The Word At Work In You Post 11

Over the past few weeks I have been memorizing Psalm 19:7-14. These verses are so full and rich that they can't help but ooze their transforming work into any willing heart.

So, for this WAW Team posting I am going to simply use some color to highlight patterns I have observed as I reveiw them each day..  I've also included a few thoughts from the Expositor's Commentary on some of the words but  have tried to limit the commentary comments this time and just let these inspired words speak for themselves.

These are verses 7-11 from Psalm 19~

 The instructions of the LORD are perfect,
reviving the soul
(Reviving - restores, gives healing to the whole person, assures forgiveness, cleanses and gives life to the godly. It unleashes the promises of God by his gracious redemptive acts) 
The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy,
  making wise the simple.
(trustworthy -true in principle and verifiable in the situations of life)
The commandments of the LORD are right,
bringing joy to the heart.
(right- straightforward and just),
The commands of the LORD are clear,
giving insight for living.
(In the same way the sun lights the earth, the Word lights & gives clarity to our path)
Reverence for the LORD is pure,
lasting forever.
The laws of the LORD are true;
each one is fair.

(Every time I get to this point in these verses, this verse comes to mind..."Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Philippians 4:8 (NIV) )
 But back to the verse at hand....

They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold.

They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.

(The Word of God, in its revelatory qualities and its transforming effects in the godly, is of greater value than the most valuable objects of man's striving: money (gold) or fine food (honey from the comb) Expositor's Bible Commentary)

They are a warning to your servant,
(forewarning the one willing to do God's bidding of possible pitfalls)

 a great reward for those who obey them.
 (a great reward because the Word guides one on to the rewards of godliness: life, God-given joy, wisdom, and contentment)

So the Word of God, His instruction, decrees, commandments, commands and laws are:

perfect
trustworthy
right
clear
pure
true
more desirable than gold
and sweeter than honey.  
A warning to servants
and a great reward indeed.  

They

revive the soul
make wise the simple
bring joy to the heart
give insight for living
are eternal
and each one is fair

Anybody else out there want a little more of that in your life?


How has the Word been at work in you? Share a verse and something the Lord is speaking to you through it.  Doesn't have to be fancy....just something short and simple.

(Comments in green  from the Expositor's Bible Commentary)

WAW Team Post 7

Hi there WAW Team, 

Did ya'll enjoy that last post by Tracey on Good Friday?  Wow that was moving and I was just sorry that I was out of town and unable to post a comment on that day.

This week I wanted to reiterate a good point made by Sheila Alewine in a previous WAW Team posting.

Sheila said, "One thing I am working on and enjoying is learning how to pull out the "structure" in a book (she was referring to the book of Colossians), so that I have a place to "hang" all of the rich fruit I find as I dig deeper. On a practical note, I do this by summarizing each "clump" of verses - where I find natural breaks. Then I go back and try to understand how those "clumps" of verses relate to one another - to see transitions, etc. By doing this, you get a better grasp of the overall meaning the author wants to convey.

If you missed her comment you can find it here: http://theordinaryreflectingtheextraordinary.blogspot.com/2012/03/waw-team-post-5.html  (in the comment section at the bottom of the post)

I found this tip to be very helpful recently as I was studying Chapter 3 of James. The first half of the chapter is all about taming the tongue. I know, I know, its this kind of chapter we can just hardly wait to sink our teeth into right?....Because who won’t find herself squirming a little as she studies a chapter about taming the tongue?!?!

When I first read through James 3:1-12, verse 1 seemed a little out of place with the following 11. Verse 1 says "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly" Then the next 11 verses talk about the tongue.

What’s the connection?

So I decided to divide up these 12 verses in their natural breaks and summarize each cluster. This is what I came up with this:

vs. 1-2  responsibility of teachers
vs. 3-6  influence of the tongue
vs. 7-12 perversity of the tongue

Then when I glanced back over it, it became blatantly clear what the connection was.

What member of their body would a teacher use most to teach? (Not counting a charade's teacher)

Their tongue!

Since the tongue is by far the hardest of our members to tame and even untamable without the help of the Holy Spirit, teachers have a tremendous responsibility to be watchful over what kind of influence they exert with their tongues AND (and this is an "and" that is worth pausing over), "will face a stricter judgement."

Why? Because they are in a place of influence and must guard against ever wielding that influence in any way that would dishonor God. So they must learn to willingly and continuously submit their tongues to God over and over again and not succumb to the many temptations to misuse it.

A tongue can boast, lie and steal God’s glory.

It can devastate, destroy, deceive, and sway multitudes in the wrong direction. A tongue can turn a sister against a sister, a neighbor against a neighbor and even nations against one another.

Like a tiny spark that in turn burns a whole forest down a tongue can issue miles of destruction and the teacher who misuses their influence and their tongue for self-seeking personal revenge, gain, or any other ungodly thing will not slip under the radar of God's watchful eyes.

Sobering, weighty, but not hopeless.

Not for the teacher or even just the ordinary joe who will not be held to the same stricter judgment as a teacher, but still has to keep his tongue in check.

If left to ourselves who could stand? Without Christ, who could stand?

But He gives greater grace. (James 4:6)

Praise Him that He gives greater grace!

The tongue, which cannot be tamed by man, can be tamed by God. Nothing is impossible for Him. So our part, teacher or not, is to submit our tongues to Him, resist the devil and his taunts to misuse our tongues and humble ourselves before the Lord acknowledging that without Him we are hopeless but because of Him we have great hope!

Whew! This Word needs to be at Work in me  24/7.  Anybody else feel that way?


In closing,  if you are having trouble understanding how a passage of Scripture fits together or what the overall meaning is try dividing it up into its natural clumps then summarize what each clump is about then stand back and ask God to show you the connections.

How about you? What has the Word at Work in you been teaching you this week?
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

The WAW Team Post 6

by Tracey McMahan


It was a day like no other.  The King of kings stood before the governor of the land.  Pilate asked, “Are You a king?”  And Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king.  For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

Then Pilate asked a question that has reverberated down through the centuries like a gong that still echoes, “What is truth?”

At this point in the story, do you, like me, want to grab Pilate by the shoulders, shake him soundly, and shout, “What is wrong with you? You are staring into the very face of truth! Truth stands before you, truth incarnate! Open your eyes and see the One who is the very definition of truth!”

But sadly, Pilate wasn’t really seeking an answer to his immensely profound question, was he? If he had been, he never would have asked it in the first place, for Jesus had just answered that very question: “It is I who testifies to the truth.”

Let’s pause a moment on this day of remembrance, this Good Friday. Let’s take a step back and ask one another a slightly different question. “How would you have answered Pilate’s question, a question many still ask today – What is truth?”

The Greek word for truth, aletheia, is full and rich. It takes into account the reality of what clearly lies before our eyes as opposed to the mere appearance of something not grounded in reality. It is something pure, free from all error or falsehood. It is sincere holiness and divine doctrine, standing in stark contrast to all that is unrighteous, wrong and counterfeit.

According to Jesus, the word of God is truth, and He prayed to the Father that His followers would be sanctified (made pure and holy) by the perfect and divine word of truth (John 17:17).

The Holy Spirit is truth, and Jesus promised that the Helper would abide with us and be in us forever (John 14:16-17). The Spirit came to guide us into all truth, taking the wisdom of Jesus and disclosing it to all who trust in Him (John 16:13).

Jesus Himself is truth and the only way to God the Father (John 14:6). The truth found in Christ manifests itself in the lives of believers, allowing a transformation to take place as our old nature is replaced by a new nature of true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:21-24).

Now return with me to the day we began with.  Truth stood before a man blinded by fear, lies and disbelief.  In a few short hours, Pilate would condemn Truth to death, and Satan would sing. But the enemy’s supposed victory would be short-lived indeed. For Truth would be gloriously resurrected. He would take up permanent residence not only in heaven at the right hand of the Father of Truth, but also in the hearts, minds, spirits and souls of those who seek Him, who desire to walk in His ways, and who recognize their desperate need of rescue and restoration.

On that Good Friday two thousand years ago, Truth was nailed to a cross and left to die.

But on the first Easter morning, Truth rolled back the massive stone and came forth a Conqueror. From that day forward you and I, together with all the saints who have gone before, can answer once and for all Pilate’s question of questions, “What is truth?”

Shout out the answer with me, dear friend! Truth – His name is Jesus. And He is alive forever more!

What has the Truth spoken in your life recently?

The WAW Team Post 5

I heard on the radio this morning that the newest version of the iPad has just been released-- I didn't catch whether it was version 3 or 4 but all I know is I am now that many versions behind. Even though I’ve been slow to take the plunge I know a day is coming when I will cave to the iPad craze. For now the thought of figuring out the newest technological trend keeps my fingers tightly fastened to the familiar keyboard of my lap top.

But what if you bought your first iPad today and were given the rare opportunity to sit down with the person who inspired and designed it and have him explain to you exactly how it works? He could show you all the things it were capable of doing, how to get the most effective use out of it and how it can really change your life for the better. What if he sweetened the deal even more and said he knew all about your specific needs and therefore could combine his expertise of the ipad and his knowledge of you and tailor it so precisely that your life could not help but be changed by it.

Would you be in?

Or would you prefer to muddle through the blinding encyclopedia of instructions all typed in 6 font Latin-like words and try to figure it out on your own?

When we jump into the Word of God and skip asking Him to be our teacher - to show us exactly what the Word means and how He wants us to apply it- we give up the highest, most privileged advantage to understand what He wants to communicate to us. Why would we not want the Author of the Word and the Creator of us to be the explainer of each:)

So always begin your study of the Word by asking Him to be your teacher! That’s my first tip for any of you who may be new at studying the Bible or those of you who may be like me and sometimes rush into things out of order.

My second tip has to do with keywords.

Keywords are important because they unlock main themes in a verse or passage. A key word will sometimes be repeated in a verse so if you see some repetition, take notice of it.

For example, check out this verse:

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NIV)

(BTW - this is the theme verse for the WAW Team - word at work in you.)

One of the key things that jumps out at me right away is the word "word" and the contrast between the word of men and the word of God.

A person’s word is often powerless and frequently fails.

But God’s Word....It is never powerless and never fails.

In fact when I looked up "word" in my keyword Bible I found that it is the same Greek word (logos) that John uses when he says "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1)

Gen. 1:3-31 tells us by His word God spoke the world into existence.

So this "Word" is powerful, active, life giving, life changing and when we accept it, 1 Thessalonians 2:13 goes on to tell us this active, powerful, life giving life force is at work in we who believe.

Isa. 44:23; 55:11 tells us God’s "word" has power to execute His will. It will not return to Him empty but accomplish that which He purposes.

Matt. 13:19 tells us the word bears fruit for God when planted in the good soil of receptive hearts.

And my Expositor's Bible Commentary said, "Once received, this Word of God becomes an active power operating continually in the believer's life. When it is at work in those "who believe," there is a change in behavior and constant fruitfulness."

Wow.  That’s a lot of good stuff that the Word can work in those of us who believe and will open ourselves to it.

If the Word can do all that within me I want to do my part to make sure I am reading it, praying it, meditating on it, memorizing it, studying it, sharing it and doing all I can to get my self in the right posture for the active Word of God to do the work that only it can execute in my life.

Because when the Word does its Work there is nothing quite like it and you will find yourself hungering for more and more.

How about you. How is the Word at Work in your life today?

Come To The Table - WAW Team Post 4

To learn more info about the The WAW (Word at Work in you)Team and how to participate click here .

by Sheila Alewine

Each Sunday morning I arrive early to BCC (usually by 7:30 am), in anticipation of our Precept Bible Study.  I have always been a morning person, so getting there early to set up the room and make coffee before my sweet brothers and sisters arrive is really no chore for me.  I like to get there early enough so I have a few minutes of quiet; it's a good time to regroup my thoughts about what we studied the previous week and what we'll be discussing.  It's also a great time to invite God's presence into our class.

A thought occurred to me this week as I was setting up tables, and immediately I knew that it was to be the topic of this post.  My role as a Bible study "leader", "teacher" or "facilitator" (whatever label you want to put on me) is really just that ... to "set the table".  I have done the preparation; I've answered the questions, looked up the scripture, done some word studies, and invariably gone down a few rabbit trails of cross references, as my curiosity usually takes me.  And when the class assembles, I am ready to share what God might have spoken into my heart through the week.  But all in all, I just create the opportunity - if those attending did not also dig into God's Word on their own they wouldn't really benefit from all my study - they would just get a taste from the overflow.  And I would also miss the overflow of their study!

Have you ever found a new recipe, shopped for the ingredients, and prepared the dish, only to have your children (or husband J) sweetly decline what you prepared for them?  Come to find out, they've filled themselves up with Doritos and aren't interested!  We can cajole, and tempt, and even threaten, but if they are truly not hungry, (or maybe they just aren't willing to try something new) it won't do any good.  They simply won't partake. And the worst insult - when they turn down that dish you've spent so much effort to produce, and request instead the Kraft mac-n-cheese or "Dinosaur Chicken Tenders"!

I have to wonder, do I ever do that to God?  His Word is absolutely filled with delectable, interesting, tantalizing storehouses of wisdom and knowledge.  Yet am I satisfied with the out-of-the box?  A devotional...a fill-in-the-blank ...a great message from the pastor (all good things, but "pre-processed" for us).  I have found such incredible satisfaction in exploring God's Word for myself, making it the one thing I cannot live without.  As I eat and drink more and more from His Word, I find myself less and less enamored with this world.  The newspaper holds less interest for me.  Well-written fictional books might be an entertaining diversion now and then, and great Christian authors do have things to say that encourage me ... but my God has set before me a feast - why would I try to live this Christ-life on a snack?

I've learned, too, that ALL of God's Word is worth studying.  We just finished Zechariah - pure prophecy; and about a year ago, we tackled the book of Jeremiah (52 chapters of well...kind of depressing text!) You might say, "What in the world can I learn from flying scrolls and baskets and horses and dreams and visions?" But oh! How much we learned about the character of God. 

Here's a tip that is helpful no matter what book of the Bible you are in.  Keep a running list of all the things you observe in the text about God - who He is, how He acts, why He responds the way He does, what He loves or hates or expects of us, when He is moved to action.  Here are just a few of the things we learned about God from Zechariah.  Trudy would faint if I sent her the whole list to post! :) (Note from Trudy....No I wouldn't....I love the list and would gladly read it all...I'm learning lots just from reading it :) 

• God's Word always comes true.
• God is aware of what goes on in this world; He sends His angels to patrol the earth (cool thought!!)
• God answers our questions with grace and compassion
• God doesn't like humans interfering in His dealings with those who belong to Him.
• God has compassion for those who have suffered His discipline and correction.
• God is very protective and defensive over those who belong to Him.
• God defends those He has chosen; He rebukes satan our accuser
• God rewards our obedience with the privilege of serving Him
• God sends His Spirit to accomplish what He calls us to do
• God's eyes run to and fro through the whole earth - God sees! El Roi!
• God cannot be deceived by outward appearances of piety and spiritual disciplines - He knows what is in our heart.
• God has expectations of how we treat others - to be kind, compassionate and fair; He specifically instructs not to devise evil or oppress others; He hates lying.
• God gets jealous - wrathfully so - for those He loves and chooses.
• God turns curses into blessings, harm into good.
• God accomplishes what He purposes to do
• God restores out of His compassion
• God's Spirit of grace and supplication leads us to repentance
• God's supply of forgiveness is a fountain
• God will refine His people
• God will one day rule over all the earth as the recognized king-the ONLY king!

Does God ever speak something to your heart, and you're not quite sure you heard Him?  So He repeats it.  As I pondered the idea that God "sets the table" before us, and if that was what He really wanted me to put down on paper to share with you, I "happened" to ask Sue Gray to close our class in prayer.  And one of the first things that came out of her mouth was, "God, thank you that you invite us to come to the table."  She prayed in reference to the communion service we were getting ready to participate in, but God so confirmed in my heart that this is what Bible study is ... communion with Him.  And every day, He invites us to come and feast.  And sadly, so many days, we settle for a "snack".

The fact that you are following this blog is a good indication that Bible study is important to you, that you value His Word.  I encourage you, whatever method of Bible study you use, make it the one thing you simply cannot live without.  Let everything else go that our culture tells you is so important.  It's not worth the sacrifice.  Many people say to me, "I just don't have time for in-depth study."  Sisters, we don't have time NOT to study scripture! 

If we desire to be free in Christ, if we really want to experience His presence, His joy, His peace ... we must obsess ourselves ...saturate ourselves...with the Word of God.  It is truly the only thing that will nourish our spiritual life.  We simply cannot live without it.

Stop snacking.  A feast awaits you.  Come to the table!

I love you ladies.

Sheila

(Maybe some of you have not heard of the Precepts class that Sheila leads.  It meets Sunday mornings before 1st Worship and is an excellent place to learn how to delve more deepy into the Word. The next session begins April 1st and the study will be on the Gospel of John.  If you are interested talk to Sheila for more details)

Okay Waw Team....lets hear how the Word has been at work in you recently.  Click "comment(s)" and share away!

To see previous WAW Team postings click
WAW Team Post 1
WAW Team Post 2
WAW Team Post 3

WAW Team (Word at Work in us) Post 3

by Tracey McMahan

On January 15th, Pastor Todd started us on a journey of 40 Days of Transformation. It’s been a journey of challenges, conviction, blessing, and change. I guess that pretty much sums up what transformation has looked like for me.

Day 18 found us reading Luke 10:25-28. This passage holds a particular word that has been at work in me.

And a lawyer stood up and put [Jesus] to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?" And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." And He said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this and you will live."

Previously, when I’ve read these verses, I’ve continued on to the well-loved story of the good Samaritan. But on that day I couldn’t get past verse 28. It arrested me. It stopped me in my tracks. And it piqued my curiosity: "Do this and you will live."

What could Jesus have possibly meant when He used the word "live" in this way? Webster’s online dictionary offered 9 definitions for the word live. The first was very simplistic: to be alive. Surely Jesus meant more than merely "one who drew breath and had a heartbeat."

Definition number 8 was a bit more intriguing: to have a life rich in experience. I wondered, was that definition more in line with what Jesus meant?

The Amplified Bible read this way: "Do this and you will enjoy active, blessed, endless life in the kingdom of God." Ah, I was getting closer.

Digging a little deeper I discovered treasure buried in the original Greek word zao. In the context of this verse live means not only to have eternal life, but also to be admitted to the bliss and privileges of the Redeemer’s kingdom.

Putting it all together, I now read that if I will but love my great Lord and God with everything I’m about – my heart, my soul, my strength and my mind – and if I will extend this same depth of love to everyone around me, I will have a richness of life that is active, blessed and endless, eternal, blissful and privileged not only here on earth, but forever in the kingdom of my God and my Redeemer.

Now that’s a WAW, would you agree?

WAW Team (Word At Work in us) Post 2

Sometimes to really get at what a verse is saying I like to make a list. 

But first I ask the Lord to show me what He wants me to see and learn from His Word. 

After all, since He authored it, there is no better insight than *His* on what it says, what it means and what it means to me.

I've been spending a lot of time in the book of James lately in preparation for the upcoming women's Bible Study.   All I can say is James will mess with ya!  Ya'll need to sign up for it then we can all get "messed with" and "adjusted"at the same time.

Yep, it is definitely calling for some adjustments in my life. 

This week I've been reveling in James 1:25 and decided to make a list out of the verse to better understand it.

But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.   James 1:25 (NASB)

If I were the kind of person who gives her lists titles (which I'm usually not) my list could be entitled...

"How to Be Blessed in What You Do"

(By the way this does not contradict that neat song we sing about "we don't want blessings we want you".... I get what that song is saying but I also know the two are very intertwined.  When we have Christ we have more blessing than we can ever imagine)

But back to my hypothetical title for my real list...

"How to Be Blessed in What You Do"

(Each point comes directly from the verse.)

1. Look intently in God’s perfect revealed truth. My keyword said that the word "Look" describes a person who stoops over Scripture and looks intently for its message. The Greek word denotes penetrating absorption. This person isn’t just taking a hasty glance at the Word on her way to brush her teeth. She is taking the time to search intently.

2. Abide in God’s perfect truth.  Keyword for "abides" - continues, remains, tarries, perseveres, stays near. Kinda like the blessed man of Psalm 1 who meditates in God's law day and night. So its not a one time dig in the Word it is a continuous daily "tarrying" and a persevering to "stay near" to the Word.

3. Doesn’t forget what he has heard. (#4 will explain why)

4. D.o.e.s. it - puts truth into action - I am convinced that being doers of the Word and not just hearers is what keeps you on track with #3. Otherwise its just too easy to walk away and forget what you have just heard. Acting on truth solidifies it in you and then a bonus is as you obey it you begin to understand it even more. (Told you James will mess with ya)

So there you have it.

But one who looks (stoops over Scripture) intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides (continues, tarries, stays near, perseveres) by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed (happy, fortunate, supremely blessed) in what he does.   James 1:25 (NASB)

Want to be on the receiving end of God’s favor today?

Want to be supremely blest, happy, fortunate? (keyword description for ‘blessed').

Then look intently into God’s Word.

And not just once, designate time every day to continue looking/abiding in the Word.

And when you close your Bible, go out and do what it says...putting what you just learned into practice and then...girlfriend...brace yourself for some blessing....

Because according to James 1:25 "you will be blessed in what you do."

That's the Word at work in me this week.  How bout you?

WAW Team (Word At Work in us)

Hey WAW Team! This is our first post and I am excited to get this started and hear what everyone is learning from the Word this week. I must confess,  I have more to share than I intended this time so I’m going to hop right in without delay. If you are not sure what this is all about please read the post right before this one entitled: "A New Year and A New Challenge for the Blog Community" and it will explain.

Here’s what I’ve been studying this week....

James 1:5-8 (NIV)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

I have included vs.5 for context but the verses I want to zero in on are James 1:6-8. When I read these verses, the repetition of words like "doubt" and "double-minded" and how that is contrasted with "belief" stick out to me so I look them up. I have a keyword study Bible and "doubt" is underlined and referenced in this verse so this makes it easy to look up in Strong’s Greek Dictionary which is in the back of my Keyword Bible. (If anybody wants more details about any of these references, let me know)

The definition for the word "doubt" (Diakrino) is "To be in strife with oneself, to doubt, hesitate or waver."

So the one who doubts is in strife with himself probably because he is divided in his mind about what he believes. Maybe he is wavering between two belief systems. One minute he believes one thing and the next he believes the other and instead of being single minded and focused he is divided and ragged.

After looking up "doubt" I plug these words back in the verse and read it again hearing all the more strongly James’ warning not to be a doubter.

I have to tell you, before digging a little deeper, this verse troubled me because I know their have been times in my faith journey when I have dealt with doubt. I have experienced my own inadequacy to believe whole-heartedly even though I’ve wanted to. It’s not that I don’t think my Father can do anything He chooses, its just that I sense my weakness to believe sometimes. I have often found myself repeating the same words of the man in Mark 9:24 who, when confronted with a crisis of belief, prayed, "Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief" If what James is saying in this verse is that your faith has to be perfect in order to receive wisdom from God, then I am doomed.

But that’s not what he is saying. And I hope if you’ve ever felt discouraged over a lack of faith that you will begin to see, as I have, that there is a huge difference between the man in Mark 9 and the one in James 1:6-8. The man in Mark 9 desires to believe. He is not flipping back and forth like the double minded man in James 1:8. His heart is set in the direction of belief, but knowing he is prone to weakness and unbelief, he asks the Lord to help him overcome his unbelief and the Lord honors that request

The man in James is flat out "double-minded. His loyalty is divided between God and the world and he is not firmly set in either direction. He doesn’t ask for help to believe because he’s flipping back and forth between belief systems undecided which way to go. James uses the picture of the sea to explain what he is like. If you picture a wave, "blown and tossed by the wind" there is no stability or consistency in it. Likewise this man wavers back and forth between believing God and His wisdom and believing the wisdom of the world. When he asks God for wisdom, he does not ask expecting an answer; nor does he pre-determine in his heart that He will do whatever God tells him. Instead he asks with the intention of just lining God’s answer up beside his other worldly options and then choosing the one that he likes best for his current situation. That’s why verses 7-8 issue such a hard word. James says not only should he not expect to receive anything from the Lord while in this posture of fluctuation but also "he is unstable in all he does" inferring that the instability probably shows up in all areas of his life including his work, his relationships, his social life as well as his spiritual life.

Whenever I study a verse I always ask God to speak to me directly through it and help me apply it to my own life. These verses are full of all kinds of lessons but a few of the lessons/applications I gleaned are below.

1. Being double-minded is destructive and counterproductive. It not only causes instability, it negates effectiveness and blocks me from receiving from the Lord.
2. Is there anything that is competing with my loyalty/single-mindedness towards God and causing double-mindedness in my life that needs to be addressed?
3. When I ask Him for wisdom, do I look expectantly for an answer and am I prepared to act on what He says even if its not the answer I want?
4 In Mark 9, even though the man felt his belief was not perfect, Christ responded to his request to deliver his son. This tells me that God is still willing to give wisdom and enable me to persevere through bouts of unbelief when my heart is set in His direction only.

Now normally I would stop here. And this is way more than I expect you to share in your comments, but if you happen to be doing the 40 Days of Transformation Study I wanted to point out something from it that goes right along with this lesson in James.  (If you are not doing the 40 days feel free to skip this and leave your comment )

In day 1, we were asked to read Luke 1:1-38. Here the Angel Gabriel is announcing the coming births of John to Zechariah and Jesus to Mary. After his announcement the two seem to have a similar reaction. Here's what they each said...

18 "How can I know this?" Zechariah asked the angel. "For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years."

34 Mary asked the angel, "How can this be, since I have not been intimate with a man?"

BUT...what the Scripture reveals a few verses down is that one of them believed while the other doubted. Check it out

Zechariah - vs.19 The angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news.
vs.20 Now listen! You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time."

 Mary - vs. 45- She who has believed is blessed because what was spoken to her by the Lord will be fulfilled!

So there is an example of one who asked and believed  and another who asked and doubted. (By the way, I don’t think Zechariah was double-minded but he and Elizabeth had probably prayed for a child for a very long time. So maybe part of the reason he gets such a harsh reply from Gabriel is that he should have been expecting an answer. Another reason might have to do with  the details surrounding where he was and what he was doing when the answer came (see verses 8-12) and how he STILL doubted.  Oh how I wish I could say I have never done that before (doubted when God had so clearly and intimately spoken to me) but I am so grateful that we have a merciful God that doesn't just discipline us but also restores us like He did Zechariah.

Well, I can hardly pull myself away because there is so much more to learn here but I have bended your ear for way too long and now its time for you to bend mine.   I am greatly looking forward to what you have to say.  Just press "comment" then the blue arrow in the drop down box next to "comment as" and then choose an id (you can pick "name" if you don't have an id and then type in your name) fill in the comment box then press publish.

Thanks for being part of this journey!

A New Year & A New Challenge for the Blog Community!

posted by Trudy 

Hey there Blog Sisters!

In 2011, some of us took a very thrilling journey to memorize Scripture together. We called ourselves the Ms. Team (Ms. stood for Memorizing Scripture) and headed down a road that was life changing. In fact, I am so taken by how memorizing God’s Word has changed my life and thought process that I have no intentions of slowing down in 2012. I encourage you to keep plowing ahead too in whatever manner that causes you to memorize and retain God’s Word best. If you are a multi-sensory learner I highly recommend a site that has made the journey so do-able to me. You can find it here:
http://scripturetyper.com/

But the fresh start of the New Year calls for a fresh challenge, so, several months ago I began to ask the Lord what else we could do on this blog to continue spurring each other on to knowing Him better. He began to open up a direction through my own time with Him and through some conversations with some of you.  So below is the result.

I’m going to call it the "WAW Team" Just think of the word "Wow" and add a hint of southern accent and you will have "Waw". (Hear that in 2 syllables). The WAW acronym stands for Word At Work in us. (It’s just that I didn’t include the ‘in us’ part in the acronym.)

Here’s how it will work.

Twice a month, the 1^st and 3^rd Fridays of each month, for the duration of 2012, you will find a post on the blog entitled Waw Team.  It will be a Scripture verse that has spoken to me or one of the co-writers in our own quiet times. Along with the verse we might share what we found when we looked up one key word in that verse and how that really opened up that verse for us. We also might share 2 or 3 lines about how God spoke to us through that verse and how He helped us apply it to a current situation. Then in the comment section we want you (the Waw Team) to share a verse that has spoken to you in your own quiet time. And if you can, share a word that you looked up that really expanded the meaning of the verse for you or something that God spoke to you as you contemplated that verse.

Let me show you an example of what I mean. The below is from Metta Redding.

This is Metta

She is a new member of the ladies ministry team and also was on the Ms Team last year. Right about the time that I was praying about this idea she posted this verse that she was memorizing and wrote this comment. I was really taken by it because without her knowing it, this was exactly what I was thinking of doing this year. I asked her if I could show it to you. Bear in mind that when she wrote this, she had no inkling that it would be shared like this but she graciously agreed to let me use it for an example.

Here is the verse she was memorizing and the comment she posted.

"Your steadfast love is before my eyes and I walk in your faithfulness." Psalm 26:3
His love is what I have been lead to this week.
Word study on steadfast - I found: fixed in our direction, firm in purpose, fixed or unchanging, firmly loyal, constant, unswerving, abiding, and devoted.

And there you have it. That simple. Nothing long or complex. Just a line or two about a verse or a key word you picked out of it to explore. If you take those different words that she found when she looked up "steadfast" and replace "steadfast" with them and read it through again, you will begin to see how looking up one simple key word can really open up the meaning of a verse.

A simple exercise with profound results.

For some of you this is going to be ‘old hat’ and I so hope you will jump on here and post what you are learning so the rest of us can watch how you do it and learn. You may never know how your posting will help someone else learn some simple steps of how to study Scripture. Maybe someone out there just needs to see some examples of what to do in order to get them started.

Others of you might feel intensely intimidated by this. Please don’t. Maybe you have no idea where to start. I encourage you to join the team then watch what others post for a few rounds, ask whatever questions you have, then hop on here and try it out. Learn as you go. This isn’t about showing off, this is about sharpening each other in the Word. As we do this together I am convinced we are going to learn so much from one another about how to dig a little deeper in Scripture.

In fact, a perfect place to start is to use the Scripture you are studying daily during the 40 days of transformation. Or maybe you plan to be a part of a Ladies Bible Study starting up in February, you can share what you've learned through a Scripture verse in one of those studies. You certainly are not limited to these, but they are a great starting place.

Okay so here’s a recap:

Look for the WAW Team post on the 1^st and 3^rd Fridays of each month. Post at least once a month but you are welcome to post both times

At the bottom of the post press comment and type in any verse that you are studying.

Pick out a key word in the verse and look it up either in a Key Word Bible, Bible Dictionary, Concordance (like Strong’s) or any kind of a word study resource (you can find some free resources online) and then share the meaning of the word and how that opened up the verse for you.

If you want you can also share a line or two about either how God has spoken to you through that verse and/or how He’s helped you to apply it.

Like the Ms. Team, the Waw Team will last for one year (2012) (I don’t know about you, but its sometimes easier for me to commit to things with a clear start and end time.)

　

Are you in? Ready to see the Word At Work in you during 2012 and share it with some girlfriends so they can benefit too? If you’ve never done anything in a group before, this is the perfect time to join in. Because iron sharpens iron, we are at our sharpest when we help each other.

Would you email me or post right here and let me know if you would like to be a part of this?  Then, if you'd like a reminder twice a month when the post goes up you can do one of two things. Email me and ask to be on the reminder list or sign up as a follower of the blog and you should automatically be notified when a new entry is posted. To become a follower look for the word "follower" to the right of this post and then click the button that says "join this site" under it.  If you have trouble with that contact me (Trudy, either by email or by leaving a comment here)

We would be so delighted to have you be a part of this 2012 team!