Video Bible Lesson - How to Grow in Your Salvation by Lynette Kittle

1/2 Hour of God’s Power with Scott Ralls

7/15/2020

How to Grow in Your Salvation

by Lynette Kittle

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your Salvation”—1 Peter 2:2Many think, once we accept Jesus as our Savior, we’ll just know what is true. However, if we aren’t studying God’s Word and feeding spiritually on His truth, we’re vulnerable to living more by what we feel than what is true, which over time is sure to lead us astray.Too often we don’t realize if we don’t know the Word of God, even when we are believers, we can be led astray. Knowing what Scripture says helps us to discern if what we are hearing and reading is based on God’s truth or on the enemy’s lies.Like 1 Peter 2:2 encourages, when it comes to the Word of God, we want to be like newborn babies who crave pure spiritual milk, so that we may grow up in our Salvation.So what is this pure spiritual milk? Hebrews 5:12 explains how the elementary truths of God’s Word is the milk needed in our live to grow spiritually and mature, so that we can progress to eating solid foods, which are the deeper truths.If we don’t feed on Scripture, 1 Corinthians 3:1 describes what stage of spiritual growth we’ll remain in. “Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ.”So why is it so important to grow spiritually as a Christian? Isn’t it enough to be saved?1 Timothy 4:1, points out the dangers of not growing in our faith. “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”If we don’t grow in our knowledge of God’s Word, we become vulnerable to being deceived and led astray by the evil one. 2 Timothy 4:3, warns of what can happen if we haven’t matured in our faith. “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desire, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”So what can we do to make sure we’re progressing in our spiritual growth? 2 Timothy 2:15 urges us to “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”So many Christians become discouraged, feeling like they can’t even read God’s Word on their own, thinking they don’t have the education or capability to understand it. However, Jesus tells us in John 14:26, we can rely on the Holy Spirit to teach us all things.As well, if we are diligent to read it, we will gain understanding and grow in our Salvation knowing, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrew 4:12).

#Jesus, #Christian, #Bible, #Salvation, #Heaven, #God, #HolySpirit

Triumphant Faith 

Streams in the Desert

 This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith (1 John 5:4).

It is easy to love Him when the blue is in the sky,
When summer winds are blowing, and we smell the roses nigh;
There is little effort needed to obey His precious will
When it leads through flower-decked valley, or over sun-kissed hill. 

It is when the rain is falling, or the mist hangs in the air,
When the road is dark and rugged, and the wind no longer fair,
When the rosy dawn has settled in a shadowland of gray,
That we find it hard to trust Him, and are slower to obey.

It is easy to trust Him when the singing birds have come,
And their canticles are echoed in our heart and in our home;
But 'tis when we miss the music, and the days are dull and drear,
That we need a faith triumphant over every doubt and fear.

And our blessed Lord will give it; what we lack He will supply;
Let us ask in faith believing--on His promises rely;
He will ever be our Leader, whether smooth or rough the way,
And will prove Himself sufficient for the needs of every day.

To trust in spite of the look of being forsaken; to keep crying out into the vast, whence comes no returning voice, and where seems no hearing; to see the machinery of the world pauselessly grinding on as if self-moved, caring for no life, nor shifting a hair-breadth for all entreaty, and yet believe that God is awake and utterly loving; to desire nothing but what comes meant for us from His hand; to wait patiently, ready to die of hunger, fearing only lest faith should fail--such is the victory that overcometh the world, such is faith indeed.
--George MacDonald

The Signs of Drifting.....Dr. Charles Stanley

The Signs of Drifting

Dr. Charles Stanley

Hebrews 2:1-3

Regularly gathering in the house of the Lord with brothers and sisters in Christ provides an "anchor" of support and accountability. But skipping church in order to pursue other interests is an obvious sign that a believer has begun to drift away from God. Less apparent are the men and women who mentally skip the worship service. The act of attending means nothing unless we make a deliberate decision to receive God's Word and apply it to our life. As the writer of Hebrews warned, if we do not pay attention to what we have heard, we will drift away from it (2:1).

However, Sunday morning is not the only time for receiving a steady diet of nourishing principles and encouragement from the Bible. We should be in its pages every day, reading and meditating for ourselves. When our interest in what God has to say decreases, we're already slipping out into troublesome waters. The only way to keep our way pure is by following His Word (Ps. 119:9).

If Bible reading is neglected, a prayer life has usually faded as well. Prayer is the way believers communicate with the Navigator. If we stop talking with Him, the God who once seemed so close soon feels far away. That chasm in our spirit is one more sign that we're far from shore and safety.

I've watched many a captain guide his cruise ship through a narrow channel. The crew members are intensely focused on their tasks because drifting means disaster. Life is full of narrow channels to navigate. We cannot afford to drift away from God and His Word. Only He can bring us safely through.

God Sees Us When We Ugly Cry

God Sees Us When We Ugly Cry
TERESA SWANSTROM ANDERSON

“But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 (NLT) 

As I collapsed onto the cold kitchen floor, I began to cry — ugly cry. I was exhausted.

In what felt like a blink of an eye, I went from a mom of two busy, towheaded toddlers to a mom of four. It had been a few months since a beautiful but malnourished 5-month-old and bighearted 7-year-old came from Ethiopia to join our family. But today, the reality washed over me. I was drowning.

Lord, is this really what we’re supposed to be doing? You’ve got to give me more strength. I held tiny Imani tight to my chest, and my toddlers crawled onto my lap. A few feet away, Ezekiel stared at me with wide eyes, likely thinking that this lady had completely lost her mind.

Then, as tears dropped from my eyes, the Lord whispered a single word to my heart:
firstfruits.

I was bewildered. Firstfruits, Lord? What does that have to do with me?

In the Bible, firstfruits are offerings of the first and best crops to God. He didn’t want His people to give Him what was left over. God wanted the best of the best first.

That’s when I realized I wasn’t giving Him my firstfruits of anything. Instead, He got the leftovers of my time, energy and heart. Sure, I was going to Bible study every week, but if I’m being honest, it was more for the coffee and childcare than my relationship with Him. I was in survival mode; everything I did was sporadic and hurried.

Now, He beckoned me to put Him first. Above everything.

But I couldn’t get up any earlier in the morning. Imani wasn’t even close to sleeping through the night, and I was literally falling asleep at stop signs.

Gently, the Lord nudged me toward another part of my day: naptime. Would I spend the first moments of the kids’ naptime with Him? At first, I pushed back. But this is when I pick up the toys, wash the never-ending dishes, throw a load of laundry in. This is when I do all the things!

Yet even in the midst of my exhaustion, I clung to this hope: God didn’t want me to live burned-out and overwhelmed. He wanted more for me and our relationship. So, even though it felt counterintuitive, I began to offer Him firstfruits.

And you know what? I grew in my relationship with Him … and I still got everything done. More than everything, actually.

We see this principle in today’s key verse, Isaiah 40:31, “But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” 

Moment by moment, Jesus gave me fresh strength and loved me back to life.

I’m not saying I never lost my temper. I can’t promise I never again cried in exhaustion. But life became manageable. I took the joy God was offering. I held onto patience and kindness. I was more loving.

Years later, after a teenage son and another baby daughter joined our family, the Lord asked me to give up my precious naptime moments to instead start waking up hours before my family. I’m not a morning person. I want to snuggle deeper into my covers when my alarm chimes. But each morning I make a conscious decision.

What’s more important … my relationship with my pillow or with my Jesus?

I’d rather pick Jesus every time.

Lord Jesus, You see me when I ugly cry. You understand my exhaustion, my ache. Thank You for whispering that You’re there, and You’ve never left. Help me to learn to put You first. Above everything. Love me back to life, Lord. Because I want You … so much more of You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Romans 8:23, “And there is more; it’s not just creation — all of us are groaning together too. Though we have already tasted the firstfruits of the Spirit, we are longing for the total redemption of our bodies that comes when our adoption as children of God is complete.” (VOICE)

Proverbs 3:9-10, “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” (NIV)

Life Is Beautiful and Brief

Life Is Beautiful and Brief
by Laura MacCorkle

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12, NIV

Beneath my fun-loving exterior is a very analytical person. I love my life, I love spontaneity and I also happen to love trying to figure things out!

But like all good things taken to the extreme, my analyzing can turn obsessive and my focus fixed on that which cannot be explained anyway. It’s like the quote I ran across recently from prolific author Philip Yancey: “Faith is believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.”

How true is that! Even so, I am always trying to make sense of a given situation going forward. Always.

But in light of today’s verse, how sad is that that I am consumed with trying to know what I think I need to know when I think I need to know it. Surely I’m missing out on opportunities to serve the Lord and the rest that is only found in him.

In a recent siutation when I was trying to “make sense” of what was going on, I also listened to a great sermon from Pastor Ray Pritchard of Keep Believing Ministries. And the best take-away nugget was this: “When you need to know, you’ll know.”

How simple! And yet how hard.

Here I am trying to find wisdom in what I can see and what I can figure out, when my life could be freed up by this reminder that God is sovereign and has all things under his control—no matter the circumstance.

Whatever I am trying to figure out today may not matter tomorrow. So why am I not looking to God first and seeking his direction in what matters most in this very moment?

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom,” the psalmist requests of God. And how do we gain a heart of wisdom?

By knowing the mind of Christ. By acknowledging our frailty and our humanity. And by remembering that God is God and we are not.

Earlier in Psalm 90 we read this:

You turn men back to dust ... For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.

And toward the end of the passage, it says:

May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.

The psalmist reminds us that God determines our life span, and he has his own timing and plans for each of our lives. Will we serve him and seek to fear and obey him before we once again turn to dust? Or will we fix our minds on ourselves, on our current circumstances and on trying to live our lives without regard to God’s perfect purposes?

At the end of the day, even if our lives never make sense (even in reverse!), we are called to bend the knee and praise the one who has “brought forth the earth and the world.”

Because of God’s “unfailing love,” life indeed is beautiful. And though it may be brief and sometimes confusing, because of his son our eternity is secure ... causing us to “sing for joy and be glad all our days.”

Intersecting Faith & Life: Knowing that your life is beautiful and brief, have you made yourself available to God for him to work in and through you as you walk by faith? List one reason that causes you to “be glad” today, because of the new life the Father has prepared in advance for you (Eph. 2:1-10).

Further Reading:

Psa. 103:13-18, NIV

Psa. 119:133, NIV

5 Questions to Help You Teach a Bible Passage

5 Questions to Help You Teach a Bible Passage
by Ron Edmondson

Someone asked me recently how I address a Bible passage in order to teach about it. I certainly don’t claim to be an expert, but I do have a system. Of course the process begins and ends with prayer, but God has wired me to think systematically, so I need a format that works for me in writing a sermon message.

When teaching on a specific passage of Scripture, I consider five questions about the Bible text:

1. What does it say? – I usually look at several translations, and depending on the passage, may research the original words if needed. I want to know what the verse or verses says in a way that I can understand it. At this point, I attempt to understand the text within the context it was written… time period… location of writing… people to whom it was written.

2. What does it mean? – I always allow Scripture to interpret Scripture first. I like to use cross references and word searches for specific words or phrases I may not understand or want to explore further. At this stage, I want to understand the passage in the context of the entire Bible.

3. How does it apply it to my life? – Here I’m basically trying to decide how I can apply the truth in the text to the way I live my life… what changes I need to make in my life… how my life should be lived because of the truth in the text. This is where I use commentaries or other writings to help me better understand the text. I want to know how this passage, written so many years ago, has relevance for me today.

4. How does it apply to others? – Now I ask myself, “How can the people listening to this message apply this text to their life?” Although a text has only one true meaning, it can have multiple applications in a person’s life. I try to consider as many of these as possible. I see part of my job communicating as helping listeners connect the passage to their life, the changes that may need to be made, and how to live out the truth of the text in their life. Of course, the real teacher is the Spirit of God, but I also know God uses teachers to help people grasp Biblical principles and apply them.

5. How can I communicate so they will understand and apply it to their life? – The final question is perhaps the hardest step for me, but equally important to the other steps. I want to teach in a way that appeals to different learning styles in the room, captures and holds people’s attention, and engages them in the message enough that they will consider the message even after the message is delivered. The real win for me is not when people enjoy a message as much as when they are willing to make changes in their life to live it.

Now obviously, once you do something many times you start to form habits and so I don’t always think through these questions consciously, but basically this is the process I go through each time I preach. Also, it should be noted (because if I don’t someone will for me) that this entire process should be done in a spirit of prayer. My end goal is that God would use my limited abilities to communicate His truth.

A Prayer for God’s Blessing

A Prayer for God’s BlessingBy Debbie McDaniel

Joseph says in Genesis 50:20, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

God paved the way of freedom for Joseph. Though it wasn't right away, slavery and imprisonment could not keep him contained. For our Lord, in His purposes, had more still in store.

God will not allow any circumstance, or any person, to hold us back from His blessing, favor, and purpose for our lives. We don't have to worry. Because we belong to Him. And we can trust Him with our days. God is Able, He is more than Able, to turn the toughest, darkest times, around for good. He will not waste our pain, but will use the difficulty of what we walk through for greater good, to bring blessing and freedom to others.

His Presence is with us and we can be assured in whatever we face, His plans for us are good.

Dear God,

Thank you for your great love and blessing over our lives. Thank you that your favor has no end, but it lasts for our entire lifetime. Forgive us for sometimes forgetting that you are intimately acquainted with all of our ways, that you know what concerns us, and you cover us as with a shield. We ask that we would walk in your blessing and goodness today. That your face would shine on us. That you would open the right doors for our lives and for our loved ones, that you would close the wrong doors and protect us from those we need to walk away from. Establish the work of our hands and bring to fulfillment all that you have given us to do in these days. We pray that you would make our way purposeful and our footsteps firm out of your goodness and love. Give us a heart of wisdom to hear your voice, and make us strong by your huge favor and grace.

In Jesus' Name,
 Amen.

We are children of the King. He is Sovereign and He reigns Supreme, giving favor, guidance, and blessings to all those who seek after Him.

Resting there today, hope you are too.