Tag: SOAP

Posted in Advent, Advent, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, The Promised Messiah

Son of David or of God?

Posted on by

 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

They replied, “He is the son of David.”

Matthew 22:42

We know and celebrate Jesus as the Son of God, but in today’s reference, and many other places in the Bible, Jesus is referred to as the “son of David.” Jesus even says of Himself, “I am the root and the descendant of David …” in Revelation 22:16, identifying Himself as both the creator (root) of David and David’s descendant. Only Jesus can claim both titles because He alone is the true and living Son of God come down to earth in the flesh – just as God promised David through the prophet Samuel.

The title “Son of David” is more than a statement of physical genealogy. It is a Messianic title. When people referred to Jesus as the Son of David, they meant that He was the long-awaited Deliverer, the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies.

gotquestions.org

Our traditional Christmas celebrations are centered around the nativity. We talk of Mary and Joseph and others like Elizabeth and Zechariah or Anna and Simeon who are all part of the narrative. We sing of the baby in a manger, of shepherds and the angels on the night of His birth, and of the wise men who visited him from the East, and these are all good and true parts of the story worthy of rejoicing in. However, in recent years, I have grown to love this season of Advent – the time leading up to the celebration, a time when we look forward to the nativity by remembering God’s promise of a Messiah to His people and, ultimately, the world. It is a time of hope, peace, joy, and love coming down to earth in the flesh, Jesus – the Light and Savior of the world. Advent is a time of remembering that while Jesus is fully God, He is also the promised Messiah, the “son of David.” Combining the history of this long-awaited Messiah with the sweet baby boy in the manger has helped me more fully appreciate and celebrate Christmas for who and what it’s really about. The twinkling lights, the music, the presents, and childlike wonder are always going to tug at my heart of nostalgia and childlike delight – but the Advent will forever move me in awe and wonder of God’s love and fulfilled promise the Messiah – Immanuel – God with us!

May we press on faithfully in the observance of Advent and draw near with hearts of worship and wonder worthy of our God and Savior.

Going further

Be sure and check out today’s blog post by the LGG Team

Reflections on the journey

Who do you say Jesus is?

Posted in Advent, Advent, From the Insideout, He Sees He Knows He Cares, LGG Study, The Promised Messiah

Messengers

Posted on by
Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-3; Malachi 3:1; Mark 1:1-13 / SOAP: Mark 1:1-2

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,

“Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way,

Mark 1:1-2

We may not always know or specifically see what the next trial or blessing will be but we can rest assured that they are coming and that God is preparing us for them along the way. We must also remember that Christ has called us, much like God did John – to “prepare the way” for more disciples. Consider Christ’s words to the disciples in Matthew 28:19, when He commissioned them to go into all the world and share the message about/from Christ, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. We are the commissioned messengers of today. For more insight on what this means read today’s devotional from the LGG Team –

Prayer of Response

Father, thank You that you are a God of purpose – interactively involved in our life. Thank You for going ahead of us and preparing the way and for using us to prepare the way for others. Help us to be faithful to the call upon our lives. Tn Jesus’ Name Amen!

Reflections on the Journey

God is always preparing us for what He has for us – whether that be trials, blessing, or meeting Jesus for the first time. How is God working in you today to prepare you for what is to come?

Posted in Advent, Advent, Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Promised Messiah

The Hope of Israel

Posted on by
Scripture: Isaiah 9:1-7 / SOAP: Isaiah 9:6-7

For a child has been born to us,
a son has been given to us.
He shoulders responsibility and is called
Wonderful Adviser, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

His dominion will be vast, and he will bring immeasurable prosperity.
He will rule on David’s throne and over David’s kingdom, establishing it and strengthening it by promoting justice and fairness, from this time forward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9:6-7

In our larger passage, verses two through five are a message from the prophet Isaiah that tells of a time when God will send light back to Israel. War will cease and Israel’s enemies will no longer rule over them. Verses six and seven tell us how that will happen.

Oh the beauty of a promise kept and of hope given. Through God’s Word we have seen the child, the son that Isaiah spoke of, born to a virgin who called His name Emmanuel. We have seen Him on a cross bearing the weight of sins that belonged to the world. We have watched as God let Him die and listened as He cried in agony, “My God, My God – why have You forsaken Me?” We’ve peered into the tomb with Mary and the others to see the grave clothes but no body and then watched as He later ascended into heaven. Perhaps we’ve even doubted with Thomas but then realized the reality of His presence and cried out as Thomas did, “My Lord, and my God!” By faith we now believe that He sits at the right hand of God’s throne interceding on our behalf. And by faith we believe and wait with great anticipation for His promised return. Yes, oh yes! There is beauty in a promise kept and that beauty comes in the hope, peace, and strength that come from knowing Him .

Feel free to share your thoughts (observations, application …) about today’s passage – in the comment section
Reflections on Today’s Journey
  • Who is Jesus to you?
  • Why is He such an important person?
  • Why do so many people still follow Him?
Going Further

For more insight on today’s reading be sure and ready today’s blog from the LGG Team

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Silencing the Enemy

Posted on by

based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God / w6d4

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11 / SOAP: 10-11

Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and began ministering to his needs.

Matthew 4:10-11

I love love love this example from the life and trials of Jesus. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t love that He had to suffer the temptations of Satan, but seeing how Jesus handled it has been a life-saver and an encouragement to me over and over again. Our temptations may not always be the same but the way to handle them is. When we speak God’s Word to the enemy he will flee. James says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you -” which I assure you is a tried and true promise I have experienced. The key is knowing how to resist the devil. I have found the only way to truly resist him – is to do as Jesus did and draw on the strength we find in God and His Word. I have also found and experienced the reality of praise silencing the enemy, as we read in Psalm 8:2 – where the Psalmist declares: “You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.”

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

Verses ten and eleven of Matthew chapter four are beautiful words of encouragement and a testimony of how the enemy responds when we hit him, the father of lies, with the Truth. However, they are even more beautiful in the context of verses one through nine. If you missed them go back and read them – better yet open your Bible so that you can highlight or make note of Jesus’ response to every temptation that Satan hurled at him. Note how the enemy came at him at a time when Jesus would have been ‘famished’, as the NET version puts it. Read each verse and watch as Jesus uses God’s Word to stand firm against the enemy’s schemes and lies and note how Jesus had great victory in the battle – heard clearly in the words of verse eleven – “Then the devil left him”. We can have this same victory when we know and use the Word of God to put the devil in his place.

What’s it look like in the day to day?
  • Note cards with verses
  • Sticky notes on the car dashboard or the inside of the refrigerator at home
  • Praise and worship music playing in your car or your ear
  • Regular quality time with God in His Word
  • Praying the Word back to God
  • Working on memorizing God’s Word
  • Church
  • Small Groups
  • Bible Studies and/or discussions with others
  • Anything that gets you into God’s Word and God’s Word in you
Prayer of Response to God’s Word

Father, thank You for showing us ways to combat the enemy and not just showing us ways but equipping us with the armor and empowering us with Your Spirit and for the praise that flows from just knowing You as our God! There is power in Your name, power in Your Word, power in Praise, power in prayer, power in resisting the devil though the power of Your Spirit! Help us to faithfully spend time with You in Your Word and with Your people so that we might stand faithfully firm against the evil one. Help us to remember that he has no power over us for we belong to You. Help us to remember the words of John, who said – that greater is He that is in us than the one who is in the world! Help us to stay alert and stand ready in body, mind, and soul – to Your glory – Amen – in Jesus’ name.

Reflecting on the Journey
  • How did Jesus stand against temptation in the wilderness?
  • What does this teach you about how to stand against temptation in your life?
  • What are some practical and/or supernatural ways we can defeat the enemy?
Going Further in the Journey

Why will resistance cause the devil to flee? Because he knows he cannot have victory over us if we are prepared to do battle against him. As mentioned before, the Bible assures us that we need only put on the full armor of God to be fully protected from evil and to actively resist it. There is nothing more frightening to Satan than a believer who is fully equipped with spiritual armor, beginning with the “helmet of salvation,” which protects our minds, and the “breastplate of righteousness,” which protects our hearts because it is the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). Only a true believer wears these because only those who have received God’s forgiveness by grace through faith have eternal salvation and the righteousness of Christ imputed to them.

Read More…. https://www.gotquestions.org/resist-the-devil.html

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

The Way of Success

Posted on by

based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God / w6d2

Scripture: Joshua 1:7-9 / SOAP: Joshua 1:7

Make sure you are very strong and brave! Carefully obey all the law my servant Moses charged you to keep. Do not swerve from it to the right or to the left, so that you may be successful in all you do.

Joshua 1:7

In today’s verse, Joshua charges the people with three things that will lead them to success as God’s people. As believers, we are to live in this same way. Joshua gives a list to the people in his day of what this looks like, and it carries over throughout Scripture. We see it in the verses we have used consistently throughout this study from Ephesians 6:10-18.

According to Joshua, we are to be strong and brave, to carefully obey God’s commands, to stay on God’s path, which leads to success for the believer, and to memorize, or to know, God’s Word. Note the similarities in Paul’s instructions to find strength and power from the Lord and to clothe themselves with the whole armor of God. We also know that both the belt of Truth and the Sword of the Spirit – which are the first and the last pieces of armor have to do with knowing the Word of God; in actuality, every piece of the armor comes back to the Word of God. For surely there is no righteousness or peace or faith aside from God’s Word. As Joshua told the Israelites, their success depended on their obedience, and so too does ours, as failure to use the weapons God has given us will undoubtedly lead to our destruction rather than the victories we experience when we live obedient to Christ.

Knowing God’s Word

We cannot live obediently to something we do not know, and we will not know that which we do not expose ourselves to often.

ME from the Inside-out

I know that memorizing Scripture can be daunting, but clearly, it is our calling as God’s people. However, please remember that while the word memorize means to commit something to memory, it also means to learn something by heart. I would venture to say that while you may not be able to tell me word for word what the Bible says, if you have been a believer for very long, you would be able to tell me the way to Christ or the way of forgiveness or who created the world and in how many days. Spending consistent and meaningful time in God’s Word will always lead to knowing God and His Word, and the more time we spend, the more we will know. I would also remind you before you say you just can’t – that God has empowered us to do everything He has called us to do.💜

I can pray this because his divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence. 4 Through these things he has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the divine nature, after escaping the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire.

2 Peter 1:3
Prayer of Response

Father, I confess that without Your Word I am not strong and brave, without Your Word and the power of it I would live by the fleshly desires of this life rather than by the godly ways you have made known to us. Thank You for today’s reminder that we are to not just come to a saving faith but we are to know Your Word so that we can know the way You want us to live and so that we will live successfully as Your sons and daughters. Help us to remember Your Word. Help us to spend quality time in Your Word so that we can remember It – help us to remember that Your Word is a sure and present and victorious weapon agains the evil one and those who prey upon Your children. We are Yours – In Jesus Name – help us to be strong and brave. Amen and Amen.

Reflection of the Journey

How does Joshua 1:7 encourage us to be strong and courageous in the face of challenges and difficulties?

Going Further in our Journey

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Don’t Let Your Guard Down

Posted on by

based on the LGG Study, The Arrmor of God / w6d1

Scripture: Ephesians 6;10-18 / SOAP verses 17-18

Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Ephesians 6:17-18

Hopefully, after six weeks of starting Mondays with this passage, we have all become more familiar with the wisdom, truth, and help it offers us – so that we will not let down our guard. May we keep the armor of God on 24/7, 365 days of the year – ready to help us stand firm and resist the devil’s schemes.

Let’s not forget the necessity of suiting up daily with the whole armor of God. Let’s make it a daily practice to put on…

  • the Belt of Truth
  • the Breast Plate of Righteousness – and
  • the Shoes of Peace

May we faithfully…

  • Take up the Shield of Faith – and
  • Put on the Helmet of Salvation and
  • take the Sword of the of the Spirit

And don’t forget to …

  • pray at all times… for all believers everywhere

We will study the final piece of our armor this week, which is the sword of the Spirit – defined by Paul as the Word of God. Then, we will, at Paul’s suggestion, cover it all with prayer and an alertness. Remember this armor belongs to God and we will not be successful using any of it without first seeking His strength and power as Paul instructed us in the beginning of our study.

“Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.”

Colossians 4:2
Did You Know?

I found a fascinating note about the Sword of the Spirit that helped me understand just how powerful this offensive weapon really is. When I picture a “sword” I pictured a long sheath like sword, however, according to BIbileref.com the sword Paul describes is a short-bladed sword, easy to carry and draw quickly in combat. It is meant to kill and defeat the enemy during attack.

God’s Word is able and meant to be used like this in our spiritual battles. Christ Himself sets the example for us as we read in Matthew 4:1-11, where we find three examples of Jesus using the Word of God to defeat the enemy. I encourage you to read how He did it and not to miss the ending when the devil left him alone. May we be quick to follow His lead by being prepared with the Word whenever the enemy strikes.

Our Secret Weapon

When Jesus told His disciples He would be leaving them He also told them about another that would come and be with them so that they could carry on the work of the Father. Here in our passage today, Paul tells them to “pray in the Spirit,” the One that Christ said would be their helper.

The Advocate, the Holy Spirit will teach us all things and will remind us of everything [Christ] has told us.
John 14:26

Reflecting on the Journey

What is the importance of praying at all times?

Response to God’s Word

Father, hide Your Word in our hearts that we might stand firm in the battles with temptation and all of the devil’s schemes. May we be sensitive to Your Spirit and powerful in Your might. Help us to remember that the battle belongs to You and You have empowered us with all that we need to stand firm. Remind us to stay devoted to prayer not only for ourselves but for the body of Christ and as the enemy wages war against Your people. May we not be detoured by his tactics and lose sight of the call to spread the Gospel. In Jesus’ Name – Amen!

Going Further on the Journey

Don’t forget to check out today’s Love God Greatly Blog Post

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Destined for Victory

Posted on by

based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God / w5d4

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 / SOAP: 8-9

8 But since we are of the day, we must stay sober by putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet our hope for salvation.9 For God did not destine us for wrath but for gaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

1 Thes 5:8-9

As he does in many of his letters, Paul teaches here – that, in light of the rapture we need to “live alert and self-controlled” unlike those who walk or live in darkness. In other words, believers are to be careful how they live. They must not live as those who are unsaved and walking in the darkness – but as children of God who walk in the Light. Paul makes a comparison between those of the night and those of the day. He emphasizes that those who are “children of the day,” or “sons of the light” as some translations render it, have been given the responsibility to stay alert and to wear God’s armor. Note that he specifically references the breastplate of faith and the helmet of salvation, which guard our hearts and minds. Yet when he speaks of those of the night he gives the example of those who are drunk or asleep, in other words not alert and vulnerable to the things of the earthy rather than the things of God.

Destined for Victory

In verse nine, Paul mentions that believers are not destined to experience the wrath of God that will come but rather to know salvation through Jesus, His son – whose name is Light, John 8:12.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12
Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

The Transformer

Posted on by

based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God / w5d3

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2 / SOAP: verse 2

 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:2 NLT

It may seem odd to hear Paul – or anyone for that matter – encourage the believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices, but Paul was teaching, as Bibleref.com explains, “as the Jewish people offered killed animals as sacrifices to God, Christians should instead offer ourselves, our bodies, to Him as living sacrifices.”

For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory. All glory to Him forever! Amen.”

Romans 11:36

Paul’s point is that God is worthy, or as he says – “It is your reasonable act of service” to know and live out the will of God. Paul understood as we saw in our journey yesterday, that when we keep on thinking about the things of God – all He is and has done or promised to do – then our minds will be transformed and our will aligned with God’s. His desires become ours and we will be able to better distinguish what is good and pleasing to Him.

When we keep our mind on earthly things we will be influenced by those things, or people, or cultural norms which is the natural bent of humans. The sinful nature leads us to follow after our own desires rather than God’s, however, we are told throughout the letters of Paul to “put on the new nature – and be renewed.”

The way to escape conformation to the world is through transformation by God, which is the renewing of your mind -🦋

Me🦋 FromtheNsideoutt

It is important to understand that we cannot transform ourselves. Paul says to, “Let God transform You into a new person by changing the way you think.” In other words, we do not – actually we cannot – transform ourselves. Notice with me, while in many of his writings Paul tells us that we need to put off the old and put on the new, he does not tell them here to change they way they live, look, or even act but instead he tells them to “Let God change the way they think.” Paul is teaching them the same thing he taught the Colossians, the mind greatly influences our decisions. When we allow God to transform our minds from the old nature to the new one we have been given in Christ we will live in a way that is pleasing and acceptable to Him.

One way I have found to let God change the way I think is through His Word. Whether it is reading it, listening to it in sermons, memorizing it, singing it, or discussing it with others, God’s Word will bring real and lasting transformation of our minds which will lead to a life-changing transformation from the inside-out 🦋 affecting not just us but all those around us.

 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 5:14
Prayer of Response to the Word

Father, please help us to faithfully stay in Your Word and to live by it. Let us be women of faith who dwell in the Word so that Your Word may dwell in us – so that we may be forever changed – living lives that are pleasing and acceptable to You and igniting change in others! In Jesus’ Name I pray – Amen!

Going Further in the journey

Be sure and read today’s LGG Blog Post

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Our Standard of Thinking

Posted on by

based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God / w5d2

Scripture: Colossians 3:1-11 / verse 2

Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth

Colossians 3:2

So what does mean to “keep thinking about something?” The bottom line is it means to continually choose to think about a certain thing, event, or person. When we do this we allow that thing, person, or situation to become what influences our choices – such as how we talk or what actions we take or who we spend time with. When we do this our thinking will ultimately influence what goals, priorities or standards we set.

Setting our minds on things above establishes Godly priorities and sets Godly standards.

me – from the inside out 🦋

Paul poses two courses of thought, things on earth or things above, and he guides the Church to set their thoughts on the things above. The NLT translates things above as the realities of Heaven, but both mean the same thing: Think about the things of God. Think about what He’s done for us through Christ. Think about His promise of eternity and anything else that turns our thinking toward God. Okay, you say, but we have families and jobs and responsibilities that also take thought, right? Yes, and we do have to give thought to those things during the day, and in times of crises that arise here on earth life can demand or require our attention; but Paul’s point is not to neglect thinking about the crisis situations nor even what you’ll fix for dinner or which job you’ll take or where your kids will go to school. Instead, his point is to “keep on” thinking about the things of God even while you are weighing out or dealing with the other issues of life. Basically, we are to have our minds so set on the things of God that those thoughts influence all the other aspects of our life.

How can we do this while living on earth? Paul gives us the answer in many of his letters, but perhaps no where more clearly than here in Colossians chapter three. He makes it clear to the church that they are no longer to live by the standards of their old life. In verse five he uses some very strong words to emphasize the importance of setting new standards by saying, “put to death” any part of their old “earthly” living – including everything from sexual immorality to greed. He makes the point that these things are not pleasing to God. Paul understands that this is the way they used to live and that some were still struggling with the ungodly issues he referenced – and just in case they might have been thinking – ‘good grief, I’m not that bad’, he also covered things like anger and malice, as well as slander and ungodly words. When we profess Jesus as our Lord with our mouth we are to profess Him with our lives as well.

What does It Look Like?

Paul gave us a pretty good snap shot of what we will look like when we “keep thinking about things above instead of things on the earth.” He described those who choose to think like this as ones ” who are filled with tenderhearted mercy, they are kind. gentle, and patient, and they live in humility rather haughtiness. They remember how the Lord has forgiven them and loved them despite their faults – so they make allowance for other’s faults and are forgiving of those who offend them. They are loving and live in harmony with others and are noted for the peace that rules in their hearts; it’s a peace that helps them to live in peace with others. Their’s is a peace so obviously from Christ that is a reflective light of our faith.

Prayer of Response to God’s Word

Father, I confess it isn’t always easy to keep my mind from getting weighed down with the cares of this world. Whether it is the day to day routines or events or people in my life or the seasons of crises and turmoil – if I’m not careful – my mind is easily captivated and I find myself struggling with fears and worries or a myriad of other emotions that rob me of the peace that I have known when my mind is fixed on the things of Heaven, instead of the world. Thank You for continually reviewing this truth with me, for using this passage to change my life in so many ways. Help me to keep my mind on things above, to know Your strength when I am weak, and to avail myself often of your loving invitation to cast all my cares on You – because You care for me –

Going Further in the Journey

Colossians 3:12-17