Category Archives: Studying_the_Word

>Time to Study Philippians -Week Eight-

Posted on by
Reply

>p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }h1 { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; page-break-after: avoid; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }span.Ttulo1Car { font-weight: bold; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }

Greetings to the ladies of our Philippians study~
Welcome to Week Eight – our final week!
This study, and the homework from our previous study, is a condensed version of Mining God’s Word – How To Study the Bible; Foundation Series by Bethlehem College and Seminary Press. I highly recommend that you purchase your own workbook at www(dot)bethlehemcollegeandseminary(dot)org – it would be a great tool for you to have.

“The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.’
             ‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’ Then the angel left her.” Luke 1:35-38

May our spirits be as willing as Mary’s when God calls on us!
Let’s start with our homework assignment #1
Here is what I have written for the main point of Phil. 3:1-16:
            All of Paul’s abundantly Jewish heritage and his qualifications as God-fearing Jew won’t save him – only Christ and His righteousness can! Therefore, Paul’s hope rests in Him and Him alone. To have Christ, or to belong to Christ, is more valuable than any else this life has to offer.

Homework assignment #2

The main point of Phil. 3:17 – 4:9

            Paul encourages the Philippians to follow his example in Godly living – to put it into practice, because they belong to God’s kingdom. He also is very bold with them by repeating his commands to rejoice, to have unity, and to stand firm. He also commands them to train their thoughts to be Godly.
I had also asked you to read through the entire book of Philippians and record all the instances where joy, or rejoice is found. Whose joy? Why is there joy? etc.
Here is my list of the joy theme:
1:4 – joy – Paul has joy while praying because of their partnership in the gospel
1:18 – rejoice  – Paul rejoices because the gospel is proclaimed
1:18 – rejoice – Paul continues to rejoices because of the hope of his deliverance (future-looking)
1:25 – joy – refers to the Philippians’ progress and joy in the faith.
2:2 – joy – Paul’s joy will be complete when they are like-minded; live in unity
2:17 – rejoice – Paul will rejoice with the Philippians, even while in chains, when they stand firm, so that all his labor with them has not been in vain. 
2:18 – rejoice – Philippians should rejoice with Paul whether or not he is suffering
2:28 – rejoice –Philippians to rejoice upon seeing Epaphroditus again (don’t hide their feelings from him)
2:29 – joy – the Philippians are to have joy and honor men like Epaphroditus.
3:1 – rejoice – Paul tells them to rejoice “in the Lord”. Don’t get side tracked by the circumcision laws.
4:1 – joy – Paul refers to the brothers as his “joy and crown” (Isn’t nice to know when we give someone else joy?)
4:4 – rejoice – Paul is commanding them to rejoice, again and again. Don’t stop rejoicing! Be anxious for nothing…
4:10 – rejoiced – how Paul felt or reacted when the Philippians were able to renew their concern for him.
For the Written summary of the theme of joy, I would like to quote directly from the Mining God’s Word workbook (pg. 93) because what the authors’ have said is excellent, and worth having you read:

The theme of joy in Philippians is striking for several reasons. First, it is clear that joy can survive and even flourish in the context of suffering. Paul rejoices despite those seeking to afflict him (1:18); he rejoices even though he is being poured out as a drink offering (2:17); he commands the Philippians to rejoice even thought hey are suffering (1:29). Second, it is striking that joy is commanded. This is a repeated and emphasized injunction of the letter (2:18, 3:1, 4:4).

It is assumed that the Philippians have the capacity to obey Paul’s command. Third, Paul places joy at the center of Christian life. He will continue his ministry to the Philippians for their “joy in the faith” (1:25), he sets himself up as a model of joy (2:17 – 18), and as we already stated, he repeatedly command s the Philippians to rejoice. Fourth, seeing joy cannot be an impure pursuit because Paul desires it (2:2) and sends Epaphroditus for the joy of the Philippians (2:28), and unabashedly commands it. Fifth, and most importantly, joy is rooted in God. Paul uses the phrase “rejoice in the Lord” three times (3:1, 4:4, 10). Although the Philippians are often what prompts Paul’s rejoicing (whether it be their partnership or faith or help), the context of the letter makes it clear that Paul’s rejoicing is over the way in which God is being exalted in them as a work of grace (1:6, 2:13). So at every turn Paul shatters the common ideas about joy. Joy can exist in the midst of suffering, it can be commanded, it is at the center of Christian life, it should be pursued, and it is rooted in God alone.

Isn’t that a fabulous summary?
For today’s class, I will attempt to wrap up the rest of Philippians (4:10 –23). Please read these verses now and then come back.
OK, here is my summary:
Paul tells the Philippians that he rejoices greatly in the Lord and then explains why. He wants no misunderstanding between them. He acknowledges that they have always cared for him even though they may not have had the financial means to do so.  He seems to draw similarities between ‘being in need’ and also ‘having all of his needs met’, by the fact that he always relies and trusts in God no matter what circumstances God has placed him in. A sign of true contentment – an example he wants them to imitate. However, he wants them to know he is grateful and thankful that they remembered him and blessed him. He even calls to mind how many times in the past they have come to his aid. He equates the ‘fragrant offering’ that is acceptable to God, to the pleasing aroma of the OT sacrifices that were also acceptable to God. He reminds them that, as God has supplied his needs through them, that God will also supply their needs. He draws to a close with a Doxology (a liturgical expression to praise God), and then sends the final greetings from the saints with him, making a special point of mentioning the saints within Caesar’s household. This is a rather bold statement that lets the saints at Philippi know that the gospel message had spread even into Caesar’s household! Nothing can thwart the movement of the spirit of God.
That’s it. We’re finished with Philippians. Do you know more about the book of Philippians than when we started 8 weeks ago? Can you explain the reasons why Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians? Is being in prison a blessing or a curse? Can it be both?  Should it be both? Should we allow doubts/controversies into our hearts that are different from the gospel? Do we need more than Christ and His love and sacrifice to make our lives complete? Are your thoughts aligned with Christ Jesus? Do you want to be remembered as a Godly woman or one who is chastised for bickering? Can you grasp the idea of joy as a command? Is joy another emotion, like anger, that can come and go, or is it a reflection of the Holy Spirit living within each of us? (“The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Gal. 5:22)
Thank you for working through this Epistle with me. I have enjoyed the time thinking through Paul’s teachings while writing it down for you. It has solidified what I already know, and reminded me of things I had forgotten.  May God be honored and praised by our lives from this day forth. Remember, the gospel of Christ is tidings of comfort and joy.
Blessings on your homes! Bye, bye~
Yours sister in Christ,
Eileen

>The Holiness of God – Chapter Eight-

Posted on by
5

>

How do I respond to God’s holiness?

How do I respond when He says, “Becky, be holy because I am Holy”?

The easiest thing to do is be moralistic about it; and start working on the externals only. It is at times easier to say no to a movie or to a certain music than to say no to a habit that seems more “spiritual” but at the end of the day, in the quietness of my bed,  I know it is not what God wants for me.

God justified me when I did not deserve His forgiveness, but He wants me to work on my salvation with fear and trembling every day; Sproul says it well:

“To be spiritual has only one real purpose. it is a means to an end, not the end itself. The goal of all spiritual exercise must be the goal of righteousness. God calls us to be holy. Christ sets the priority of the Christian life: ‘But seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well’ (Matt. 6:33) The goal is righteousness”

This chapter is one in which we are encouraged  to examine ourselves and see what are we living for; how are we pursuing this goal that God has set before us.

We need to be careful on how we live our lives, on how we journey under His sun every day. Let us not forget that the devil will be trying to deceive even the chosen ones. Maybe we think we are pursuing a holy life when in reality we are just pursuing a moralistic life. We might miss the mark, if we don’t consider our steps and our motives in the light of the Scripture-

In this chapter Sproul also explains about the differences between happiness and pleasure, read his words:

“My sins have not brought me happiness. But my sins have brought me pleasure. I like pleasure. I am still very much attracted to pleasure. Pleasure can be great fun. And not all pleasures are sins. There is much pleasure to be found in righteousness. But the difference is still there. Sn can be pleasurable, but it never brings happiness.
Now if I understand all this why would I ever be tempted to sin? It seems silly that anyone who knows the difference between happiness and pleasure would continue to trade happiness for pleasure. It seems utterly stupid for a person to do something that he knows will rob him happiness. Yet we do it. The mystery of sin is not only that it s wicked and destructive but also that it is so downright stupid”

It is just incredible to read this and be willing to admit that this is our condition -at least mine– . Many times I trade the happiness of serving those around me for the momentary pleasure of doing my own thing. This is indeed a stupid thing to do.

Because God has called me to be holy where I am now, then I must start seeing my home as holy ground, as a sacred place. It is in my daily life, the life I live behind dishes, and books, and math, and cooking, and talking and listening, the place in which I must show myself holy.

Dr. Sproul goes on to explain what does it mean to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:1-2) This is a very interesting study of the verse,  so I invite you to read the book to find out all the treasures hidden there! However, I do want to say that I agree with the author:

“It is a tragedy that the matter of nonconformity has been treated by Christians at a shallow level. The simplistic way of non conforming is to see what is in style in our culture and then do the opposite…
The call of nonconformity is a call to a deeper level of righteousness that goes beyond externals. When piety is defined exclusively in terms of externals, the whole point of the apostle’s teaching has been lost. Somehow we have failed to hear Jesus’ words that it is not what goes into a person’s mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of that mouth. We still want to make the kingdom a matter of eating and drinking.
Anyone can avoid dancing or going to the movies. These require no great effort of moral courage. What is difficult is to control the tongue, to act with integrity, to reveal the fruit of the Spirit”

This is my prayer today, I do not want to be conformed to this world; but I long to be transformed by the renewing of my mind. I want to “rigorously pursue the kingdom of God”, to study the Word of God deeply, to “master the Word of God”.

Sanctification is a process but is not a passive one. It is one that requires a real, and “serious level of sacrifice”

“That is the call of excellence we have received. We are not to be like the rest of the world, content to live our lives with a superficial understanding of God. We are to grow dissatisfied with spiritual milk and hunger after spiritual meat”

May His grace abound as we pursue our calling to live a holy life under His sun and by His grace,

Becky

**********************

I am reading this book with a great community of great men and women; read more about this chapter at Challies today.

Related Posts:

The Holiness of God- Chapter Seven -War and Peace with a Holy God-
The Holiness of God – Chapter Six -Holy Justice-

This month we are Celebrating the Incarnation of Our Lord; would you join us?

Celebrating the Incarnation of Our Lord – Part I-

>Time to Study Philippians -Week Seven-

Posted on by
Reply

>@font-face { font-family: “Wingdings”;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }h1 { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; page-break-after: avoid; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }p.MsoBodyTextIndent, li.MsoBodyTextIndent, div.MsoBodyTextIndent { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 72pt; text-indent: -72pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }span.Ttulo1Car { font-weight: bold; }span.SangradetdecuerpoCar { }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }ol { margin-bottom: 0cm; }ul { margin-bottom: 0cm; }

Greetings to the ladies of our Philippians study!
Welcome to Week Seven~
This study and the following two weeks of lessons will be a condensed version of Mining God’s Word – How To Study the Bible; Foundation Series by Bethlehem College and Seminary Press. I highly recommend that you purchase your own workbook at www(dot)bethlehemcollegeandseminary(dot)org – it would be a great tool for you to have!
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”                                 Luke 2:52
Let us review our homework first:
Did you manage to find references to “fellow worker(s)”? I will list a few of mine below for you. Most likely you will have come across some of these also. Please read the verses around these texts to know the context.
Romans 16:3 – “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus…”
            The fellow workers listed here are a man and a woman. A church met in their home (16:5).
Phil. 4:2-3 – “Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women [Euodia and Syntyche], who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the books of life.”
            Referring to men and women as fellow workers.
1 Cor. 3:9 – (beginning in verse 8) “He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers.”
            This text is talking about what Paul and Apollos have individually done for the church body. Do not think one is better than the other.
Col. 4:11 – “ …These are the only men [vs.10] of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.”
            These men are Paul’s comfort and support during this time.
Philemon – 1:1 “To Philemon our beloved fellow worker…”
            We know that Philemon had a house church where the saints gathered together.
Phm. 1:24 – “…and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.”
            Paul is sending greetings from these men back to Philemon along with others mentioned in the verses before this one.
2 Cor. 8:23 “As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit.”
            Titus was a leader and a teacher.
There are more than this listing, but these will give us a good foundation. What were you able to learn about “fellow workers”? They could be both men and women; they were more than just Christians in the first century, they were ones who labored close to Paul, striving for the kingdom of God. Many were church leaders, or had churches meeting in their homes. (However, it was not a church office.) They were held up as examples, and Paul often requested on their behalf, for the saints to comfort and refresh them, since many of them also traveled to comfort and encourage Paul.

Main point of Philippians 2:19-30

Paul is sending Timothy and Epaphroditus and back to the Philippians. Timothy is known for his love and service to Paul and his love for the Philippians. Epaphroditus, being the Philippians’ minister and messenger, is returning so they no longer have concern for his safety or his health. He went through many trials to be with Paul and he deserves their honor also.
For Today: 
Since this eight-week study is a condensed version of a twelve-week study, I will need to blend some chapters and homework together, so that we may finish the first week of December. Therefore, I am going to assign homework for you now, and then give you a bit more after I finish today’s lesson.  
Homework part 1 – Read all of Philippians and then re-read Phil 3:1-16. Write down your observations (remember “pointer” words), and then give me a short summary of Phil. 3: 1-16.
Today’s lesson:
Bible Genres – By definition, a genre can be a literary work characterized by its form, content, or style. The Bible contains eight main genres:
1)    Historical Narratives – these contain stories with specific time/place and events mentioned, and usually have a beginning, middle and an end. 
2)    Law – writings that have the commands of God and tell the people how to act according to His decree.
3)    Prophecy – God’s messengers calling the people/nation to obedience of His word. Can contain future judgments. 
4)    Poetry – a writing style that is figurative, has parallelism and uses language with vivid imagery.
5)    Proverbs – short, memorable sayings that portray truth and yet also have a bit of a sting or bite to them. Contain great wisdom.
6)    Gospels –writings that join together biography (of Jesus) and theological teachings.
7)    Parables – stories or statements that portray life; those listening recognize they are to do something with the information of the story.
8)    Epistles –written with a specific audience in mind (like the letters to the Philippians) but can be used today to glean wisdom and knowledge of Godly living. The epistles are generally a one-sided conversation, since they were written in response to an event.
With these eight genres in mind, I am going to write a few verses, but not tell you where they are located. Are you able to recognize which Book I’m quoting out of? Can you figure out the genre? I will write the correct answers at the end of all these verses. Try not to peek at the answers first. J
1)“But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me. Answer me, OLORD, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.”
2) “So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the appointed time. And there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba 70,000 men. And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, ‘It is enough, now stay your hand.’ And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, ‘Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and my father’s house.’”
3) “Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright. The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made them both. Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread. ‘Bad, Bad,’ says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts. There is gold and abundance of costly stones, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.”
4) “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us dill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”
5) “And she has rebelled against my rules by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries all around her; for they have rejected my rules and have not walked in my statutes. Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you are more turbulent than the nations that are all around you, and have not walked in my statutes or obeyed my rules, and have not even acted according to the rules of the nations that are all around you, therefore says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, even I, am against you. And I will execute judgments in your midst in the sight of the nations. And because of all your abominations I will do with you what I have never yet done, and the like of which I will never do again.”
Answers:
1)    Ps. 69:13-15. Poetry. Vivid imagery. Parallel theme of deliverance in the plea.
2)    2 Sam. 24:15-17. Historical Narrative. There are names/places mentioned and a story line.
3)    Pr. 20:11-15. Proverb. Short sentences. Many with contrasts between folly and wisdom.
4)    Luke 20:9-16. Parable. Introduction is the beginning of a story. No one specifically is named. The hearers are to respond.
5)    Ezek. 5:6-9. Prophecy. Judgment from the Lord because of lack of obedience.
I did not cover all the genres, but the rest are easy to recognize. How did you do? Did you recognize any of the books these verses came from?
Once we understand the genre of a book, it will be easier for you to interpret the writing of a book. (Many books do contain more than one genre. Luke is a gospel, but the part I quoted was a parable within the gospel.) Again, ask God for wisdom.
Which category does Philippians belong to? It would be an epistle because it is a letter to specific people, and it is only one side of the conversation between Paul and the Philippians. We can, therefore, make certain estimations or educated guesses about what may have happened in the past by what Paul is addressing in his letter.

Homework part 2 –

Read Philippians 3:16-4:9. Re-read it slowly, watching for ‘pointers’ and making notes on what you observe. Then write down your summary of the main point.
Read the entire book of Philippians looking for themes of JOY. It can be joy, or rejoice, or rejoicing…anything along those lines. Make a list of all the references for JOY.
Using the first half of your list, write down the reasons for the joy and who’s joy it is.
Now, do the same for the second half of your list, again writing down the reasons for the joy.
Write a summary of what you think about JOY in the book of Philippians. Do you understand joy better for your life?
Have a blessed Thanksgiving week! We do have so much to be Thankful for! (How does the old hymn go? “Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings, see what God has done…”)
We’ll meet back here the first week in December.
Again, Thank You Becky, you are a beloved sister!

Eileen

****************

Are you just coming in?

Welcome!

You can start this series today. Read the introduction here and the first week’s study here.

**********************

>Time to Study Philippians -Week Six-

Posted on by
Reply

>p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }ol { margin-bottom: 0cm; }ul { margin-bottom: 0cm; }

Greetings to the ladies of our Philippians study!
Welcome to Week Six~
This study and the following two weeks of lessons will be a condensed version of Mining God’s Word – How To Study the Bible; Foundation Series by Bethlehem College and Seminary Press. I highly recommend that you purchase your own workbook at www(dot)bethlehemcollegeandseminary(dot)org – it would be a great tool for you to have!

“You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” Ps. 30:11-12

Ladies, we only have a few weeks left of our study. I will be taking the week of Thanksgiving off (Nov. 22-26), so our last study will be the first week in December.
Our homework from last week:
Even though I asked you to write a few paraphrases throughout Philippians 2:12-18, I will combine all the paraphrases together for one final paraphrase of 2:12-18. Here is my example:
My beloved brothers, because of the excellent example of humility we have in Christ Jesus, and even though I am not with you now, I want you to continue to obey what you have previously been taught. Do this because you know that God is working in you, and it is for his good pleasure to do so. Do not whine and gripe about your circumstances like the non-believers do, but be different from them – set apart. They live in darkness not knowing Christ, but you do know Christ. Therefore, you are like bright lights shining into their sinful and darkened world. Do not waver in what I have taught you and what you know is true. Your faithfulness is important to me. Even if I should be killed for your salvation, knowing that you have remained firm in the truth of Christ Jesus would give me cause to rejoice.  So don’t lose heart, but rejoice with me.
Main point of Phil. 2:12-18  – 
Paul exhorts the Philippians to imitate Christ and live according to the Gospel Paul has taught them. To work out their salvation because God is working in them, even in the midst of their sufferings.
I presume your paraphrase will have parts that are similar to mine and part that are slightly different. That’s all right. Paraphrasing will be like that according to each author.
This week’s lesson:
We will be working with our concordances, and doing a few word studies.
Word studies are valuable tools for those studying their Bibles. They allow us to follow and clarify ideas, theology, and locate OT and NT teachings. However, there are also problems that arise when doing word studies. I am going to talk about three specific problems that you need to watch out for.
1)    Be careful when looking up words, that you do not assume the individual roots of a word combine together for a more accurate definition. Here’s an example: Butterfly. There are two words here, Butter and Fly. Now, we know what a butterfly is, and it is not butter that flies. So combining the meaning of the two root words, does not give us the correct meaning of the word they create together. 
2)    Be careful when looking up words that you do not assume that the meaning of a word is always the same, or close to the same, in each instance it is used. 
3)    Also note that the meaning of a word in a specific context may not be a sum of all its parts; a culmination of everywhere else it is used. Context is important.
With these few warnings to remember, let us begin to look up words in our concordance.
We will begin with the word “Antichrist”. First, what do you think “antichrist” means?
I would like you to look up 1 John 2:18, 1 John 2:22, 1 John 4:3, and 2 John 1:7 and write down what you observe about this word, the context it has been written in, and then summarize what you learned from the verses we looked up. Do this now, and then come back to class, and I will write down what I discovered.
1 John 2:18 – there are many antichrist, and more to come – that’s how the people in John’s time knew they were in the last hour. Contextually, we see that the antichrists were part of the church community, but left the fellowship of the believers. The Christians thought they (the antichrists) were saved also, but if they had been, they would not have ‘gone out’ from the believers, but they did, proving that they (the antichrists) never really belonged to Christ.
1 John 2:22 – the liar is the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ; he who denies the Father and the Son.
1 John 4:3 – every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is the spirit of the antichrist; the antichrist is already in the world.
2 John 1:7 – many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Christ in the flesh. That one is the antichrist.
Summary about the antichrist: They (more than one) were in the world at the time of John’s writing. They were the sign of the appearance of the last days. They deny that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, and they deny the Father and the Son. They teach opposite the truth (they left the company of believers).
Is this what you thought “antichrist” meant? Did you happen to notice that only John wrote about the Antichrist?
Let’s look up one more: Last Days
Here are the scripture verses for you to look up, record, and summarize your observations:
Acts 2:17; 2 Timothy 3:1; Hebrews 1:2; James 5:3; and 2 Peter 3:3.
My observations:
Acts 2:17 – Peter (at Pentecost) quotes from Joel 2:28-32 about the signs of coming of the Last Days; God pouring out His Spirit on all flesh. The signs of the Last Days were happening in Acts 2:17.
2 Timothy 3:1– in the Last Days there will be difficult times. People will be filled with sin (see the list in vs. 2-6).
Hebrews 1:2 –Last Days was a current time in the writer’s life (“these last days”).
2 Peter 3:3 – reminding the readers of what the prophets of old had predicted about the Last Days. The Scoffers will doubt and try to persuade others to doubt as well.
What did the prophets of old tell? They (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea to list a few) talked of the sinful Israelite nation who turned away from their God. Therefore, God brought judgment down on them, being taken captive and other nations’ kings ruling over them (Assyria, Babylon, Persia). Now, in the NT, we have the last days of the same unbelieving nation. The Jews (Israel) did not believe that Jesus was the foretold Messiah. Therefore, God was showing them that their Jewish nation as they knew it, was at an end – the last days. God would destroy their temple (Matt. 24:1-2, read farther for context), which did happen in 70 AD, because His Son was the last sacrifice ever needed. The thing that made them Jewish – their worship, their sacrificial system, their works – meant nothing now that Jesus has come in the flesh. Remember what Paul said in Phil. 3:5-10?
Summary of Last Days:
The time between Jesus death and the destruction of the temple in 70 AD were the Last Days – the Last Days were happening while the author’s were alive.
Homework for this week:
Day 1) Let’s concentrate on Philippians 2:19-30, but pay particular attention to “Fellow Worker” in v. 25. Find each phrase “Fellow Worker(s)” in your concordance. Make a column (not very wide) down the left-hand side of your homework page. In this column, record all the Biblical references to the term “Fellow Worker(s)”, each reference on a separate line.
Day 2) Read the passages in Scripture for each of the references in the first half of your “Fellow Worker(s)” listing. Try to answer these questions while you’re reading: Is the Fellow Worker and man or a woman? Is this phrase referencing a particular job within the church? Are there other words that always appear in conjunction with the term “Fellow Worker”? What is the context that this phrase appears? Record your answers to these questions in the right-hand margin next to that particular Scripture verse.
Day 3) Repeat yesterday’s instructions with the second half of your concordance list of “Fellow Workers”.
Day 4) Write down what you think the term “Fellow Worker(s)” means, or was used for, in the NT. Re-read Phil. 2:25. Does your new knowledge of Fellow Workers increase your understanding of the text?
Day 5) Write down what you think is the main point of Phil. 2:19-30.
And we’re finished with this week! The last two weeks of class we will cover more of the text than in the previous lessons, so that we can get through the entire book of Philippians before ending our class.
Ladies, may you be filled with more than knowledge, but with wisdom that can only come from our Father in heaven, as you read and study the Scriptures. Becky, once again THANK YOU for allowing me the time and the space on your blog to post our study.
Praise God from whom all blessing flow,
Eileen
 ***********************
 Related Posts:

Time to Study Philippians -Week Five–
Time to Study Philippians – Week Four-
Time to Study Philippians -Week Three-
Time to Study Philippians – Week Two-
Time to Study Philippians – Week One-


>Time to Study Philippians -Week Five-

Posted on by
1

>@font-face { font-family: “Wingdings”;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }h1 { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; page-break-after: avoid; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }span.Ttulo1Car { font-weight: bold; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }

Greetings to the ladies of our Philippians study!
Welcome to Week Five~
This study and the following three weeks of lessons will be a condensed version of Mining God’s Word – How To Study the Bible; Foundation Series by Bethlehem College and Seminary Press. I highly recommend that you purchase your own workbook at www(dot)bethlehemcollegeandseminary(dot)org – it would be a great tool for you to have!
Let us begin by looking at Proverbs 16:7 –

When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be a peace with him.

Amen! 
Let us start today by looking over last week’s homework. Did you find any interesting cross-references? According to my Bible, there were quite a few I could list. I will list some New Testament references, but I do want to also discuss one specific Old Testament reference. First re-read Phil. 1:27 – 2:11 to get us thinking about our text. This portion of Philippians is considered a teaching part (1:27-2:18). The verses following 1:27 show how verse 27 is to be lived out.
Cross-references: 
Phil. 1:27 “Only let your manner of life (conduct) be worthy of the gospel of Christ…”
1 Tim. 4:12 “…but set the believers an example on speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, impurity.” See also Eph. 4:1.
Phil. 1:27 (continued) “…so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, …”
1 Cor. 1:10 “I appeal to you, brother, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” See also Eph. 4:3-6.
Phil. 1:29 “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, …”
Matt. 5:12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Moving ahead in our passage…
Phil. 2:3 “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
Rom. 12:10 “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” See also James 4:10.
There are many, many more and it would take me quite a while to write them all down and you quite a while to read and check them. Did any of you find references to your Old Testament? How about to Isaiah 45? Please read all of Isaiah 45 and then we’ll look at it together.
Is. 45:1 – Do you remember who Cyrus is? Turn to 2 Chronicles 36:17-21 and read those verses. This passage is speaking about God fulfilling what Isaiah the prophet had been telling the Israelites for the entirety of the book of Isaiah – that if the Israelites don’t repent of their sin, and turn back to worship the Lord (see also 2 Chron. 36:15-16), He would destroy their nation and send them into exile, to a foreign land, and under the rule of a foreign king. Second Chronicles says, “He [the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar] took into exile those [Israelites] who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the King of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah*, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.”  *Read Jeremiah 25:11-12.
Now back in 2 Chronicles 36:22 – 23, (please turn there), we see that God ‘stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia,’ to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem that King Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed. Turn one page in your Bibles to the book of Ezra, and here Cyrus is mentioned again. Please read Ezra 1:1- 2:2. This is the same Cyrus we also find spoken of in Isaiah 45. So, let’s go back to Isaiah now that we know who Cyrus is and how God used him.
Please read chapter 45 in Isaiah, then Philippians 2:9-11, and then come back to Isaiah. Did you notice Paul quoting Isaiah 45:23 in Phil. 2:10-11? The Philippians passage comes right after Paul is taking about their manner of life being worthy of the gospel. Paul goes on to describe Jesus and his life, proving who he was and that he was Jesus Christ their Lord. The Isaiah passage Paul quotes is stating there is one and only one God, (Is. 45:5) the creator of all. God will use Cyrus, the Persian King, to restore and ‘save’ his people by returning them to the land God had promised them. (Does that sound familiar? This passage is a type or a foreshadowing of God’s true Anointed.) But, there are those who want to contend with the Lord and his decisions (Is. 45: 9-10). God then reminds them of who He is (Is. 45:11-13). Isaiah tells how God “will make all of his [Cyrus] ways level; he shall build my city and set my exiles free, not for a price or reward,’ say the Lord of hosts.” (Is. 45:13) Farther in this section of Isaiah, verses 21-23 are focusing on the one and only God and Savior. These are strong statements to prove Jesus’ deity. Plus, Jesus’ humiliation and then subsequent exaltation is a mysterious work of God – to hide himself in human form; gods of stone and clay can’t do that!
Therefore, when Paul is quoting Isaiah to the Philippians, he is reminding them of who Jesus is. This is kind of a long explanation, but it is an important one.

The main idea of Phil. 1:27-2:11

 

Paul is exhorting and encouraging them to ‘let your manner be worthy of the gospel of Christ,” pointing out unity, boldness and humility, using Christ as the ultimate example.

 

This week’s lesson

As you are reading your Bible, when you see a ‘therefore’ do you ask yourself, “What is the ‘therefore’ there for? If you are not already doing so, ask yourself this question and then read a few passages above (or below depending on the author) to know the context and to see what it is we should be paying attention to. Is it important teaching you should look at again? Is it an ‘if-then’ statement, that tells you to do something? Is it a word or words that make you ask, “Why?” There are certain words or phrases that naturally connect two sentences, or two parts of a sentence together – to make them fit logically. I call them “pointers” and I will list a few for you:
And, moreover, furthermore, likewise, neither, nor, then, or, but, while, on the one hand, even as, like, not…but, because, for, since, therefore, consequently, in order that, so, although, so that, nevertheless, whenever, and many more. You probably read them every day without really paying attention to them. But, (and I just used one there!) careful Bible study demands you pay attention to them. Here’s an example from Philemon 1:13-14:

 “I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be compulsion but of your own free will.”

Do you see the “pointers”? When you get to the first in order that, ask yourself the question, “Why?” right before you read it. The statement following the in order that, answers the question of why Paul would have been glad to keep him [Onesimus]. So, why didn’t Paul keep him then? Since (but) Paul didn’t want to do anything without Philemon’s consent. Why? (in order that) Philemon’s response would not be forced, or imposed, but his kindness would be out of brotherly love. Paying attention to how logical Paul is in his writings, gives us a better understanding of the meaning and intent of his letters. Looking at the “pointers” allows us to be able to paraphrase the text if need be.
Paraphrasing is when you say what someone else has already said, but using different words and in many times, condensing it into a shorter form. To begin a paraphrase, look for the key words, or the main words and then chose words to accompany them without loosing the meaning of the text. Be careful not to alter what is being said by your word choice.
If I paraphrased Philemon 1:13-17, it might look something like this:
I, Paul, would have liked, and did want Onesimus to stay with me during my time in jail, because he would have been a tremendous comfort and help to me, since I am jailed for the gospel, and you, yourself, were not able to be of aid. But, since I wasn’t able to ask you about it first, and he is still your slave, even though now he is a brother, I didn’t think it was right for me to keep him. So, I am sending him back to you. Philemon, I don’t want to force your hand in this decision, but, if you should choose to send him to me, I know it would be a sincere gift and one from your heart. And that is a better reason to do something rather than being forced into it.
(My paraphrase didn’t shorten the text – it appears to have lengthened it.) J
Sometimes, as we try to paraphrase writings, the meaning of the original text is made clearer, a sharper image of the passage it now visible to us. Sometimes paraphrasing can ‘water a text down’ – it can remove meaning by substituting words that create a different idea or response. Choose your words carefully.
This week’s homework…
Day 1) read Philippians 2:12-18 a few times. On the third time, circle any of the words that are “pointers” and then read to find out what the “pointer” is pointing and locate any logical relationships.
Day 2) Write a paraphrase of Phil. 2:12-13  – be careful not to change the meaning of the text.
Day 3) Write a paraphrase of Phil. 2:14-16
Day 4) Write a paraphrase of Phil. 2:17-18. Are you portraying the meaning of the text as Paul intended?
Day 5) Do you understand what Paul is saying more clearly than before? Write what you think the main point of Philippians 2:12-18 is.
We’re finished!
Thank you for coming to class, and for studying through Philippians with me. Becky, thank you for your kindness to me and your love to all the saints – wherever we may live!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Eileen
Related Posts:
Time to Study Philippians -Week One- 
Time to Study Philippians -Week Two-
Time to Study Philippians -Week Three-
Time to Study Philippians -Week Four-
******************************************

>How Do You Spend Time with God?

Posted on by
11

>

 Angelus, Jean.François Millet 1859

Part of the BIG changes that came to my life when God opened my eyes to the Doctrines of Grace, is a disciplined spiritual life. Before that  I was always in a roller coaster of prayer and Bible reading, never constant, always feeling guilty about it; The truth is that I tried to maintain a life of prayer based on my emotions and not on the Word which is impossible to do. The Lord had dealt graciously with me; He has opened my eyes to see and my ears to hear and my prayer life as well as my Bible reading time have grown, little by little but steady… “not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” (Phil. 3:12)
I would like to share here what has been helpful to me  (please, note that I am  not saying this the way YOU should do it, but this is the way it has worked for ME) to battle against my flesh which sometimes seems so weary and tired, and distracted.
First I started to wake up earlier every morning. Every. Day. Every. Day. Yes, it is not always easy but the Lord has helped me with that. I found that if I didn’t set a time at the beginning of my day to start right with God, I would not be able to do it later during the day.
Second, I learned that in order to be awake and not be distracted by all the thoughts  and to-do lists that seem to attack my mind whenever I start my devotions, I needed to be FULLY engaged in my time with God; so I started to bring a pen and journal, along with my Bible and some prayer books, to my devotional time.
My devotions look a little bit like this; I read the bible, take notes, pray over that Scripture, I jot down my thoughts again. I take time to review my memory Bible verses, (I have a system with post-it tags to know which ones I should review and which one I am learning right now); again I pray over those verses. Many times I use prayers guides such as Valerie’s prayer guide, or prayer books like The Valley of Vision or A Diary of Private Prayer. How do I use these books? Well, I read a paragraph, or even a line, and then I stop to make it mine, adding my own words to that prayer, which I also like to write down, on the margins or on my journal.
My favorite prayer book is A Method for Prayer. Freedom in the Face of God, by Matthew Henry. O how I love this prayer guide! It has different sections to it, and again I have little post-its to help me find each section and I move them as I walk through the guide. Again, I stop, ponder about it, add my own words, and then I write down a prayer.
All these have been a great help to me, I am not distracted, I pray longer, and I really meditate on God’s Word. I find it refreshing to come daily to the Lord’s table and eat His Words which are sweeter than honey and keep them in my heart.
For this, I am grateful today. 
Lord, I thank you, for helping me build a disciplined prayer life; thank you for bringing me to your Word, for opening my eyes to see and my ears to hear you. Thank you, because you have called me to sit at your feet and drink from the Living Water that satisfies my soul.

How do you spend time with God? 
Would you share with us, so that we may be encouraged to persevere? 

Related Posts:

Daniel’s Prayer
God’s Sovereignty in the Gospel of Luke
On Prayer and C. H Spurgeon
The Secret of the Believer’s Boldness  (A guest post by Christina Langela)
Lord, Teach us to Pray (A guest post by Diane @ Theology for Girls)
A House of Prayer

**************************************************