Bible Study Notes - Blessed to be a blessing
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The
Blessing of the Lord is 2 Fold - Blessed TO BE a Blessing.
Remember God does everything on purpose and with
purpose.
When we study the bible, we are primarily
seeking to know God and his ways. Throughout the scriptures, we are given
example after example of God's thoughts and his ways, being revealed to
man. Also, the bible tells us exactly as it is; it tells us of how men
responded to God's thoughts and ways. We see clearly, the role that men
have to play in God's plans. We see the responsibility given to men, in
seeking and responding to God's wisdom in all aspects of life. Remember
that the Word of God reveals the will of God.
I find it helpful, when reading the bible, instead
of looking for hidden secrets and amazing and supernatural insights and
revelations, simply, look for the heart of Father God, the creator, the Lord
the owner of all creation, see how much he loves his creation, how patient and
how gracious he is, also look carefully how selfish and short-sighted the heart
of man can be. When you open your Bible to read, the Holy Spirit is near,
just waiting for you to ask him something about what you are reading, he wants
to be your teacher. So just ask him, and he will help you understand.
We have been looking at the book of
Ezra.
In Chapter 1 - God fulfils his Promise to bring
the people back from exile, with the purpose of rebuilding the Temple at
Jerusalem.
Chapter 2 - Tells us who returned and how
many. Everyone was recorded. This reminds us that God knows your
name.
Chapter 3 - The Altar is rebuilt first and then
the foundation of the Temple is laid. This reminds us that Jesus is the
head of his church and that we must lay our lives on the altar in surrender to
him. He is the cornerstone and we are the living stones being built into
God's Spiritual temple. (1 Peter 2 v 4-12)
Chapter 4 - The enemy opposes the Rebuilding of
the Temple. This chapter reveals to us how the enemy opposes the purposes
of God in our lives and why.
1. The enemy will try
Compromise.
2. If he can't get you to
compromise, he will try to discourage, threaten, and hinder you from God's
purpose.
3. The next level of attack will be
'Accusation'. Nothing will stop a child of God from fulfilling their God
given purpose like accusation or condemnation.
But Praise God, in Chapter 5 and 6, we see the
KEY to moving forward which is Hearing the Word of the Lord and Responding to it.
Up to this point, the exiles had returned to
Jerusalem, but were still living as slaves in their own land. Until, the prophets
brought the Word of the Lord, reminding and encouraging them that God was over
them and with them. This time when the enemy tried to bring accusation,
God caused a complete turnaround. Those who were opposing the work ended
up paying the construction costs.
Romans 8v 28 And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to his purpose.
We are going to focus in on one verse in chapter
6 that is v 10 "Then they (the Jews) will be able to offer acceptable
sacrifices to the God of heaven and
pray for the welfare of the king and his sons.
This is King Darius speaking, he understood
something that is greatly misunderstood today. The 2 fold blessing, he
understood that if he showed favour to the Jews, that their God would show
favour to him through their prayers.
This verse has 2 parts the first being the
'acceptable sacrifices'. In the New Testament this refers to our lives
being surrendered to God.
Romans 12 v 1 -2 - Therefore, I urge you,
brothers and sisters, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and
pleasing to God, this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to
the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind then
you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing and
perfect will.
We are blessed, and we are to take this blessing
to others. Our goal is not just to get to heaven; our GOAL is to bring
heaven to the earth.
This is how Jesus taught us to pray "Let
your Kingdom come, let your will be done ON earth as it is IN heaven".
We are ambassadors, representing our God and
King. Remember that Jesus said we are in this world but not of this
world.
Because of Daniel, king Darius knew something
about the God of heaven.
NOTE in Daniel 6 v 10 - 11 - reveals Daniel's
secret - PRAYER and ASKING for God's Help.
Even though Daniel had been taken exile, to a
foreign land, he was still seeking first God's Kingdom and His ways. That
is where his wisdom and success came from. Jesus has also commanded us to
Seek First His Kingdom and His Righteousness.
We see that King Darius recognized that Daniel
was a faithful servant of the Living God.
Daniel was a man of wisdom and honour, before
God and man.
READ DANIEL CHAPTER 6
v 21 Daniel answered "long live the
king" - he showed honour, even though the king had thrown him into the
lion's den.
v.22 Daniel continued "My God, sent his
angel to shut the lion's mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been
found innocent in his sight and I have not wronged you, your majesty."
So we see that Daniel had a good testimony
before God and the king.
Then the King gave orders that those who had
opposed Daniel would be arrested and thrown into the Lion's den. But
please take careful note, that their wives and children were thrown in and
destroyed with them.
This is a reminder that what we do, doesn't just
affect our own lives, but also those around us.
THERE IS
A PURPOSE FOR THE BLESSING OF THE LORD UPON YOUR LIFE
We cannot overlook, downplay or ignore this
Principle of God's Kingdom.
We are
blessed TO BE a blessing.
Remember the verse in Ezra chapter 6 that
is v 10 "Then they (the Jews) will be able to offer acceptable sacrifices
to the God of heaven and pray for the welfare of the king and his sons.
Do we really need to pray
for our leaders, those in government today?
Ezekiel 22 v 30 "I looked for someone
among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf
of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no-one".
We are called to stand in the gap and pray for
our land, our leaders and all aspects of life.
1 Timothy 2 v 1-2 - I urge, then, first of
all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all
people, for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and
quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
WHY?
v 3 - 4 - continues "because - God desires
all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
This is his ultimate PURPOSE.
1 Peter 2 v 17 Show proper respect to
everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honour the emperor.
(NOTE: there are 4 commands in this verse to the New Testament
believers).
Romans 13 v 1 Let everyone be subject
to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God
has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Jerimiah 29 v 7 Also, seek the peace
and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray
to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.
2 Chron. 7 v 14 If my people, who are
called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn
away from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive
their sins and will heal their land.
Psalms 2 v 10-11 Therefore, you
kings, be wise, be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with
fear and celebrate his rule with trembling.
Proverbs 11 v 14 For lack of guidance
a nation falls but victory is won through many advisers.
Proverbs 21 v 1 The king's heart is a
stream of water in the hand of the Lord, he turns it wherever he will.
NOW according to God's Word - I ask the question
again:-
Do we really need to pray
for our leaders, those in government today?
These scriptures have really challenged
me. Over the last few years, it was very easy to speak against our
government etc, but there is never any reason to go against God's
Word.
I remember, when the lock down began, and we
were told to close our churches. Something in my spirit could not just
accept this, but instead of just going blindly against the 'regulations', I
contacted a number of different politicians asking them for clarity to the
law. None were able to tell me that I would be breaking any law by
continuing to meet together for worship. I just received the same
diplomatic reply. So I was able to travel to church and keep the house of God open without fear.
There is always a way of escape for the Child of
God. We must ask God for his wisdom and his intervention, with a heart of
love and honour to both God and man. It is possible.
May we be faithful, informed and
thoughtful when praying and talking about our leaders; Ask God for
wisdom and righteousness to be evident in our nation's policies and leaders.
Legal scriptural prayers and petitions lodged to
the Lord Most High, the judge of all men, are much more productive and powerful
than earthly petitions lodged to mere men. (The Spiritual governs the Physical)
Remember that Pilate found no guilt or wrong in
Jesus. Jesus did not make political enemies.
Proverbs 2 v 1-8
My son, if you accept my words and store up my
commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to
understanding, indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for
understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as a
hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the
knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth come
knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright,
He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless for he guards the course of the
just and protects the way of his faithful ones.
As members of the Church of Christ we are called
to bring solutions to the world - not just pointing out the problems.
It is our role as God's ambassadors to identify
the problem, go to heaven's court and bring the solution to the earth.
Instead of cursing our nation and our leaders we
should be praying for them. (Blessing and Cursing cannot flow together).
We are not called to pray for only those we
agree with, but remember what Ephesians 6 v 12 says
We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the rules of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Dominion in God's kingdom is not tied to
anything in creation, it is over time, chance and territory.
Dominion in God's Kingdom is about God's Agenda
and Purposes.
God's end time agenda is that all men might be
saved.
What if Peter had not listened and took the
gospel to the gentiles? What if Paul had tried to preach only to the
Jews? Where would we be today?
We all know John 3 v 16 - For God so loved the
World.
The word used here is KOSMON - which means
orderly arrangement.
The Greek meaning is 'the universe' 'the earth'
'the world' or 'everyone and everything that is alienated from God'.
God's creation was originally designed in
perfect harmony, with everything well-arranged and in order.
God's creation was both ADORNED, (clothed in
Light, with glory and honour), and in ORDER (the world was formed from
perfection not chaos)
The church of Jesus Christ has been ADORNED with
that same Light and we must seek the original plan of God to restore ORDER.
Think about the word disorder - it is given to
many sicknesses.
1 Cor. 14 v 33 God is not a God of disorder
or confusion.
James 3 v 16 - for where envy and selfish ambition
exist there is disorder (confusion) and every kind of evil.
Other words for disorder are confusion, unrest,
rebellion, chaos, inconstancy, instability.
Where we see these things - we are called to
restore order by speaking according to the Word and Will of God.
The Greek Word is KATHISTEMI - which means to
establish, to set in order but if we simply add the letter 'a' - it becomes
AKATHISTEMI - which means instability, disorder, disturbance, confusion,
restless.
This word is used in James 1 v 8 when
he tells us that a double minded man is 'unstable' in all his ways.
Meaning that there is disorder, confusion, unrest, rebellion, chaos,
inconstancy and instability in ALL HIS WAYS.
John 3 v 17 - For God did not send the son into
the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
We have been called into his body and his kingdom,
to continue the work he begun. We are also sent out, not to judge or
condemn but to restore order into people's lives by the good news of the
gospel.
No man ought to perish! It is God's will
that all be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
God is Lord over all his creation. What
does that mean to you personally?
Some more scriptures to meditate on
Nehemiah 9 v 6 Isaiah
45 v 7
Revelation 4 v 11 Isaiah
37 v16
Isaiah 45 v 18 Colossians
1 v 16
Psalm 100 v 3 Psalm
139 v 13
Acts 17 v 26-28 1
Corinthians 8 v 6
John 1 v 3 Hebrews
1 v 2
Proverbs 3 v 19 Jeremiah
10 v 12-13
For more information and resources
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