Tuesday, January 29, 2008

this week's Bible study

As I have done these past few weeks, I waited until today to do my week's Bible study lessons.  I am really enjoying this study.  Again, if you're just tuning in, I'm working on a Priscilla Shirer study called Discerning the Voice of God.  Mrs. Shirer is Tony Evans's daughter & man is she good!  This week's chapter was about the voice of the Holy Spirit, his persistence to reach you personally, and the personal convictions He gives.

Here are my thoughts & comments and favorite parts of this week's study.  Remember, some of what I am posting are comments straight from the book which I can't take credit for.  I'll try to make it obvious where the quotes end & my thoughts begin.

1.  Satan's primary job is to prevent you from EVER hearing the voice of God.

2.  God gives you the info you need WHEN you need it.  The author spoke on the video last week about this & used the example of a tour guide.  When you enter a nice museum, a tour guide doesn't meet you at the front door & tell you every detail of all the cool things you'll see throughout the 2 hour walk through the museum & then send you off to go find stuff yourself.  Instead, she walks you through the museum, stopping you here & there throughout to show you artifacts and give you commentary on those items.  As with the tour guide, God doesn't tell us things we don't need to know yet.  I loved this analogy to God's guidance in our lives.

3.  When He speaks to you internally and then causes other events to confirm what He is saying, you should be on the lookout for God's direction.  When God speaks, He does so persistently.

4.  He promises to continue to direct our paths (Prov 3:5-6) and often does so by bombarding us with a thought that will not cease to permeate our thoughts and hearts.  When you are walking with Him, seeking Him, and desiring to receive His direction, He will direct you with consistent persistence.

5.  When He speaks, it's in the language of our own personal lives, through a verse or passage of Scripture that just seems to leap up off the page with our name on it.  -Ann Graham Lotz

6.  Scripture demands specific obedience of all believers on some matters.  Some areas, however, change based on each individual and what the Lord wants to accomplish in her life.  In these instances the Holy Spiritwill "call us by name" giving us detailed directions tailored to our lives. ......... When God requires certain things of us, it's easy for us to assume He must be requiring it from everyone else as well.  We might become legalistic and judgmental, placing other believers in bondage. ........ God has given us a combination of spiritual guidelines and freedom.  Each believer must determine what God would have her do personally.  The Holy Spirit knows your stage of spiritual development and will direct you accordingly.  His job is to instruct you in the way you should go and give you specific details concerning the issues of your life.

7.  James 4:17  To one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.

8.  As God leads us in our journey toward Him, we each follow a different avenue.  The Holy Spirit draws us individual maps to follow.  Others may not choose our road, and they shouldn't if it's not a part of their map.  We shouldn't challenge them regarding their chosen route unless it's an issue of scriptural principle.  We should give others the freedom to enjoy the course they have prayerfully determined to be best for them.

9.  You are accountable to the Lord for what He personally requires of you.

10.  Keeping a fellow believer from stumbling trumps our personal freedoms.

11.  As we seek to hear the Holy Spirit speak through Scripture, we are tuning our spiritual ears to catch the moment when a passage seems to capture our attention in an almost shocking way, a way through which our thoughts are drawn to how the passage applies to a specific situation in our lives.  The Holy Spirit orchestrates these events.  He speaks!

12.  When the Holy Spirit speaks, His words come with such sudden, passionate authority that they will produce a holy amazement in you.  The authority of His message will strike your inner man with such a blow that it will shake loose your old agenda and replace it with His new one.

Let me know if you're enjoying reading these insights/excerpts.  I love to share what I'm reading & learning.

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