Monthly CCIM delivers this topical Bible Study to Indigenous Pastors and Lay Leaders around the world.
“Cyndy, thank you you so much for the word COMPASSION. Am blessed, I have understood what it means, my heart has not remained the same. May the good Lord continue to use you.”
“Greetings, Today we have shared Volume 3, FORGIVENESS. Really God has touched people’s hearts!”
“Thank-you so much for the Volume 1. It’s real Bible Study!”
“May God’s grace give you all the wisdom you need as you take us through the living word. I am happy that the word of God gives me strength. True freedom is essential and profound. Your teaching is indeed reawakening.”
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:16
In Job 9:33 we read, “If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together.”
Job had been talking about the utter lost-ness of his position. That no matter how much he tried, no matter how well he kept the law, no matter how perfect he could manage to live (and he did live an innocent life before God), it didn’t bridge that gap between him and God. We find Job’s heart crying out for a mediator between himself and God.
There are numerous ways that we gauge the person of Christ.
We look at the things of the Spirit and ask things like, “Does this person have an anointing of God?”
What are the fruits of this persons ministry? Are others encouraged and empowered by this person? Is the word of God preached with understanding given by the Holy Spirit?
It is very easy in the church to look only at the anointing of the Spirit, to gauge the maturity of the person. But we perceive that anointing is only one piece of our walk with God and of our new nature in Christ.
When we start off in the Christian life we are concerned with the laws of God, of pleasing him and about what is right and wrong.
As we grow we find that things of God and of our lives are not so obvious as we once believed.
There are a lot of unknowns as we live our lives. And as we mature we find that God speaks to all of us in different ways about various things.
While there are many specifics about a lot of things, there is also a lot of room for a relationship with God that is unique to us.
Living the Christian life is not about formula. It is not about rules or procedures, it is not about right or wrong even. Christianity is about a living relationship with God, with Jesus Christ, and with our Holy Spirit.
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” Romans 10:4
“But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law.” Galatians 5:18
Living the Christian life is about entering into a relationship with God, growing in that relationship, and finding out what our new friend (God) likes or doesn’t like.
The journey with our God is an interesting one.
We quickly learn that God’s timing is not our timing, and that God’s ways are not our ways.
In fact, there are many times when God simply says ‘No’ or ‘Not this way’.
It is at times like this that our motives and heart are tested and tried.
We tend to make Plan A with God. We come up with our best scenario, and then we invite God into it.
But Plan A is usually not the best plan. For the first plan we think of is usually the easiest, and with the least amount of risk.
Much like Gideon in the Old Testament, we want surety and guaranteed success.
It is pressing upon me to today take a look at what the Bible says about women. There is much assumed and categorized when it comes to women. Much that is not in line with the heart of God, and while there is not time or space to look at everything we might discuss about women, we will look at a just a couple of thoughts today.
The Bible begins with the creation of the world, (and as John and Stasi Eldredge brought to our attention in their book, Captivating), we see that creation begins with wide swaths. Like a giant brush painting a large picture, a grand work of art, the first strokes lay out the background and the vistas of creation; light and dark, land and sea and sky.
We are all overwhelmed at one time or another. Life has many dynamics to it, and we are often stretched beyond what we think we can do and beyond who we are.
And this is certainly true in ministry, where others are looking to us for answers and solutions and wisdom. In those times we are vulnerable to discouragement.
But I’ve discovered six principles that have helped to frame the challenges of our days and I want to share them with you.
Today I am sharing about Difficulty, and some of what I have come to find about the Lord through the hard things of our lives.
We all have trouble in this life. Each of us experience things that are simply difficult. In fact the Bible speaks quite a bit to difficulty. Jesus said this:
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
I used to think that God was going to fix all my difficulty. That the overcoming that Christ spoke of was to do with the stuff of this world. That God was simply magic applied to my life. That I could pray and all of a sudden the hard stuff would go away.
About 700 years before Jesus was born, an amazing prophet named Isaiah lived in Israel. God gave Isaiah many prophecies about Jesus.
One of the titles for Jesus appears in Isaiah 42. God said, “Look at my servant – He is my chosen one.” (42:1)
So Jesus is the “chosen servant”. We know Jesus is God, yet the Father chose him to be a servant. What can be more amazing? If God is willing to serve so should we.
It is an honor to be a servant alongside Jesus.
The book of Daniel is rich in wisdom and modeling of how to walk in integrity, how to focus and hold our ground, how to honor others, and most of all, how to advance through the Kingdom of God.
In the first chapter of Daniel we find Daniel holding his ground. He and three of his friends had been among the Israelite captives taken into exile to Babylon.
They were to be served the food from the King’s own table. But we read Daniel’s resolution in Daniel 1:8-15
“But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the King.” Daniel 1:8
Redemption
That place where God comes down and makes everything right
That place where we are redeemed.
In the old Testament we find redemption in the book of Ruth
The story of Naomi and Ruth is a beautiful story. One woman was older and the mother of sons, the other younger and married to one of her sons.
And the sons die, leaving no recourse for the women.