Sister Alice Sunday School 11/1/15

Sister Alice Sunday School 11/1/15

We want to learn everything that we can on what made Caleb and Joshua different.  Last week we saw that Moses changed Joshua’s name a little, if we want to change our name then we can.  We can change how people think about us.

The change of his name was to give him confidence and encouragement.  Oshea means a prayer for salvation and Joshua means the promise of salvation.  In prayer we need to hold onto the promises and the promises will encourage us in prayer.

Matthew Henry: “You will sooner find a living corps that is not breathing than a living Christian that is not praying.”

Jim Eliot was a missionary in a foreign country.  He loved God and enjoyed winning new tribes to the gospel.  He wanted to gain this other tribe that had never met white people ever.  He dropped good food from his plane and would fly in low and wave to them.  After about six drops they landed and were bringing more food and good things and as they walked in, they killed him.

In Jim Elliot’s journal he had written: “He is no fool to give what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”  This life we cannot keep.  We can give it to gain that which we cannot lose: life eternal.

Helping others is the way to help yourselves.

In changing our name and how people think of and see us: all of us were aware of doubting Thomas, “Blessed are you that see and believe and blessed are they that don’t see and yet believe.”  We want to be an encouragement and building up and not a doubting Thomas or a complaining Mary.

Act 13:22  And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

Act 13:23  Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

Jesus takes the centerpiece of all honor and all glory.

Act 13:36  For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:

We want to look at ourselves every now and then and say, “How am I serving my generation?”  We want to be an active part in the body.  There are times that we are being served, but then we can turn around and serve others.

1Co 7:20  Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.

1Co 7:21  Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.

1Co 7:22  For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.

1Co 7:23  Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

1Co 7:24  Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.

A servant?  Care not for it.  I’ve gone through this battle where I am a servant of my emotions.  When that happens then I am not a lot of good to anyone; I am not a servant of my generation. 

We go through times that hurt us.  The thing that I have gone through with my son, my daughter in law, and my grandchildren, it hurts me. 

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Because of my hurt, I was being controlled by my emotions.  I couldn’t even force myself to think.  I would think of the situation and I would throw up.  God has helped me. 

Then it was, “I don’t know when or how He will help me.  I know He will.”

I came to the place where I had to get control of my emotions.  Brother Kelly was a help to me at that time.  He told us that He was under such a grief and heaviness, but realized that for him to stay there was not fair to all those around him.

2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

When you stop and think about it, you are bought with a price.  Jesus paid a huge price that I would not have to be a servant to my emotions.  The price has been paid and I need to find the place where I can let go the things that I cannot change and trust to God.

Psa 116:7  Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.

We will have battles and be in rough places, God doesn’t want us to stay there very long.  “You have camped here long enough.”

Casting down imaginations and every high thing.  I was going through a battle on a situation that was beyond my control.  God gave me this scripture to cast down the things that rob us of our confidence in God.  God is in control even when we are not.  There is rest in that.  We can cast down those things that rob us of our knowledge of God and that He is in control.

God wouldn’t ask us to return to rest if it was not a reality that we would be off of that rest sometimes.  There will be battles that bring us unrest.  George Muller said, “Not 99.9 % but 99.9 and .1 besides, all things work together for our good.”

I was studying about the Israelites.  God is a gentleman.  He has set rules for Himself that will never change.  That is why people sing out and shout to Him, “Holy, Holy, Holy.”  God is always fair and always just.  He is always a gentleman.

God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.  God could have caused the other ten spies to be an encouragement to the people, God wouldn’t force them.  He will not force any to do His will and be happy in it. 

Mat 11:28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

He is in this battle with us.  We are yoked with Him.

We are bought with a price.  We are accountable for our thoughts and actions.  We are not our own, we are accountable. 

Philemon means beloved and faithful.  Truth is a wonderful thing.  It is one of the things we are to think on.  My name means truth; truth is good, but it is not enough.  Somethings that are true are very grim.  If I could choose any name it would be “beloved and faithful”.

I want for people when they come to visit to realize, “I am beloved by the master.”

The following story is a true story but I may not remember all the details.  I do remember though how it made me feel.  I always remember how things make me feel and I always remember how things smell. 

This gentle man was a trader on an island.  He helped set up marriages.  There they would sell however many cows for a good wife.  He would go and see how many cows the man could afford to give and then would set up good bargains for both parties.

When it came to himself, to get married he gave nine cows for his wife to a very poor family.  The girl was skinny and with crooked teeth.  She was so affected by the poverty of her family that she always looked down and had poor hair. 

His friend came to him. “Why did you start out with nine cows? Her dad would have taken two goats.”  He told him, “I wanted a nine cow wife.” 

The friend later went to see the man, and did not see his wife.  There was a lady there and she was beautiful and was joyous and singing.  He went out and asked him, “Where is your wife?”  The man told him, “You walked right by the kitchen coming out, didn’t you see her?” 

There had been such a change in her that the friend didn’t recognize her.  Through the man’s love she had become a nine cow wife. 

Am I acting like a nine cow wife or am I acting like my savior gave only two goats for me?  The price has been paid that I could live a radiant and joyful life. 

There will be times that I will need to return to my rest.  But by God’s help and grace I am going to return quicker the next time.

God is a gentleman and will not force anyone to do anything.  God never has had and never will have an ego.  We as a people want to protect His ego.  His laws are absolute no matter what we as His people hope for. 

Joh 16:32  Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

Joh 16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Jesus was warning the disciples what would happen.  He knew before it would happen that he would be left alone. 

How many times and trials, situations, have we had to stand on that, “I am not alone; the Father is with me.”

Not in a companion, in a job, in a raise at work, in buying a good home… none of that will bring us peace.  Our peace needs to be in Christ Jesus. 

In me you shall have peace.  In the world you shall have tribulation, pressure, burden, and anguish.  Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

There is victory.

Adam Clarke - That in me ye might have peace - I give you this warning as another proof that I know all things, and to the end that ye may look to me alone for peace and happiness. The peace of God is ever to be understood as including all possible blessedness - light, strength, comfort, support, a sense of the Divine favor, unction of the Holy Spirit, purification of heart, etc., etc., and all these to be enjoyed in Christ.

In the world ye shall have tribulation - Or, as most of the very best MSS. read, εχετε, ye have - the tribulation is at hand; ye are just about to be plunged into it.

But be of good cheer - Do not despond on account of what I have said: the world shall not be able to overcome you, how severely soever it may try you.

I have overcome the world - I am just now going by my death to put it and its god to the rout.

My apparent weakness shall be my victory; my ignominy shall be my glory; and the victory which the world, the devil, and my adversaries in general, shall appear to gain over me, shall be their own lasting defeat, and my eternal triumph. - Fear not!

“Enjoying our walk with Christ causes us to enjoy ourselves the most.”  Matthew Henry.

1Jn 5:1  Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Php 4:19  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

The generation before me worked so hard, that the work killed them.  When I was younger, we worked hard.  People still work hard today but we have so much more than any other generation has had.  We can tend to be spoiled.

God has supplied all our needs: our emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical.  He has promised that every need be supplied.  We can have.  We can be one that is serving our generation well.

Trusting God:  Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not to thy own understanding:  our own understanding will cause the storms to increase.  They are real anyways, but our own understanding will cause us to drown in the waters.  We will be overwhelmed. 

Trusting in God with our heart and leaning not to our own understanding:  If we will learn how to really lean and rely on Him and not look to the ferocious storms but to look to and lean on Him, it will really help us.