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Wednesday, August 4, 2010
This week we will finish chapter 19. To prepare for Sunday's lesson, read 19:16-25.
Spend some time refreshing your memory of the first 15 verses by finding the words to the following songs and either singing them or reading the words:
Spend some time refreshing your memory of the first 15 verses by finding the words to the following songs and either singing them or reading the words:
- Days of Elijah
- Cover Me (the choir sings this song and if you have our CD, it's on there)
- Revelation Song
- Jesus Paid it All
- Holy Ground
If you were in worship at our church last Sunday, you'll recognize these as the songs we sang. Amazing that Brother Charles had no idea what our lesson was about last week.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Sunday Summary
Yesterday's worship service was such a perfect conclusion to our lesson. If it would not have made a scene, I would have fallen to my knees. I honestly don't know how we can be expected to stand under the glory of the Lord.
So far in chapter 19 we have studied what it means to camp before the Lord, staying long enough to allow Him to speak. We discovered the beautiful word picture of a mother eagle flying under her babies as they learn to fly.
The words of God to the people in verses 4-6 included "hear my voice" which means to obey, "keep" which carries the idea of tending a garden, "covenant" which is the a contract between God and His people, and "peculiar treasure" or "own possession". The last phrase indicates that God feels about you and me the same way He would a treasured art collection. We also learned the full meaning of being a priest and how because of Jesus' death on the cross we can be priests without the need for someone else to intercede for us.
In verses 9-10 we found out that the cloud descending on the mountain is really Jesus Christ and the trumpet is His voice. "Consecrate" or "sanctify" means to make clean and we learned how the Israelites would have done their laundry. The dirt had to be beat out of the clothes. Then we applied the image to sin in our lives.
Verse 11 told us God would come on the mountain "in the sight" of the people and we learned the meaning of the phrase as "a reflection". Like a fountain in the light.
In verses 12-13 the people were instructed not to touch the mountain. This included wanting to reach out to it and indicated the state of their hearts.
In the end, we made several conclusions:
So far in chapter 19 we have studied what it means to camp before the Lord, staying long enough to allow Him to speak. We discovered the beautiful word picture of a mother eagle flying under her babies as they learn to fly.
The words of God to the people in verses 4-6 included "hear my voice" which means to obey, "keep" which carries the idea of tending a garden, "covenant" which is the a contract between God and His people, and "peculiar treasure" or "own possession". The last phrase indicates that God feels about you and me the same way He would a treasured art collection. We also learned the full meaning of being a priest and how because of Jesus' death on the cross we can be priests without the need for someone else to intercede for us.
In verses 9-10 we found out that the cloud descending on the mountain is really Jesus Christ and the trumpet is His voice. "Consecrate" or "sanctify" means to make clean and we learned how the Israelites would have done their laundry. The dirt had to be beat out of the clothes. Then we applied the image to sin in our lives.
Verse 11 told us God would come on the mountain "in the sight" of the people and we learned the meaning of the phrase as "a reflection". Like a fountain in the light.
In verses 12-13 the people were instructed not to touch the mountain. This included wanting to reach out to it and indicated the state of their hearts.
In the end, we made several conclusions:
- I want to be clean and ready for the trumpet to announce the return of Christ.
- This will mean I need to be saved and then confess any sins daily.
- I need to keep myself in a state of readiness to hear God speak. Camp out before Him. Stay long enough to let Him work on me. Do my part.
- Listen to the words of the Lord. Where will I find them? In the Bible. That means I need to read it every day.
- Rest in the knowledge that God loves me and treasures me like a valuable painting--His masterpiece.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Stop, Look and Listen
Read Ex. 19:1-2. The people stopped to camp in front of the mountain. This was God's mountain. I want to challenge you to go to God and stop. Stay a while. Gaze at the beauty of His holiness.
Read 19:3-15. Look carefully at the words used in these verses. Find some that you think are key words and look up their definitions. Use a concordance to see where they might be used elsewhere in the Bible. If you have a word study book, find out their origin. I chose about 12 words that seemed extra-important. We'll discuss them Sunday.
Listen. The research you do will enable you to hear what God wants to say to you. Listen for His voice.
Last fall I attended a national writer's conference in the mountains of New Mexico. It was situated at the opening of a box canyon with mesas all around. I climbed up a small mesa, sat on a boulder, and gazed across the valley to a much larger mesa, adorned with strands of pine trees and red rocks. It appeared to be wearing a one-of-a-kind necklace made from precious stones of emeralds and rubies. I sat there for over an hour, just letting God speak to me through what I saw. I still carry that memory close to my heart, because God told me what to do with the rest of my life while I sat on that rock. I'll never be the same again.
If you have a memory like that, pull it out and dust it off today. Polish it and set it in the window of your heart. If you don't, find some time this week to be alone with God. Sit silently before Him and wait for Him to speak. Another time God spoke in a very real way while I sat before him happened at my kitchen table, so don't think you can't do it without going off someplace.
I'd love to hear about your experience. If you'd like to share, write a comment.
Read 19:3-15. Look carefully at the words used in these verses. Find some that you think are key words and look up their definitions. Use a concordance to see where they might be used elsewhere in the Bible. If you have a word study book, find out their origin. I chose about 12 words that seemed extra-important. We'll discuss them Sunday.
Listen. The research you do will enable you to hear what God wants to say to you. Listen for His voice.
Last fall I attended a national writer's conference in the mountains of New Mexico. It was situated at the opening of a box canyon with mesas all around. I climbed up a small mesa, sat on a boulder, and gazed across the valley to a much larger mesa, adorned with strands of pine trees and red rocks. It appeared to be wearing a one-of-a-kind necklace made from precious stones of emeralds and rubies. I sat there for over an hour, just letting God speak to me through what I saw. I still carry that memory close to my heart, because God told me what to do with the rest of my life while I sat on that rock. I'll never be the same again.
If you have a memory like that, pull it out and dust it off today. Polish it and set it in the window of your heart. If you don't, find some time this week to be alone with God. Sit silently before Him and wait for Him to speak. Another time God spoke in a very real way while I sat before him happened at my kitchen table, so don't think you can't do it without going off someplace.
I'd love to hear about your experience. If you'd like to share, write a comment.
Monday, July 19, 2010
How to write your own Song of Deliverance
Several who were not able to be in class the day we wrote our personal Songs of Deliverance as a guided writing from Chapter 15 have asked for the instructions. They are as follows:
Read Exodus 15:1-18
Read verse 1. This is praise for deliverance from a specific thing. Spend a few moments in prayer, asking God which event in your life you should write about. Write a word of praise and name your deliverance.
Read verse 2. Write your own praise verse.
Read verse 3. Tell who God is to you. Write one of God's names and tell why He is that to you.
Read verses 4-5. Tell what God did for you.
Read verses 6-8. This is the display of God's power. How does God display His power to you?
Read verse 9. "The enemy said . . ." What did the enemy say about you?
Read verse 10. "But God . . ." What did God do for you that refuted what the enemy said?
Read verse 11. God is like . . . He . . . Fill in the blanks.
Read verses 12-13. In the future God will . . . for me. Fill in the blank.
Read verses 14-16. In the future God will . . . to my enemies. Fill in the blank.
Read verse 17. Heaven will be like . . . Fill in the blank.
Read verse 18. End your song with these words: The LORD will reign forever and ever.
Read Exodus 15:1-18
Read verse 1. This is praise for deliverance from a specific thing. Spend a few moments in prayer, asking God which event in your life you should write about. Write a word of praise and name your deliverance.
Read verse 2. Write your own praise verse.
Read verse 3. Tell who God is to you. Write one of God's names and tell why He is that to you.
Read verses 4-5. Tell what God did for you.
Read verses 6-8. This is the display of God's power. How does God display His power to you?
Read verse 9. "The enemy said . . ." What did the enemy say about you?
Read verse 10. "But God . . ." What did God do for you that refuted what the enemy said?
Read verse 11. God is like . . . He . . . Fill in the blanks.
Read verses 12-13. In the future God will . . . for me. Fill in the blank.
Read verses 14-16. In the future God will . . . to my enemies. Fill in the blank.
Read verse 17. Heaven will be like . . . Fill in the blank.
Read verse 18. End your song with these words: The LORD will reign forever and ever.
Sunday Summary
We discussed chapter 18 in class. When Jethro brought Zipporah and her sons to Moses, he and Moses talked. Moses shared all that God had done. We recalled the Song of Deliverance from chapter 15 and realized Moses simply shared his experience with Jethro, giving all the credit to God.
Jethro gave his life to the Lord that day, evidenced publicly by the burnt sacrifice and the sacrificial meal he shared with the elders.
Immediately afterward, Jethro was able to use his gift of administration to help Moses establish a more effective system of government for the people.
This is God's program for evangelism. Tell those we love about what God has done. Then they can enter His service in the fellowship of believers.
Jethro gave his life to the Lord that day, evidenced publicly by the burnt sacrifice and the sacrificial meal he shared with the elders.
Immediately afterward, Jethro was able to use his gift of administration to help Moses establish a more effective system of government for the people.
This is God's program for evangelism. Tell those we love about what God has done. Then they can enter His service in the fellowship of believers.
Monday, July 12, 2010
This week we'll study Exodus 18. This chapter is a welcome respite from all the conflict and war we've just come through. It is the account of a joyful, peaceful, reunion and the establishment of civil governmental structure for the nation.
Read the chapter and then look back in Exodus to remember who Jethro was when Moses met him and where he lived.
Why had Zipporah and her sons not made the journey with Moses?
This is a two-fold reunion. Jethro and Moses catch up on business affairs and the working of God and Zipporah and Moses are reunited after more than a year of separation.
Read verse 8. What does Moses talk about with Jethro?
Read verse 11. What is Jethro's response?
What does verse 12 tell you about Jethro?
Read the chapter and then look back in Exodus to remember who Jethro was when Moses met him and where he lived.
Why had Zipporah and her sons not made the journey with Moses?
This is a two-fold reunion. Jethro and Moses catch up on business affairs and the working of God and Zipporah and Moses are reunited after more than a year of separation.
Read verse 8. What does Moses talk about with Jethro?
Read verse 11. What is Jethro's response?
What does verse 12 tell you about Jethro?
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