Tuesday Together (In the Word)

Good morning, we are a group of ladies reading the Bible.

Reading The New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs.

This weeks reading Ephesians 2-6, Psalms 45-55 and Proverbs 13

My musing is from Ep.3:16

I Had always prayed on my knees, but when I became pregrant with my daughter, I was all stomach, and was unable to kneel down. I feared that God would not hear me pray. I came a cross the following poem about a group of Christians who were arguing about this.

One insisted that the only way to pray was on your knees.Another insisted that it had to be standing with bowed head. A third asserted that the only way to pray was to be seated in a chair looking up to God. One, who till then had been silent, told of an incident in which he accidentally fell head first into into a well. While he was hanging there upside down, he prayed a prayer which he said was the most effective he had ever prayed! So it isn't posture that is important.

....That according to the riches of His glory...Eph. 3:16RSV

God's glory is God's being, God's person. He himself is his own riches of glory. And when God wants to display his glory he shows you himself. He reveals what he is like.You are not going to some cold, distant being -- sitting up on some remote Mount Olympus somewhere, his eyelids in contemptuous indifference to your needs -- to ask for help. You are coming to a tender, concerned, loving Father, who is deeply involved with you, who wants you to grow, who is concerned about your welfare, and who will not leave you in some state of arrested development. That is what Paul sets before us sets before us in this prayer.

...he may grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man,

The Spirit dwells in the inner man, although that is true. Rather, the idea here is that the Spirit might infuse his own strength into your inner man. Well, what is your inner man? You and I are of course familiar with this distinction between the outer man and the inner man. We take care of the outer man carefully. We dress it, we feed it, we comb it, we pat it, we primp it, we wash it, we dry it, we smear it with cream. We are always concerned with the outer man - the body and its needs. But we are also aware that there is an inner man.

The inner man is the spirit, the human spirit. And it is here that God begins the work of recovery -- not in the soul, in the spirit. Not in the realm of our feelings, in other words, but in what phychologist would call the realm of the subconscious, the deep-seated part of our life, the fundamental elements of our nature. You know that when you are really discouraged, really broken-hearted, and have given up the way your condition is often descriped as dispriited. That is an accurate term. You have become dis-spirited. Your fundamental nature is dissatified, discontent. It is not merely a question of temporary boredom. That would be in the realm of the soul. But this is something which touches the spirit, right at the very deepest level of human life.

This is where recovery must begin. And what the apostle tells us here is the capability of the Creator himself, our loving Father, to give us a fresh infusion of strength by his Spirit into our spirit into the inner man. In First Corinthians 12, speaking of believers, Paul says, "by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body (We have been made members of the body of Christ). and...made to drink of one Spirit," (1 Corinthians 12:13 RSV). That is what our human spirits are for -- They are to drink of the Spirit of God, so that the Spirit of God is able to refresh us and revitalize us. Just as taking a drink refreshes your body, so drinking of the Spirit refreshes your spirit, at the deepest level of your life.

Now, that is not the realm of feeling. Less not get hung up on this. In the process of spiritual recovery;, but always wanting an instantly good feeling. We seek some instant sense of relief. Well, relief will come, but it doesn't start there. It starts down at the level of the spirit, and may be nothing more than some conciousness of reassurance that things are going to work out eventually.

This beginning step is not your responsibility, it is God's. Doesn't that help? You don't have to start it. He does. All that is necessary is that you ask him for it. You ask, or someone else asks on your behalf -- one or the other. Paul prayed that these Ephesians might have this granted to them. And they could have prayed for themselves, if they had known what to pray for, because a prayer is nothing but a cry of helplessness: "God help me." When we ask on this level, God promises to give.

Remember what Jesus himself taught in that great passage on prayer in Luke 11, at the end of the story of the importunate friend: "What father among you, if his son asks for a fish;, will instead of a fish give him a serpent?"(Luke 11:11 RSV). Would any earthly father do that? Would he tantalize, torture his son that way? " Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?" (Luke 11: 12 RSV). What kind of a father would do anyghing like that? "No, of course not," Jesus says, "neither will God." If you then, who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more..." (Luke 11:13aRSV). Do you feel the force of his argument? ...how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" He is not talking about how to be indwelt by the Spirit, but about how to recover from losing heart. The way to start, is toask God to grant you that your spirit will receive a new infusion of strength, that you can drink again of the river of the Spirit of life which is in you, and that your spirit will be restored so that you begin to operate as God intended you to. You won't feel this, necessarly. We sharply feel what occurs in the soul, but only sort of deeply sense things taking place in our spirit. Paul prays that God may grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit into the inner man.

Thank you for your visit today. For more Tuesday Together in the Word see DeeDee over at I have no greater joy.

Tuesday Together The Overflowing Life

Welcome to TUESDAYS TOGETHER (in the WORD).
The Scriptures often refer to the word "riches." Paul frequently makes mention of the "riches of Christ. In one place he says his greatest joy was to declare "the unsearchable riches of Christ." The gospels make frequent mention of "treasures." Jesus talked about "laying up treasures in heaven."
We have within our bodies, Paul says in Second Corinthians, "a treasure in
earthen vessels, that it may be evident that the power is not from us but from God." That inner treasure is what makes the Christian life rich, zestful, and worth living. "A well of living water," as Jesus put it, "springing up within." That is what will refresh our spirits."
"I want you to know how strenuously I am exerting myself for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:1)
The apostle's purpose for writing is stated very clearly there. He specifically wants to enrich their lives, encourage their hearts, and enable love to spread throughout the congregation. But do not overlook the process! There is an unfortunate chapter division here that separates verse 1 from the closing verse of chapter 1. These two verses actually belong together. In verse 29 of chapter 1, Paul says, "To this end I labor [or, I toil], struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me. And I want you to know how strenuously I am exerting myself for you..." Notice how he calls attention to the effort and toil he was putting into this matter of bringing the Colossian Christians into vitality, excitement, and a sense of adventure.
You may ask, how could a man who is chained to a Roman guard day and night, in the city of Rome, a thousand miles from Colossae, so toil as to help the Colossians? Paul does not tell us here but elsewhere we are given ample information as to his method. Earlier in this letter he talked about laboring continuously in prayer for them. That is one way he toils for them---through frequent prayer.
I want to stress again the tremendous importance of praying for one another. You can do all the right things to help someone, but if his attitude is wrong nothing you do will serve to assist him. What can change that? It is your praying for him! Prayer can change the heart and mind, the inner attitude. It is a powerful force to transform an atmosphere and make something acceptable when otherwise it would appear to be dull and uninteresting. Paul prayed ("agonized" is the word) for these Colossian Christians over and over again, even though he had not personally met most of them. Also, it is evident from his letters that he was alert to every word of information about them. When Epaphras brought news to the apostle in Rome about the church at Colossae, Paul questioned him and extracted from him all the information he could in order that he might know how to pray for the Colossians. That is an indication of his special concern for them.

Notice that Paul's immediate goal is to encourage the hearts of the Colossians and to unite them in love. I confess I am rebuked by that, because too often I find myself ready to jump on someone and try to straighten him out on the spot. It is a great lesson to see how Paul seeks to lift their spirits first and to cause them to appreciate one another. It indicates that building a relationship with individuals is the true way to go about helping them. Have you ever tried to help someone, only to find your efforts fell on deaf ears? The apostle indicates the right way to help is to find something encouraging to say first. None of us like to be corrected by a negative approach. We first need a word of encouragement, as the apostle so beautifully demonstrates here.
Then, when the apostle has lifted their spirits, they will be able, he suggests, to experience the excitement of understanding the mystery, which is "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Occasionally I meet people who seem to be turned onconstantly by Scripture. They discover a new, fresh verse every morning. But others find the Bible dull and boring. That is probably because they have not fully understood what it is saying. When you grasp what the word of God is saying on how to handle life it becomes exciting. It puts zest into living. It gives you the sense that you are not alone, that you don't have to handle your problems by yourself, or that you don't have to lean heavily on human advice, though God often provides help in that way. The main thing is, are you reckoning upon the wisdom of your Lord? He put you in a certain situation and he will work it out as you turn to his Word. Out of that Word come wisdom and understanding. I ran across a quote last week that puts this well:
Why is it that the older one grows, the more topsy-turvy the wisdom of Christ appears, and yet the more it appears to be wisdom? He seems to be looking at life upside-down. He tells us that the poor have security, the mourners will be happy, the sexually deprived will be fulfilled. It seems, by the wisdom of this world, as if he got everything the wrong way around. But live a little bit, and one discovers that this is not necessarily the case at all. If the world is inverted, then the only way to see it clearly is upside-down.
This is why the Scriptures are different than any other book. They say things that are difficult and seemingly impractical, and yet are the very essence of realism, wisdom and sanity. For instance, in Romans 12 the apostle Paul says, "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them." Have you ever tried that in traffic? It looks like an impractical solution, but if you try it you discover you have touched on something you did not know was there. You will have a different attitude to irritations. You will be relaxed and calmer, and not get upset so easily. You can get through the commute hour a lot easier. That is the wisdom Paul is talking about. It is not to stuff your mind with theological ideas, but to discover the secret of how to handle things, how to stay sane and sober, joyful and thankful, in the midst of the pressures and difficulties of life.
A second reason for Paul's concern is that he is very much aware of how easy it is to miss these hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ by being misled by false teaching. In these verses we have the first clear hint of what was threatening the Colossian Christians.
"I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is." (Colossians 4-5)
"Fine-sounding arguments" reveal Paul's concern lest they be easily deceived. This is one of the major problems all Christians must face. The word for "deceived," literally translated, is "to reason beside something." If the target is the truth, there is something alongside it that looks very much like the truth, and one begins to focus upon that, rather than the truth. That is one of the favorite weapons of the devil. To be deceived is to think you know that something is right, but it is really wrong. Truth and error look almost the same, but one is a counterfeit. In these days when we have so many counterfeit and imitation things around we are used to be being deceived and do not feel alarmed about it any more. Plastic looks like metal. Flowers are made of silk. We are daily touching things that are but imitations of the real thing. But imitations have obvious limitations. If you start regarding them as real you are in trouble. That is what Paul is worried about. A quotation from J. I. Packer puts this very well:
Sad experience shows that bad theology infects the heart with misbelief and unbelief, the spiritual equivalents of multiple sclerosis! Many who ran well have been progressively paralyzed through ingesting bad theology, and the danger remains. Theological expertise can feed intellectual pride, turning one into a person who cares more for knowing true notions than for knowing the true God, and that is disastrous.
This is also true of personal ambition, the lust for power, love of fame, and pride of race or position. All these things are like narcotics. We run after them and we are encouraged by the world to do so. But they are substitutes, counterfeits of the real thing. What Paul desires is that all may discover the real life. This struggle is, in essence, a struggle between two gods: the great god, Self, and the true God of man, Jesus. We hear much today of self-realization, self-actualization, self-development, self-discovery, self-esteem, and self-love. Self is really a disguised god! It sounds right to us. We do not want to hate ourselves. Yet there is a "self" that is very wrong.
There is a note of encouragement here in these words. Paul says there are two things about the Colossians that delight him and encourage him to believe that it will be difficult to deceive them by the false teaching in their midst. Here are his words:
"For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is." (Colossians 2:5)
Two things help against being deceived: first, a well ordered, disciplined life. The spirit of our age says, do whatever you feel like doing, respond to whatever you like. Deny yourself nothing. Paul, however, delights that the Colossians are orderly and disciplined. They make themselves do right whether they feel like doing it or not. A disciplined life will always be hard to deceive. I have always wanted to be able to play the piano, or some musical instrument. I envy people who are able to sit at a piano and play it, seemingly without effort. But I cannot do that, because I have never disciplined myself to study and practice music. Thus, I have no freedom in this area. Almost any discipline will help us resist error and Paul compliments the Colossians on their orderly life, for it makes them resistant to deceit.
Second, the apostle delights to see how firm is their faith in Christ. They understood clearly that it was Christ who held them, not they who held Christ. When they strayed, he would send someone to them to point it out to them, or stop them by some circumstance that would make it difficult for error to take root among them. A strong faith in the presence of Jesus is a powerful bulwark against being misled.Paul closes with an admonition which I consider to be one of the greatest passages in the New Testament:
"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." (Colossians 2:6-7)
I would urge you to memorize those verses. Here is a guide to an exciting, zestful life: "Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him." Obey him, follow him, converse with him, draw upon his grace, lean on him, look to him for comfort. That is how to "continue to live in him."
Three things have happened to you, says Paul. You have been "rooted" in Christ. (These are all passive participles, meaning these things have been done to you.) Like a deeply-rooted tree, you have been planted in Christ and those strong roots will hold you. Secondly, you have been "built up" in him. Not only are the roots going deep, but you are growing up as well. You are increasing in faith and experience. And, thirdly, you have been "strengthened" in the faith. You have tested it, put it to work in your home, in your neighborhood. You have had to face problems which were tests, and your faith was strengthened by them.
As those three things take place, we are to add one more: we are to be "overflowing with thankfulness." Be grateful to God for everything he has given you, no matter what it is. Have you learned yet to be thankful in everything? That means you do not grumble, complain and criticize. You cannot have it both ways. To be thankful means to find something in every situation for which you can genuinely be grateful.
The great Bible commentator, Dr. Matthew Henry, once was robbed as he walked along a highway Afterwards he told his friends there were four things for which he gave thanks. First, he was grateful that he had never been robbed before. After many years of life this was the first time he had been robbed and for that he was grateful. Secondly, he said, "Though they took all my money, I am glad they did not get very much." That was something to be thankful for. Thirdly, he said, "Though they took my money, they did not take my life, and I am grateful for that." And finally, he suggested, "I am thankful that it was I who was robbed, and not I who robbed." There was a man who had learned how to be "overflowing with thankfulness!"
Have you ever learned to talk to yourself and ask yourself questions? If you read the Psalms you will often find you are listening to a man talking to himself. "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why are thou so disquieted within me?" The psalmist is standing at the mirror shaving, feeling blue, and asking himself, "What's the matter with you? Why are you like this?" That is a good thing to do.
When you ask yourself questions about yourself you must also ask, why didn't worse things happen? Look beyond what has occurred and realize it could have been much worse. Then discover all the things which God has supplied and which you have been taking for granted: his care, his love, the shelter of your home, the fact that you have a little money in the bank, the fact that your children love you, or your parents love you (whatever fits your situation), and begin to give thanks for those. If you do, something will happen: you will find yourself turned on about everything. You will find life filled with zest, vitality and excitement.
For more devotions see Dee Dee at I have no greater joy.

Tuesdau Together in The Word

The scripture that gives me hope, and makes me rejoice is:

Tuesday Together In The Word

DeeDees

In the letter of 1Peter we find Peter having much to say about suffering. He shows how it can be a way of serving the Lord, of sharing the faith and of being tested. The letter was written to Christians scattered all over the Northern part of Asia Minor. In this part of the Roman Empire many Christians had already suffered unfair treatment from people who did not believe in Jesus.

And they could expect to suffer even more.

.

Peter was quick to offer encouragement. His letter reminds the readers that some of the Lord's

followers may have to go through times of hard testing. But this should make them glad, Peter declares, because it will stregthen their faith and bring them honor on the day when Jesus Christ returns (1:6,7).

.

Peter reminds them that Christ suffered here on earth, and when his followers suffer for doing right they are sharing his sufferings (2.18-25; 4.12-19). In fact, Christians should expect to suffer for their faith (3.8-4,19).

.

____________________________________________________

Sunday night in our service our pastor talked about the swine flu that

was spreading all over the world. He was teaching on Prophecy

in the Bible, and this disease was just the beginning of things to come.

He then said, "And it is going to get worse, things are going to get

very bad before the Rapture takes place."

God does not do anything instantly, he usually does them over a

period of time, and we become so use to them that it just seems

normal.

I don't know about you but I do not like to suffer, and I find no joy

in looking forward to what is coming on the earth.

But as Jesus said, "These things must needs be to confirm

scripture.

____________________________________________________

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Because of who God is and because of what God has done by raising Jesus Christ from death, Christians can have hope in the future. Just as Christ suffered before he received honor from God, so will Christians be tested by suffering before they receive honor when the Lord returns. Peter uses poetic language to reming his readers of what Christ had sone:

.

Christ died once for our sins.

An innocent person died

for those who are guilty.

Christ did this

to bring you to God,

When his body

was put to death

and His Spirit

was made alive.

(3.18)

Together in the Word - Prayer

Today over at deedees we are meeting again to share a nugget of the word that we have
read this week.

_________________________________________________________________

Please listen when I pray! Have pity. Answer my prayer. My heart tells me too pray.
I am eager to see your face, so don't hide from me. I am your servent, and you have
helped me. Don't turn from me in anger. You alone keep me safe. Don't reject or desert
me. Even if my father and mother should desert me., you will take me up.

__________________________________________________________________


Exploration:

Prayer is talking with God.........and if we listen he will talk with us.


Inspiration:

Prayer does not chane God it changes him who prays.
Soren Kierkegaard


No one is a firmer believer in the power of prayer than the devil; not that he practices it,
but he suffers from it.
Greg H. King

Teaching:

Prayer is mentioned 411 times in the Bible. The psalmist is asking God to listen when
he prays! and answer my prayers. Many times I have cried out pleasen listen to me.
On phrase I use quiet often is .............if the Lord hears our prayers, and we know He
does then we have what we pray for.........this scripture is found in the NT (I did not look
it up the Holy Spirit just inspired me to type it.) The wonderful thing is when we pray
God changes our prayer so we are praying in the will of the Father.

I have also quoted often the 10th verse, when my father and mother forsake me the
Lord will lift me up.........There are so many ways we can be forsaken by our parents
other than them leaving physcially. They can just not be there emotionally. Think on
this....

Affirmation:

Your eyes are open
and they watch me
and everything I see.
Therefore I will be careful
little eyes what I see.
Oh, be careful little ears
what you hear. I will be
mingfull of what I listen
too...because he hears
also.

Is She Watching Over You?

Today is Tuesday Together (In The Word)

I could not get the meme to work must have been me!

If you love wisdom

And don't reject her.

She will watch over you.

Pro. 4:6

There are so many times when I do not know what to do

I am so glad, we have Jesus to watch over us

and give directions when we ask.

Act. 12 Herod causes trouble for the church. Peter is rescued from jail. Later Harod dies.

Act. 19 Paul travels to Ephesus. The sons of Sceva were trying to cast out devils. The devils turned on him

and beat him up. Paul causes a riot in Ephesus.

Act. 15 The church leaders meet at Jerusalem. After they agreed over the doctrines that were causing

conflicts, letters were sent to Gentiles who had faith in the Lord.

Psm. 21 Thanking the Lord for victory.

Psm. 22 Prophetic Psalm about Jesus crusification.

Act. 16 Timothy joins Paul and Silas on a missionary journey. While on this trip Paul has a vision of the

Micedonia asking him to come over and help us. Paul and Silas are put in jail.

Be faithful to your wife and what happens

when you get involved with an immoral woman.

Pro. 5

June