly that he wrote this book “to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13 |NASB)

What is “eternal life”

Jesus, while praying to His Heavenly Father, said in John 17:3: 

This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

Eternal life does not just mean that we get to go to heaven when we die. It involves how we live today. 

Jesus came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). He told us the Kingdom of God is among us (Mark 1:15). Romans 14:17 tells us that the kingdom of God is not what we eat or drink or how we act, but it is about righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. It is abiding in Christ and Him in us. Eternal life is living as part of the kingdom of God now, today, because you know God and His Son Jesus Christ.

1 John is all about eternal life and what it looks like to live eternal life in Christ. In this book God tells us what abiding in Him looks like and how we can abide in Himand He in us.

What can we know about abiding in God, about kingdom living and eternal life, from 1 John? How can we know it? Let’s look at the “know” verses together. 

 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. (1 John 2:3)

What are His commandments? Jesus told us in Matthew. 

And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 22:35-40 |ESV

1 John tells us that this is not a new command, but one we have had since the beginning (2:7). These are God’s commandments that we are to keep. Verse 3:18 instructs us to love not “with word or tongue, but in deed and truth.”

Verse 2:4 tells us that if I say I know God but don’t keep His commands, I am a liar and the truth is not in me. OUCH! (No one can keep His commandments perfectly; this is why we need forgiveness.)

1 John 5:3 tells us that keeping His commandments IS the love of God, and His commandments are not burdensome.

So, my friend, when I find loving others to be burdensome, perhaps it is because I am not truly keeping His commands by the power of His Holy Spirit in me. Perhaps it is because I am trying to “love” others in word and tongue instead of deed and truth. 

_By this we may know that we are in him_ whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked._ (1 John 2_5-6).png

By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” (1 John 2:5-6)

To understand how to walk Jesus walked, we have to study the life of Christ.  We don’t have space in this post to examine everything He did and everywhere He walked. But was can look at a few passages.

The next few verses (vs. 2:8-11) speak of walking  in the Light versus walking in darkness. Jesus is the Light. To abide in the Light I must love my brother. If I hate my brother, I am in darkness and walk in darkness.

When you have time, read John 13. John tells about the Last Supper when Jesus washed the disciples feet. He knew Judas Iscariot was going to betray Him, yet He served Judas just as He did the others. I’ve had to ask myself if I treat others with love and compassion, even when I know they will hurt me. Do I turn the other cheek? 

Jesus did what the Father told Him to do and spoke the words the Father gave Him to speak so the world may know the Father.

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

John 14:8-11 |ESV

If I am going to walk in the same manner He walked, I must know the Father and listen to His instructions. I must be led by the Holy Spirit instead of by my flesh. I must love others.

In order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Romans 8:4 |ESV

Yep. I have work to do in this area. Let me just say now that I have work to do in every area I am writing about today. I am sharing this post with you , but I am writing it to myself.

“If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of him.” 1 John 2:29

According to www.blueletterbible.com, “Righteous” mean “observing divine law, keeping the commands of God.” We know that Jesus is God. God, of course, keeps His own commands, so we know that He is righteous. Thus, if we practice righteousness, we are born of God.

Chapter three starts with “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God and such we are.” Ephesians 2 is one of my all-time favorite chapters. It starts out reminding us that we were once objects of God’s wrath; we were dead in our transgressions and sins. But God…(Don’t you just love the “BUT GOD” passages?) But God loves us and made alive together with Christ!

 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:4-10

1 John 3:7-10 tell us more about those who are “born of God”.

 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.  By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

1 John 3:7-10

“We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” 1 John 3:2

Though we are children of God, we are not yet all that we will be. This is one of those “Already but not yet” things. We are already children of God, but we have not yet become fully like Him. We are being conformed to the image of Christ.

1 Corinthians 13:12 tells us that now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

1 Corinthians 15 speaks of what will happen when Jesus returns.

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Here on planet earth, until His return, the sting of death is present. We have victory through Christ Jesus, but we still live on planet earth where sin and death are all around us. Some day, when He returns, we will be caught up with Him and see Him face to face. We will be made like Him and we will put on an imperishable body! Glory!!

“You know that He appeared in order to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.” 1 John 3:5

So many passages in the Bible speak about Jesus coming to take away the sins of the world, not only our sins but the sin of the whole world. John 3:16, 1 John 2:1-2, and 2 Corinthians 5:22 are two such passages. Forgiveness of sins and eternal life are available to all. Only a few will choose the narrow road, but the road is open to all who will choose it.

1 John 3 goes on to say, “No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.” (vs. 6) This is referring to the practice of sin, not to those (all of us) who sin and repent. Those who practice sin and do not repent (turn from their sin) do not know God and have not even seen God.

_We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death._ 1 John 3_14.png

“We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.” 1 John 3:14

LOVE is a Key Word in 1 John. It appears more than 40 times.

1 John 2:3 tells us that we can know we know Him if we keep His commands. Jesus taught us that the two greatest commandments involve loving God and loving others. These commandments sum up the Law and the prophets.

To have eternal life, we must know God and His son. If we know God and His Son we must keep His commandments to love God and others. If we know God and keep His commandment to love our brothers, we know we have passed out of death and into [eternal] life.

I love (see what I did there?) that all of this fits together so beautifully!

Verse 15 makes this even more clear by demonstrating the opposite: “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” If you love your brother, you are obeying His commands and know Him, thus, you have eternal life. If you hate your brother, you are practicing sin and do not know God so do not have eternal life.

So, if I have come to know God, I will keep His commandments, walk in the Light, walk in the same manner as He Himself walked, and will love my brothers and sisters. These are all evidence that I have been saved by grace and am alive together with Christ; I have passed out of death into life. WOW!

How can all this be true? Read on, my friend!

1 John 3_16.png

“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” 1 John 3:16

Verses 17-18 go on to say. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

Again, we know from other passages of Scripture that Jesus laid down His life for us. We can know or understand what love is by looking at what He did. And because we are in Him, we ought to walk in the same manner He walked (2:5-6). Thus, we must lay down our lives for our brothers.

What does that look like? According to verses 17-18, love involves giving what we ourselves have to our brothers and sisters who in need.

For example, I am an empty-nester who does not work outside my home. I have time – time I can spend helping other moms who still have children at home. I love hanging out with four particular little girls and their momma. She needs my help sometimes. I kept two of the girls for a few weeks while their parents and little sisters were out of town on an important training trip.

We have empty bedrooms; we offer them to families visiting our community for visit like house hunting trips. One couple and their 8-month-old twins were here for a week last month.

I love to study the Bible and have time to teach it, so I lead studies with women around my dining room table.

These things are not always convenient. I could have gone to Florida for two weeks with Ron last month instead of keeping two pre-teen girls. But I was willing to lay down my life for that family, to set aside my desires and wants to love them. (And the girls are sweet girls, so it was fun…most of the time.)

1 John 4:7-11 also speaks about love.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

1 John 4:7-11

“By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;  for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.” 1 John 3:19-20

To know what “this:” is, we have to read the verse before these. The previous verses speak of loving not in word and tongue but in deed and truth.

If we love in deed and truth, we know that we are of the truth and we reassure our heart before God. So, when we are feeling condemned, we can trust what God’s Word says about us. His Word says that there is NO CONDEMNATION for us because we are IN CHRIST JESUS. Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of the Law; He paid our debt, the debt for our sin. So we do not face condemnation. Nor should we who are in Christ condemn others. There is no place for condemnation in our lives.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,  in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Romans 8:1-4

Verses 21-23 tell us: “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.”

So, If we abide in Him and He in us, if we obey His commands, by the power of the Holy Spirit,  – including loving God and others, not in word and tongue but in deed and truth – we know we are of the truth and can have confidence before God. When we ask we receive from Him. We cannot practice sin and expect to get anything we want; we must keep His commandments and do what pleases Him. Then we will receive what whatever we ask. Isn’t this amazing? And wonderful!

1 john.png

Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.” 1 John 3:24

This is the final “know” of chapter 3. If we keep His commandments we abide in Him, and God abides in us. “Abide” means to stay, to dwell with, to remain. We can know that He abides in us because we have received the Holy Spirit which Jesus sent. (Read John 14-16 to learn more about the Holy Spirit.)

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:13-14 |ESV

When we believed in Him, we received the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit testifies to our spirit that we are children of God and we must not live according to the flesh. If we are children of God, we are heirs with Christ and we do not suffer alone. We suffer with Christ in order that we may be gloried with Him!

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,  and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Romans 8:12-17

1 John 4.png

By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. ” 1 John 4:2-3

This passage makes it very clear: we can know the Spirit of God. Verse one tell us to test the spirits. We are not to believe every spirit but are to test each spirit to learn whether they are from God. Even in our churches today there are false prophets. We can know who they are if we test the spirits.

If a spirit confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. All other spirits are not of God.

The passage goes on to explain that we who abide in Christ, we who love God and love others, we who obey His commands, we to whom this letter is written are from God and have overcome the spirits who are not of God.

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

1 John 4:4-6

In a previous chapter the author explains that “Little children” are those who know their sins are forgiven. That includes all follower of Jesus! We have overcome the spirits who are not of God because greater in God in us than he (Satan) who is in the world. Glory!!

Did you  notice there is another “know” verse in that passage?

“We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” 1 John 4:6

We know which spirits are of God and which are not: those who confess Christ are of God and those who don’t aren’t.

Verse 6 tells of that whoever is not from God will not listen to those who are from God. Verse 5 tells us that those who are from the world speak from the world and do not listen to those who are from God.

We don’t have to guess who is from God and who is not. We can test the spirits. We can know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. We have the Holy Spirit in us to help us as well.

“By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.” 1 John 4:13

The rest of this chapter sums up what we study in the previous passages:

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

1 John 4:14-21

God is love,.png

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 1 John 5:2

If we love God we live His children. If we live His children, we love Him because He is love. And because we love Him and His children we are obeying His commands and can know that we are born of God and have eternal life. So cool!

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

1 John 5:1-3

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13

This is why John wrote the book of 1 John. He was a disciple of Jesus. He saw with his own eyes and heard with his own eyes the truth of Jesus. He experienced seeing, and hearing Jesus perform miracles. He saw his Savior die on the cross and he saw Him after he rose from the dead! The author of this book wants you and me to KNOW that we have eternal life; we don’t have to doubt it!

And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 1 John 5: 15

Bottom line: Know God. Abide in Him. Love God and His children. Obey His commandments. Then we will receive whatever we ask, because we will ask for things that please Him.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

1 John 5 :13-15

We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 1 John 5:19

From studying this book we can know that we have eternal life, that we are from God, are born of God, and abide in God. We know that evil is all around us and these are the last hour. But we also know that greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:20

He is the true God. Jesus. Jesus is the true God. And He is eternal life. 

Jesus = eternal life. 

Eternal life = Jesus. 

You cannot have one without the other. 

There is much more in 1 John. So much more! Love. Abide. Do not practice sin. We are born of God. We can know that we have eternal life.

If you have a chance, read this short book. Read it a few times over. It will bless your socks off! And convict you of sin. At least, it did me. I have a lot to work on.

Galatians Lesson Four

I spent the past week doing an intensive study of Galatians at Precept Ministries.  I posted this a few days ago:

Halfway through lesson Four, Chapter Three of Galatians and my brain is about to explode!

Plus, I’ve already spent a few hours with the Holy Spirit ripping junk out of my heart. These intensive studies are not always fun. But they are amazing!

Studying God’s Word => Truth => Life => Conviction => Search my heart, Oh God! => Repentance => Forgiveness of those who have hurt me deeply => Freedom & Joy => Hunger and Thirst for righteousness => Hunger for more of God => Desire to know more of who He is => Studying God’s Word….

And my prayer is that all of this leads me to change, to be conformed to the image of Christ. And that you, my friends and family, will see a difference in my life.

Trip Log 2.4

No, I am not going to write a daily diary of what happened each of the past thirteen days! (Did I hear a collective sigh of relief?) That doesn’t mean this won’t be a long post. 😜

In my last Trip Log, I wrote that I was in Chattanooga for a couple of weeks. I’ll tell you more about that in a moment. But first…

Let me back up to our week in Ashburn, VA. 

My dear husband had three days of difficult and important meetings. He is on the board and executive committee of an industry trade association. This organization represents companies throughout the heating, air conditioning, refrigeration and ventilation industries. They help set standards, lobby congress on behalf on the industry, and assure that products meet standards set by the industry and the government.

Wednesday afternoon he came “home” to our hotel and said, “I’ve finished three days of hard meetings and I want to celebrate! Let’s go out for a nice dinner and see a show!” He then mentioned a few live theater options and a few movies he was interested in seeing.

Instead of putting on a smile, congratulating him on a job well done, and hopping in the shower to get ready to out with the man I love, I sat there and talked about the ugly messages we had received. I shared my feelings and hurt. I rehashed the whole thing over and over. I refused to go out. We ordered pizza.

Ladies, I WAS WRONG! So very wrong! 

And, yes, I have since apologized and asked his forgiveness.

There was nothing we could do that night to change this person’s view of us. We could not change the situation by staying in the hotel and being depressed. Yet that is exactly what I chose to do. And I dragged my dear husband with me. I should have supported him. I should have celebrated with him. I should have gone out to dinner with him. And maybe, just maybe, going out with him might have helped get me out of my funk. Complaining about the ugly things said and rehashing it all certainly did not help.

I am grateful for the wise gal I spoke with later that night, after Ron had gone to sleep.

Why am I writing about this now? Because I want to remember what to do next time.

There will be a next time! It may not look the same, but in my life, I seem to keep getting the same test over and over until I get it right. I want to get this one right next time! I want to put aside the ugliness and choose to enjoy being with the man I love in the time we have together.

Now, on to Chattanooga.

Tuesday, May 10

I spent part of the morning working on homework. Then I went by Precept Ministries International (PMI) offices to see a sweet lady whose husband died five weeks ago. I love this gal! I hugged her and told her how sorry I was. I got to love on her a bit and hear stories of God’s grace in her husband’s last few days. I’m glad.

Then I went to lunch with Meredith’s mother-in-law, Marsha. We had never really spent any time together, but she knew I was in town alone, so she called and invited me to lunch. Having never really gotten to know her, I though it would be a quick lunch. Nope. We sat and talked for four hours! I love my new friend! I am so glad my daughter has such an amazing woman in her life! And I really needed to be with someone who likes me! We laughed and talked and shared our common struggles along with testimonies of how God has helped us through them. Yet another reason I love Chattanooga! I have a wonderful new friend!

I went up to hang out with Meredith and her family that evening. I won’t bore you with stories of how darling my grandchildren are. Trust me. They are darling!

Wednesday and Thursday 

My mornings were spent in class at PMI. Our study of James was great…and convicting! Afternoons were spent completing my homework so I wouldn’t have to do any homework after Thursday evening when I went with Meredith to buy groceries for my family for the next week.

Friday through Thursday, Family Reunion Time!

We rented two cabins at Hidden Hollow Resort in Chickamauga, Georgia. About forty-five minutes southwest of PMI. Ron and our second oldest daughter arrived Friday night. Adam came in late that night. David arrived about four in the morning. Only one son couldn’t come due to previous commitments.

Saturday morning we all went to Elijah’s baseball game. I picked up Marsha on my way from class. We had a great time cheering on the teams. No score was kept, so everyone was a winner! My sons and daughters had a great time playing with their nephews and holding Lucy. I took Marsha home then my family all went back to the cabins that afternoon, even the ones who live on Lookout Mountain.

We spent the next few days at Hidden Hollow Resort.

Sunday some of us went to church then I went to class while everyone else went to the cabins for naps and playtime. We all had dinner together on picnic tables.

Each morning, I got up and drove into class. I was there through lunch then drove back to Hidden Hollow. The aunts and uncles introduced the boys to catching crawdads, fishing, shooting a BB gun, building dams in the creek and much more! My husband and I had a great time watching our kids and grandkids play. There was canoeing, hiking, Nerf wars, frog catching and snake hunting. Long conversations took place on the porch after the grandkids were in bed. It was lovely!

Elijah is quite the marksman.
The BB gun was a gift from Uncle Adam. I think Jacob is a bit too small to shoot yet, but Uncle Adam helped him hold it.
Uncle David, a Marine Rifleman, helped teach Colin and Elijah how to safely handle a BB gun. They shot at gallon jugs filled with water.
The boys all enjoys their Nerf weapons from Uncle David.
I got to hold Lucy while her momma played in the creek with her “little” brothers, who are all taller than she is.
Colin caught the biggest fish! Granddad may have helped a bit.
Jacob may not look happy, but he really enjoyed kayaking with his Auntie M.
Lucy with her Daddy.
Uncle David taking Colin fishing.
Two of my favorite people!
Building dams and playing in the creek! So much fun!
Catching frogs and crawdads!

One uncle discovered that the boys had never had S’mores! So the next morning, right after breakfast, they built a camp fire and introduced their nephews to a new treat.

 

Jacob wasn’t too sure about the marshmallows.
Once his daddy showed him they were okay to eat, he loved them!
Baby Lucy didn’t get any, but she loves here Uncle David.
S’mores!

If you are ever looking for a fun place to stay in north Georgia, I highly recommend Hidden Hollow Resort! The large pond is spring feed and full of fish. It is quiet and peaceful, except when my adult sons are having a Nerf war with their squealing nephews.

One daughter left Monday. One son left Wednesday. Mark and Meredith and their family went back to their home Wednesday. The other son and youngest daughter left Thursday. Ron and I moved into a hotel closer to my class.

Thursday morning while I was in class, Ron went to the children’s museum with the grandsons.

We had a wonderful time with our family. I love them dearly!

Friday, May 20. Chattanooga 

Ron has never been a part of a Precept class, so I invited him to join me for the final session of the James Study Program (with permission from the instructors). We had a great discussion and wrap up of the study. Ron was taking notes fast and furiously! I am seriously jealous of his typing skills!

We ate lunch with my fellow students and Ron got to meet many of the folks he has heard much about over my years of coming for Study Programs.

After lunch we talked with three of my fellow students. These guys are from Nigeria. They were amazed that our youngest daughter’s middle name is from our Nigerian friend. One of them said I don’t look like I would even know any Nigerians! We had a great time laughing and sharing stories. Then the five of us stood and prayed together. It was beautiful! These men, like our beloved friend Ruth, know the God to whom they speak when they pray! They know scripture. They believe He hears their prayers. I want to be just like them when I grow up!

I think Ron may join me for the Galatians Study Program in July! Yeah!

We had planned to head to Memphis as soon as we finished in class. But then Meredith called and asked if we could babysit Friday evening. You can guess our answer.

We drove to Memphis Saturday.

Granddad reading a book about Saint George and a dragon before bedtime..
Wiggly boys playing a game on grandma’s iPad.

Sunday, May 22. Cordova, Tennessee. (A suburb of Memphis)

We attended Grace Presbyterian Church this morning. I loved it! Wonderful hymns, kind people, and a great message which we discussed the whole way back to our hotel.

Then we rode our bikes on the Shelby County Greenway. I’m not sure of the official name. It was a beautiful day for cycling.

Tomorrow Ron goes back to work after a week of playing. I’ll be in the hotel working on a study of Jude. I’m leading it starting May 31, so I need to get started on the homework! In the afternoon I’m meeting a couple of While We’re Waiting moms for coffee. New friends! What fun!

Tuesday, after Ron finishes his appointments, we will start the drive towards Texas. We hope to spend the night in Hot Springs so we can see friends Wednesday before driving the rest of the way home.

We plan to be home until the Galatians Study Program in July! Seven weeks at home!

When we get home Wednesday night, I will have been gone thirty-five days. I wonder if my dogs will recognize me.

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