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What I have learned from my Bible Study Experiencing God by Henry and Richard Blackaby |
Everything about God is good all the time. I am going to be sharing what I have learned during my Bible studies. What I Blog here I want to help other Christians who may be struggling in their faith, who may want to get a closer personal relationship with God and Jesus, to expand on their current studies and maybe lead some non-believers to Christ. For my first entries, I will be posting what I have learned in my Experiencing God Bible Study. When I did this study, I used the book version which is called Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God Revised and Expanded Edition, written by Henry and Richard Blackaby. This is a study that every church should do. At the end of each chapter, there were questions which I enjoyed writing out the answers in my journal. Yes I am still the pen and paper type person. Then an I continued to do this, I realized that it would be awesome to share what I have learned. Here is a book review of Experiencing God. If you are interested, you can find it in most boosstores. Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God Revised and Expanded Edition Written by Henry and Richard Blackaby Used by many Bible Study Groups as a 12-week study, "Experiencing God" helps you draw closer to God. Many people who read this book and apply what they learn after completing each lesson no longer view God as an invisible entity, but experience him in a different perspective. Broken down in 26 chapters, the authors show you how to take "baby step" in knowing God on an intimate level, helping you improve your daily walk with him. After completing each lesson, you will be able to listen to God as he speaks to you. You will also know what God's plan will be for you-what he want you to do for his kingdom. Since each chapter has questions for reflection it is recommended to have a journal or notebook handy as you go through each lesson. One notable chapter is Chapter 5: The seven Realities of Experiencing God. These realities are: Reality 1: God is always at work around you. God created the world for a purpose. It was not just a hobby that he ignored when it was done. We can see his work when our spiritual eyes are open. Reality 2: God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal. God wants all humans to have a close relationship with him. The authors use Moses as an excellent example of this relationship. Moses and God spoke to each other on a daily basis. Reality 3: God invites you to become involved with him in his work. God already knows what his plans for humanity are. He does not want us to change his plans but to look around and see what he is already doing and get involved with his plans. Reality 4: God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways. By being closer to God, we will be able to hear him when he speaks to us. Reality 5: God's invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action. The authors provide many examples from the Bible when somebody stumbled in faith. Once again, Moses is used as an example when he gave excuses to God when he was not sure if he could lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Reality 6: You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing. All of us have short comings. In order to experience God on a more intimate level, we must make adjustments to our lives. We sometimes have to make personal sacrifices in order to do what God wants us to do. Reality 7: You come to know God by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes His work through you. Whatever you accomplish, you will recognize it as a work of God and not of your own doing. If you are a Christian, you must include this book in your library. This book is excellent for both new Christians and those who have been following Jesus for years. Finally, anybody who is a leader in a Bible study group will find this book a must have. |
| Question 1. Are you certain you are a child of God, that he has forgiven you of your sin? If not, stop right now and settle that matter with God. Yes, I am a Child of God and I know that he has forgiven me of my sins. However, there are times where I have my doubts. I do not deserve God’s forgiveness, mercy and love. When I have these doubts, I need to trust in the Lord God. Question 2. What in particular would you like to see God do in your life as you study Experiencing God? Do you long for a deeper walk with him? Do you need victory over a particular sin in your life? Do you desire more profound times in prayer reading God’s word? Would you like a deeper sense of joy in your life or to better understand God’s will? Ask God to address these specific issues as you read. I want to improve my relationship with God. Sometimes I feel that it is nonexistent. I have so much on my mind-such as finances, family issues and work issues-I tend to forget that God is with me. I want to change that to a continuous, existing and thriving relationship. I can also describe my relationship as at a plateau. It is neither growing nor declining. I want to grow as a Christian each day. I want to learn new things by studying the Bible and other books, praying, and talking to God I want my relationship to be exciting, joyful and powerful. With this type of attitude, others would want to get to know God better. Question 3. What are some characteristics of God you have come to know by experience? He is caring, loving, all-knowing, all-powerful and trustworthy. Question 4. Which name of God currently seems most significant in your life? Why is that? I have to say that God's name is Provider. Mostly it is because of my financial situation. My husband and I find ourselves struggling week by week getting our bills paid. However, when all seems lost, God always come through for us. Question 5. What is one aspect of God’s nature you would like to experience more fully in the coming days? I want to experience his trust. I know that God is trust-worthy. I just have to learn to trust him in every situation in my life. Whenever something happens in my life that I do not like, I cannot n=blame God or ask him “why me?” He allows things to happen for a reason. When I begin to trust him more, I can understand why he allows things to happen. The bad things always have a good thing behind it. Good always come out of the bad. I will share an example of his trust. The car I was driving had 280,000 miles on it. It was at the point where it had one mechanical problem after another. Since I had a seventy-five mile commute back and forth to work, the car was not reliable for my commute. My husband and I looked around at cars and found one with low mileage at a decent price. However, after we applied for a loan, we were declined. Our credit was not good, we were already in the trap where we were spending more than we made. Needing a car to get back and forth to work, my husband allowed me to use his truck. He used the car, since it would be fine for local travel. This is where I needed to trust in God. The car we were looking at, even though the price was excellent, was not reliable. Through consumer reports, this type of car was known to have a list of mechanical problems. If we were able to get approved for a loan, the payments would have been almost $300 a month. We were struggling as it was; I am not sure if I would have been able to keep up with the payments. The timing was not perfect for this type of car. It was the beginning of winter. The car I was looking at was not reliable in the snow. We did have a rough winter that year. Driving my husband’s truck made me feel safe since it had four-wheel drive. It was six months later when I realized that God was working for me and not against me. Our financial situation improved somewhat. We were able to get approved for a car payment. I had something trustworthy , safe in the snow and reliable. My initial disappointment in God turned to understanding of why God did not help us the first time. Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, Revised and Expanded Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, Revised and Expanded |
| Question 1. Describe the experience that most permanently settled your belief in God’s love for you. What questions did you ask during your experience? Did God provide answers for your questions? How? And why not? Did you ever doubt God’s love during this experience? How can you be sure God loves you today? I can probably name many experiences and write a book about it, but I will write about when I first became a Christian. I grew up in a God-fearing community. So all my life I knew that God was a loving God. However, I was also brought up thinking that God was also an unforgiving God. This meant that if I sinned, I would go to Hell. Now I was a pretty good kid-most people would call me a teacher’s pet or a momma’s girl. However, after a few slips of the tongue and other small infractions, at the age of sixteen I was convinced that I was going to go to Hell. I could not live a truly happy life, because I was sure that I would be suffering eternally. That all changed in my first year in college when I met a guy who taught me the Roman’s Road to Salvation. It was then that I realized that there was hope for my soul and became a Christian. I asked many questio0ns but cannot really remember exactly what they were since this was nearly thirty years ago. Some of the ones I remember were about confession, going to church and purgatory. God provided the answers through the person who talked to me. He told me that he did not know all the answers-since he was not perfect himself-and told me that the bible would have the answers. Before I became a Christian, I did doubt God’s love. As soon as the person started talking to me, my doubt disappeared. Even today I know God loves me. God is love. Question 2. When God has asked you to do something, what has your response typically been? If you struggled to obey, what hindered you? Did you lack trust in God’s love? His wisdom? His power? My problem is I am too self-willed. I am not sure if I do something if it is God who is telling me to do something or if it is me who wants to do it. Usually I get a strong urge inside me, even if I never gave it a thought previously. For example, in my junior year in college, I was a transfer student, getting acquainted with the campus. I was looking for the ice arena in the gym campus and found myself in the (ROTC) Reserve Officer Training Corps) wing. All of a sudden, I had a strong urge to join the Army, something I never thought about before. God may have been telling me to join, because that is where I met my future husband a few years later. While I am reading Experiencing God, I am also reading “Battlefield of the Mind” by Joyce Meyer. Both of these books go hand-in-hand. In one part of the book, Joyce talks about a dress she bought but never wore. One day God inspires her to give the dress to a co-worker. However, Joyce hesitated a few times because she had bought the dress for herself. In the long-run, she finally gives the dress to the co-worker. I am like that also. I sometimes have an urge to do something or give something. However, I hesitate and end up not doing it. Whenever I get these urges, I have to determine if they are from God. If the urges are positive or good, I will have to assume that they are from God. Even if a task seems impossible, I have to trust in God. He will provide me the wisdom and power to complete the task. When I hesitate, I am telling God that I do not trust him. Question 3. Has God ever asked you to do something that did not make sense to you? If so, what happened? What did you learn about God and yourself through that experience? Since I am new with experiencing God, what I am currently doing may be a self-motivated task. There are countless times when I have tried to read the Bible completely. While there are many times where I have read Genesis and a part of Exodus, I never did read the Bible in its entirety. I used the Bible to look up verses or refer to specific chapters during Bible Study. Well in 2007, I had a strong urge to type out the books of the Bible. I had a slow start since I was working on my Master’s Degree and working full-time. However, down the line-when I had more free time-I became more committed. As of today, I have up to 2 Samuel, Psalms and most of the Minor Prophets completed in the Old Testament. I have also started Matthew and want to finish that before I start 1 Kings. I had the sudden urge to start on the Gospels before continuing with the Old Testament books. As I am working on this, I am learning new things each day. |
| Question 1. Have you struggled to know God’s will? If so, what has been your biggest challenge? Yes, I always struggle to know why God put me on this world. I have a hard time knowing if it is God’s will or if it is self-centered. For example, one day I worked overtime and I had the strongest sensation to stop at a local Christian bookstore on the way home from work. It could have been God telling me to stop there and look for a specific book. Then again, it could have been a motivation to make me stop and buy something. Not sure, if it was God’s or my will, I did stop on the way home and looked around. I did not get any strong urges, so I was pretty sure that it was more of self-will than a God given will. I ended up not buying anything. So it is possible that God was testing me to see if I was going to spend money. I have been trying not to spend too much money on wants. This week, I had a couple bills that needed to be paid on. Therefore, I could not afford to spend money. It also might have been Satan tempting me to spend money on wants rather than necessities. Question 2. Are you satisfied with your relationship with Christ, or do you constantly feel the need to be doing something for him? I think the question should read, is Jesus Christ satisfied with his relationship with me? I do not give him enough time of my life. I am too busy with worldly activities that I am too tired to sit down with him. However, I am working on this. I am slowly getting rid of the distractions in my life. For example, I spend way too much time on the Internet. While some of it has to deal with banking, Bible Study and writing, I spend too much time doing useless things, such as playing games. I did make a step in the right direction by not renewing my Pogo membership. I am also a lover of books. My collection has grown over the years through book and yard sales. I had so many that it would not be possible for me to read them all. So I have been bringing in bags of non-Christian books and leaving them at work. Question 3. How have you experienced God working throughout your life as you have been abiding in Christ? He has been with me all my life. He knew I would get married and have two children. Imagine what would have happened if I did not join the Army. I never would have met my husband. My two girls would never have been born. Question 4. Are you content to follow God one day at a time, or do you become anxious if you do not know where God is leading you in the future. If so, why is that? It is best to follow God one step at a time rather than to wait for the perfect opportunity. If I decide to wait until I retire before committing to follow God’s will, I might miss my call for other opportunities. |
| Question 1. Do you prefer to see yourself as a servant of God or a manager? What kind of servant are you for God? In man’s world, I prefer to be a servant than a manager. There are too many responsibilities on the manager’s head. I would rather be told what to do than telling somebody to do something. Therefore, I would rather be a servant for God, doing what God tells me to do. In God’s perspective, I am not a good servant. I tell God what I want rather than asking him for things I need. If I do ask and do not like my answers, I get mad at God. I sometimes start the day fulfilling tasks I set out to do for God. However, there are times when I let worldly distractions get in my way and I do not allow time for God. As a married woman, I must practice the role of the serving wife. However, because of my selfish nature, I put my own needs ahead of my husband’s. Question 2. Do you ever feel as if you are too ordinary or that you have failed too many times to be of use to God? If so, what does the Bible say about that? Yes, I feel that I am too ordinary and have failed God too many times. However, the bible listed many ordinary people who were excellent servants of god. Moses is an excellent example. I am like him. I have trouble expressing myself orally. Moses claimed he was weak in tongue. However, God worked through Moses to lead the people out of Egypt. Question 3. Have you set conditions for how and where or when you will serve God? How do you think God views your conditional obedience? I have done that many times. There have been times of anger, grief, and stress, when I tell God once I am over them, I will be able to be a better Christian. What I need to realize is that I have to be a servant during even the most trying times. God will be more pleased with me if I serve him in all ways I possibly can. I understand I have to do this today and now. Question 4. How have you been experiencing God working powerfully through your life in ways only he can? When I first became a Christian it was not that I was ashamed of my new-found faith. It was because I was brought up in a certain denomination and afraid to let family members know, as well as close friends. God did give me the voice to say, “I am a Christian!” True there are some people who do not understand and even mock me; God gave me the voice to stand my ground. He has given me the wisdom to explain what something means in the Bible. However, I still have a lot to learn. |
| Question 1. Do you believe God is at work around you right now? If so, what do you sense he is presently doing? Yes I believe that he is. He created the world for a purpose. It was not just a hobby that he ignored when it was completed. It is his perfect creation. Even though I do not see God, my spiritual eyes are open and I can see his work. The best example is on a clear night when I look up at the stars. I recognize that as God’s perfect creation. Question 2. What has God done lately that provided you an opportunity to come to know him more personally than you had before? There are so many things it will take a long time to write. I believe that God guides me throughout my life. When I became a Christian, it was the first semester at a community college. The previous semester, I had flunked out of a college. When I found out that I was academically dismissed, it was like it was the end of the world. However, I also knew that I could not give up on college. Therefore, I immediately enrolled in the community college. If my grades had been a little better in my first college, I would have still attended there. I would not have met Ray, who told me how to get salvation. Maybe I would have met someone in my future. However, I do not think I would have been as open. Question 3. Is God inviting you to join him in his activity? Is so, what is he asking you to do? Yes, God is always inviting me to do his work. However I am like Moses. When God first told him about his plans for him, Moses always had one excuse or another. I do not have the confidence to carry through with God’s plans for me. I cannot picture myself being a public speaker like Joyce Meyer. I cannot see leaving my family to become a missionary in another country. I know from reading the Book of Matthew, Jesus expects me to leave everything to follow him. However, I feel my mission is closer to home. My family needs me-even though they will not ask for help-to lead them to God. Question 4. Have you heard God speak to you recently? If so what did he say? What have you done is response? I can recall one time when I heard God’s voice. I was driving to work one day and I heard a voice. I was talking to God at the time and my whole soul was filled with joy. I heard a voice and it basically interrupted my thoughts. It was distinctly a man’s voice (however I cannot describe what the voice actually sounded like) and the voice said, “You are going to heaven.” I never heard God’s voice in this way again. I am sure he speaks to me through the Holy Spirit. However, with all of life’s distractions around me, I am at times too stubborn to listen. However, as I am exploring myself, I am attempting to get these distractions out of my life. Also, God speaks to me through other people. An excellent example is Joyce Meyer. I like to watch Enjoying Everyday Life. One time she touched on a sore point in our life-finances. Even with two incomes, my husband and I are struggling between paydays, trying to get bills paid as well as paying for our older daughter’s tuition. Joyce said rather than demand God for help, ask him to show us what we can do. I did that and it worked. While we are still struggling, we are making ends meet through what God has showed us. Question 5. Are you presently experiencing a crisis of belief? If so, why? In my reading, Moses is brought up where he is reluctant because he is unsure of himself because of the mission God gave him. This is what the authors describe as a crisis of belief. While God has not told me to go be a missionary in a Third World country, I have a crisis of belief when I worry about daily things. As mentioned before, our finances are the biggest concern. When I worry about paying a bill, I am not walking in faith with God. The Lord has always provided for us. We never went without food on our table and we always had a roof over our heads. I tend to look at the present situation and not at the near future. While our largest bill is $740 a month, we will not be paying that in six months. Question 6. What adjustments in your life is God asking you to make? As Blackaby states, I have to change from my way of doing things to God’s way of doing things. My first adjustment is to change the way I speak and think. I am very good at watching what I say around people. My job, like most places of employment, has a gossip mill. If I hear something about another person, I do not get involved. I do not pass what I hear to someone else. Gossip is hurtful, since most gossip are just rumors. However, I still need to watch my tongue. When I am taken by surprise and am angry, the wrong words come out. My thoughts are a different matter. It is very difficult to control my thoughts. Even if I say positive words, but I am thinking something entirely different, I am a hypocrite in God’s eyes. My relationships are another area I can improve on. I go to work, to work. I do what jobs the supervisor tells me to. Some people at work are what I call troublemakers. While this includes the gossip mill, there are others who like to cause strife among the other workers. I tend to avoid them. I also need to adjust what I read, watch and listen to. There is too much violence, cursing and sexual immorality on television, radio and in books. The way I will adjust this is only watching specific stations, listening to Christian radio stations and getting rid of books that are immoral. Question 7. How have you come to know God more personally as a result of obeying what He told you to do? I see God as more than an invisible being. He is a friend who is trustworthy. He is a counselor who directs me through obstacles life throws at me. He is a redeemer who gave me the free gift of salvation through his son Jesus Christ. He is patient with my missteps I take through life. He understands when I slip and fall. He is wise. He is all-knowing. He is all-powerful. Nothing is impossible through God. |
| Question 1. Reflect on your experience with God. Can you identify times when God was at work around you-and you knew it? Was there a time when God was working around you in past situations but you did not recognize it as God’s activity at the time? Just over a year ago, our area was hit by a severe flood. The week before we were hit by the tail end rains of Hurricane Irene. With the heavy rains, both the Chenango and Susquehanna rivers were high. The following weekend we had three days of rain. Even though the rain was not significantly heavy, the rivers were already swollen and the waters were continuing to rise. After a day of no rain, we were once again drenched. This time it was from the rains of Tropical Storm Lee. The damage from the flooding in our area was twice as bad as the Flood of 2006. The flood impacted not only our area but also towns to the west and east of us. Even people who did not live near the rivers were also affected, since the creeks –most notably The Day Hollow Creek-overflowed as well. Thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed by the flooding. At least ten thousand people had to be evacuated and many were left without a place to return to. During this time God was at work around us. People who were not affected by the flooding helped people who were. There were the rescue teams who helped people get out of their homes. There was the college and other places that set up shelters for the evacuees. There were the people who help evacuate the animals from the Humane Society. There were the friends and family members who helped others clean up. There were the generous people who donated money, clothes, cleaning supplies and other items. The list goes on. Before I became a Christian I never gave God credit for the good things that happened around me. I was too self-centered to give him a second thought. However, I was more than eager to blame him when something did not go the way I wanted. Question 2. Have you recently been asked to be involved in a ministry for which you feel inadequate? Could it be that God is inviting you to a new level of ministry with Him for which He will equip you? To me this is a tough question since I am not sure what God wants me to do. It gets to be frustrating, because God has plans for me and I do not know what they are. I need to pray to God to know what he wants me to do. This is what I need from God: I need to hear him speak to me and I need to hear him. I need him to show me what he is doing in my life. I need to believe in him. When he promised to do something, since he is all truth, he will do what he has promised. I need to adjust my way of thinking and doing things. When I am thinking in negative ways, I need to adjust to thinking in positive ways. God’s ways are positive, not negative. By praying and making adjustments, I should recognize what god wants to do through me. I also must focus on the love relationship with him. I must remember that when God created man, he did this because he loved him. He allowed me to be born because he loves me. I am allowing myself to get involved in a loved relationship with God. Whenever I feel that God is not doing anything in my life, I will focus on the love relationship. By doing this, God will tell me what to do. As I am continuing me reading, I suddenly realized that ministry does not mean that I have to become a pastor of a church with a large congregation. It could just be one person who approaches me with questions. Question 3. Has you service for God in the past been centered on you and what you felt comfortable doing, or on listening to God’s voice and doing whatever he asked? How might your service for God be more God-centered in the future? I want to do what God asks me to do. However, I am afraid I am still too self-centered. Right now as I am working on this question, my car is in the shop. The other night while I was driving it to work, it stalled and I could not get it started. Me mechanic is reliable and not expensive. However, I always have that nagging feeling inside me. As I mentioned before, I worry about things. When I do that, O cannot focus clearly on God. I think that if I did not have stressful circumstances in my life, I could concentrate and be more God-centered in the future. However, I would-most likely-find something else to stress about. Then again, the stressful situations in my life might disappear and I possibly would forget that God had helped me. From today on, I will put God first. As soon as I wake up, I will pray to God for guidance for the day. I will study the word before I start any of my daily activities. |
| Question 1. How did you feel as you walked and talked with God? Like in man’s world, a marriage cannot be one-sided. For it to be successful, both spouses must love one another. This is also true with God. His love for us is continuous and unconditional. However, for us to really experience him, we must love him in return. John 14:15: “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (NIV). John 14:21: “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him” (NIV). John 14:31: “But the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me” (NIV). As mentioned from the previous discussions, I am focusing on a love relationship with God. One part of the problems I have around the house are the normal distractions. They include the computer, telephone and television-to name a few. For me to focus on God, I need a little solitude. Our attic-which is finished-was a home of clutter throughout the years. When I first got married, I could not even move around it-there were boxes stacked from floor to ceiling. This house had originally belonged to his mother and she saved everything. After years of going through boxes we were able to make the attic more organized-keeping the memorable items, donating clothes to the Salvation Army and throwing out anything that was broken. The attic is what I call a T-shaped one. It consists of two wings. One wing-the main attic-we use to store toys and books my daughters outgrew. We have hopes they eventually have children of their own. Part of the second wing is used at an exercise room. It has a treadmill, rowing machine and other exercise equipment. The remained of that wing is used for as storage for Christmas decorations and items we could not bear to throw away. I decided to use part of the main attic as a prayer room. It is peaceful up there. With some solitude, I can focus on God without any distractions. Question 2. What aspects of your love relationship with God become clear to you? The first thing I learn is that obedience and love go hand-in-hand. If I do not obey God, then it means that I do not love him. This does not mean that I just obey the Ten Commandments because I have to. It must also be in my heart. A great example is if somebody does me an injustice. I might tell that person that I forgive him. However, in my heart I still might hold a grudge towards him. By doing this, I cannot live for God or jesus like I should. When I have bad thoughts about a person, I am lying when I tell God, “I love you with all my heart.” Deuteronomy 6:4-5: “hear, O Israel: ‘The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (NIV). Question 3: If this was a difficult or an emotionally uneasy time, why do you think it was? Who doesn’t have emotionally and uneasy times? With me, I can stress about a situation one day. Then the next day, I would be fine. As I mentioned before, my car was in the shop needing a new fuel pump. It will not be ready until next week because it needs other things done with it. I stressed about the cost for parts and labor. I wondered how I was going to pay for this as well as afford a rental to get back and forth to work. After praying and talking to God about this, I decided to put it in God’s hands. Whenever I was in a situation like this before, God always provided me with a way to get the money. It all turned out well in the end with the car. The costs for the parts and labor were not as high as I originally expected them to be. Question 4. What happened that was especially meaningful or joyful? God gave me life. He is my life. I do not need a good life. With God I have everything I need. He started this love relationship with me. I love him in return by doing the following: Choosing the life he wants for me Listening to him when he speaks Holding fast to him Believing his son is Jesus who died for me Obeying his commands Obeying his teaching Laying down my life for him When I love God, he will bless me. My children and my husband will be blessed because of my faith. I have eternal life. I will conquer every problem I face. I will not allow anything to separate me from God. I love God with all my being. Even when I am at my lowest and the situation looks bad, God’s love is more than enough to give me hope and life. Question 5. Would this be the kind of experience you might want to repeat frequently? My relationship with God is the most important thing of my life. Without God, my life would be chaotic without any hope. Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both god and Money” (NIV). I now have a deeper understand of this verse. Most of the things I stress about are money problems. It is my fault that I got into the money situation in the first place. I cannot blame God. I cannot expect God to hand me over the money that I need to pay off our bills. While it would be great to be debt free, it will not happen overnight. God will show me wisdom and teach me the ways to be wiser with my money. Since God loves me, he will give me what I need. However, he has to be the highest priority in my life. Ezekiel 36:26: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (NIV). I had a heart of stone. God gave me a new heart. I now have a desire to know Jesus Christ and be like him. I am allowing my present to be molded and shaped into a body for Christ. I will meet God in the morning when I wake up. I will enjoy spending time with him. Doing this will deepen and enrich the relationship we share with each other. By praying and studying the Bible, I will have the opportunity to get to know the one who loves me. The more I love God, the easier it will be to walk with him and hear him. I desire to share a fellowship with him. By doing these, I will know a lot about God, his way and his purposes, References: The Holy Bible. New International Version |
| Question 1. Review George Mueller’s approach to knowing God’s Will and how you will apply it to your life. If I do not follow God’s plans, I will miss what he wants me to do. I must not rely on my own plans and thinking. I must know how god is thinking. I also must know how God is going to use me. Here is how I will know God’s will: By seeking God’s direction By waiting patiently until God speaks to me through scripture By looking to the Holy Spirit By evaluating the honesty of my heart By being upright before God Be being patient while waiting for God By not listening to the counsel of others Question 2. Do you desire more than anything else to know and do the will of God? If your honest answer is no, what must happen before you can reach the place where your will is replaced by God’s? As I am continuing with this book, I find myself yearning to know his will. However, I still at times find myself unsure. The main thing I must do is focus on God-centered living. I have to be confident in God and all that he can and will do. I must depend on him to provide all my needs. My life and thoughts must be focused on God. I must be humbled before God. I must not think about myself. Before God will reveal himself to me, I must first seek the Kingdom of God. Question 3. Do you have some plans that God has not been blessing? If so, why might that be? There have been many times when things did not go my way. Rather than blaming God, I can only blame myself. That is because I have been living a self-centered life. I am full of pride when I get things accomplished. Here is an example. There are some days when I get a lot accomplished around the house. I might have every room in the house clean plus have enough time to do other things. I might say, “I am proud of myself.” While this is not the boastful type of pride, it is still pride. Self-confidence is even self-centered living. I depend on myself and what I know I can accomplish to get things done. I look to do things that are acceptable to others around me and look at things from a human perspective rather than looking at things from a godly perspective. Overall, I concentrate on my weaknesses than what God can do through me. Question 4. Have you been experiencing difficult times lately? Have they caused you to grow discouraged in doing what God told you to do? How might God interpret your current circumstances? Are your difficulties indicating that God wants you to quit what you are doing? Whatever happens in my life, whether good or bad, are all God’s purposes. I always face difficulties and they are there to realize that I cannot do things on my own. Even if things look dark for me, God always knows the outcome. God will allow so much to happen to me. He will not push me to the point where I turn my back on him forever. I have many plans for my life. I have published one novel and plan to write many more. I plan to travel. I plan to lose ten more pounds. However, these plans may not be in God’s perspective. Everything I plan is irrelevant to God’s plans. Doing things by God’s was is the way to go. I remember a time when I wanted to become a best-selling author. When I was an older teen, I started a fantasy novel and it took a couple years to write. Liking the final product, I sent it to several publishers, thinking I would get an acceptance letter as well as a reasonable advance. To make a long story short, each publisher rejected my manuscript. My manuscript, as well as some short stories, lay hidden in the attic. I was discouraged that my name would not be in print. Then a miracle came. It was called the Internet. I was able to finally able to publish my writings and share them with my online audience. However, there was still something missing. Then I realized what it was. God was inspiring me to write. However, it was not fantasy novels he wanted me to write. He wanted me to write about and share Him. Note: I do write fiction now and then. However, it is not the highest priority in my life. Question 5. Have you been faithfully waiting on the Lord? Are you good at waiting for god? Why or why not? I try my best. However, I let my self-interests get in the way. I am very impatient. Here is something that happened the other day. It was my last day at work and I had a few days off. I got home and went to go on my computer. I wanted to see how much money I had in my bank because I wanted to pay the cable bill. Well, my computer was running slow and I was yelling at it to hurry up. Then when I finally got online, the web banking was down. So I had to go to the bank and stand in a long line of irate customers. When I finally got through with the bank, I had to drive with annoying drivers. When I got to the cable company, I had to stand in another long line of irate customers. By the time I got home, I had had it. Every bad word must have left my lips and I even blamed God and Jesus for everything that had happened. Then things started to happen for the better. A few weeks before, I completed my tax returns. This was the first time I used Turbo Tax and was hoping to get my refunds quicker. While I knew my state refund was coming, my Federal return was rejected. This was one of the things that pushed my angry button earlier in the day. I fixed an item and resubmitted it. When I got back home, I found out that the IRS accepted the return the second time around. We were short on money because most of my paycheck went into car repairs and bills. I did not have much money left but still needed to get groceries for the week. I also needed to put gas in the car. While going through my pocketbook, I found two gift cards from Wegmans. Then when I got in my car, I looked down and saw a $20 bill on the floor. It must have fallen out of my pocket. Even though the day started out bad, it ended up good. I was stressed and God provided. God’s ways are not our ways. This is what I need to remind myself every day. I might feel that God is leading me to do something. However, I might go around doing things the wrong way. If I had been more patient the other day, I may have been more in tune with God. |
| Question 1. Are there times when God showed you his activity, and you missed it? If so, why do you think that happened? God is in the center of everything that takes place in this world. Since I am in a love relationship with him, God will show me where he is working. I may have missed his calls in the past because I did not trust him. Therefore, I was not in a love relationship with him. I realize that he may not show me his activity immediately because he is still preparing me and allowing my love relationship to grow stronger. Since God knows what he is doing, I must remain faithful. God has been working since the beginning of time. Whether I realize it or not, God has bas been working around me. What I do, I will do it by God’s initiative, not my own. I will watch to see what God is doing around me. Since we have a love relationship, God will show me what he is doing. Question 2. Do you presently see God at work around your life? Are you willing to respond to His invitation to adjust your life and join him? If not, what is holding you back? I always see God at work around me. Unfortunately, I do not always recognize it as God’s work. Then when I see the activity and recognize it as his work, I am unsure if that is where God wants me. By hesitating, the opportunity passes by. I cannot look at each thing happening around me and evaluate if this is God’s activity. True, everything on this world belongs to God. However, some things that happen are things that only God can do. Up to this point, I have been unclear about what God is inviting me to do. However, after reading a section called “An Unbelieving Spouse” I am sure what I need to do. My husband was brought up in a certain denomination. However, I would not call him a Christian. He does not go to his church because he is against certain principles the church teaches. However, he does not have a loving relationship with God. I one stressful situation I advised him to pray to God for help. He would not listen and when I persisted, it ended up in an argument. With this and other times, I tried to share with him and decided I did all I could do for him. It is heart breaking thinking that he might not spend eternity in heaven. Instead of being nagging towards my husband, I have to do some more subtle things instead. Every day I will pray for my husband’s salvation. Then I have to patiently watch and see how God draws him closer. My husband may ask me a question or two or he may start reading the Bible or he may even attend a Bible study. God is also at work at my job. I work in a factory and there are over four hundred employees in my union. From the people I closely work with there are only a handful of Christians. Originally I had stated that I go to work to do my job and not make friends. However, I should not have that attitude. While I may not hang out after work, I can reach out to people while I am working. A week before the dreaded December 21, 2012, a female co-worker opened a door to me. She was worried that the world was actually going to end. I explained to her how God is the only one who knows the exact day and time. I went on to explain that many of the prophecies from the Book of revelation had not yet been fulfilled. For a second opinion, I told her to ask another Christian co-worker. He more or less told her the same thing I did. God has been showing me where he is at work. It is best to include this in our daily prayers: “Oh God, show me where you are at work!” |
| Question 1. What are some ways God has spoken to you? How did you know it was God? Well to me it seems that God spoke to the patriarchs in a direct way. It appeared that Noah, Abraham and Moses were involved in face-to-face conversations with god. These conversations were not one-sided. While these ordinary people talked to God, the Lord replied back. These men of God heard the Lord when he spoke! How come these men of the Old Testament were able to hear God’s voice, where it seems that many people of today do not hear when he speaks and miss their calling? In my opinion, life may have been simpler back then. While it is true that in order to survive, people worked harder in those times than they do today. In today’s society, we do not have to work so hard to get food. We just go to the super market or food pantry and get what we need or even grab a quick lunch at the local fast-food burger joint. If we are not in the mood to stand over a stove, we can just throw something in the microwave. Since we have it easy compared to these men of God-who had to do back-breaking labor to keep their stomachs full-we should be able to carry on a conversation with God. However, in today’s society there are way more distractions, where even the most devout Christian may not clearly hear God’s voice. Some of these distractions include: I wonder if I will get out of debt. I wonder who is going to win American Idol. I wonder what if going to happen to my favorite character on my favorite soap. I wonder if my favorite team is going to win the Super Bowl, World Series or Stanley Cup. I wonder if I will ever have children. I wonder if my marriage will survive. I wonder if my spouse still loves me. I wonder if I will get that nice house or car. I wonder if I should buy the I Pad now or wait until the newest version comes out. All these wonders-and many more that are unlisted-distract us from clearly hearing god’s voice. The best thing to do is eliminate the wonders in our lives. It will not be easy to do. One day you will be wonder-free and the next you will be back to wondering. It is best to live one day at a time. Here are some ways that God spoke and speaks to me: I heard his voice when he told me I was going to heaven. He spoke to me through another person when I learned about salvation. He speaks to me through the Bible and other Christian books. He speaks to me through sermons, preachers and different speakers I listen to on the radio and watch on television. I know when God speaks to me because I am filled with joy and happiness. If I have any negative thoughts, feelings and attitudes, I know that it is not God speaking to me. God is not a negative person. When God speaks, I know it was him. When I first became a Christian, the Holy Spirit took up residence in my body. He speaks to me through the Holy Spirit. Question 2. How might God be building your character and trust in Him right now in preparation for a new assignment? I am the type of person who, when faced with a difficult situation in life, lacks confidence. Moses was like this when God revealed his plans and gave him the assignment to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. God gave Moses the confidence and guidance he needed. As with any new assignment, God will not just push me in without any preparation at all. This is similar to the exams I took in college. I could not expect to get an A if I did not prepare for the test. I also could not prepare by staying up the night before the test. In my case, I had to take at least a week to prepare myself for the test. God has higher expectation for me than I have for me. Without God, nothing is possible. However, with God, nothing is impossible. Whenever I come to a roadblock in my life, God will always work through me. When God speaks through me, I will understand what he wants. His message is clear; he will not speak in riddles. Whatever assignment God has for me, it might not come around for a while. He knows the exact time and day when I am ready to take on the assignment. In the meantime, I will continue to prepare. Question 3. Have you been willing to accept small assignments from God? How do you think God would evaluate your willingness to be faithful in a little? I realize that the size of an assignment does not matter as long as it is from God. Now the question is would I recognize a task that God wants me to do? For the last few years I started several Christian related blogs. On some of them I lost interest. I think the reason is because I get involved in so many projects that I do not have enough time to get everything done in a day. Then I get frustrated because it seems that I just wasted a day, especially if I get side-tracked from what I started out to do. Since taking the Experiencing God Bible Study, I have returned to the blogs-I currently have three-because God wants me to. I have a countless amount of people I can reach out to. All I need to do on my part is to dedicate one to two hours a day. I just have to manage my time a little better. I am not sure how God would evaluate me in any small tasks I do for him. However, I feel that I am not doing enough. I believe that there is more that I can do. A great example is when I ran on the track team when I was in High school. When I started running my first year, I knew what I could do but I didn’t realize my full potential. Therefore, I started out by running sprints and mid-distance. I realized two things. The first thing I found out, I was not fast enough in the sprints. The second thing I realized was that I had the endurance to run longer distances. By realizing this I found out that I was a better runner in long distance. As with being God’s servant, I know what I am able to do. However, I do not know my full potential unless I have God show me what to do. Question 4. Do you need God to guide you specifically in a situation in your life? If so, how might you prepare to receive the next guidance He gives you? I need God’s guidance through all the walks in my life. This is true even when I am in the calm of the storm. I must focus of God and be obedient. I must pray and ask him to guide me. Without doing that I will-most likely-end up on the wrong path. When God speaks to me, I have to respond right away. I cannot say “Give me two months, Lord.” Therefore, when he speaks I have to adjust my life so I can carry out God’s plans. I also have to be obedient to God. If I am not going to be obedient, God is not going to guide me. I need to trust what God tells me. He knows what he is doing and saying. If God gives me a little assignment and I am expecting a large assignment, I must take the smaller assignment. If I am unreliable on the smaller ones or refuse to take them, how can I expect God to trust me on the larger ones? After all, God may be giving me the smaller ones to prepare me for the larger ones. While I am waiting for God’s guidance, this is what I need to do: Pray Be patient Depend on God’s timing and not my own-His timing is always best Do not be in a hurry Continue with the love relationship with God |
| Question 1. What aspect of God’s character have you experienced recently that has been particularly meaningful to you? God is the living bread. We are all sinners and even though we try to do the right things, we will eventually mess up. Even if we accomplish the near impossible and live perfect lives, if we do not believe in God and his son Jesus-who died on the cross for our sins-we cannot have eternal life in heaven. I have known this for over twenty years. It is good to remind myself of this every once in a while with the sinner’s prayer. God is not just an invisible entity. While I believe in him by faith, when he reveals himself it increases my faith. However, I will have to believe it is God when he reveals himself and believe in him. Question 2. What has God shown you about what he is currently seeking to accomplish in your life, someone else’s life, or in your church? How did God make His activity evident? How have you responded? The main thing I have to do is schedule my time better. I work a seven day work week before I get a day off. Since I work nights, when I get home-especially if I do overtime-I do not have the energy to do anything when I get home. I wait until my days off to do everything I need to get accomplished. Then it is not physically possible to do everything I want to get done. To get some things accomplished, I have to neglect other things. This is what I need to do. During my work days I have to schedule at least an hour a day to work on my smaller tasks. House cleaning is a never-ending chore which I usually reserve for my days off. If I can motivate myself to work on one room at a time, when it comes to my days off, I can have more time to concentrate on my enjoyable activities. By being involved in different Bible Studies and even by reading Christian books, I am learning by examples of how others reach out to people. I am currently reading The Left behind Series written by jerry Jenkins and Timothy LeHaye. In the book Tsion Ben Judah-to make a long story short-is in hiding. He uses the Internet to reach out to millions. Since I am more of an introvert, the Internet can be used to my best advantage. While I am involved in blogging and several writing websites, I am currently researching more ways to reach out to people. As I mentioned that I need to schedule my time more effectively, I know I need to make a time line to stretch out my activities for the week. It can be something like this: Monday and Tuesday-Blogging Wednesday and Thursday-Reading two chapters of the book my group is currently discussing Friday, Saturday and Sunday-Write (while I blog, I also like to write fiction at times) By doing this a little at a time, when it comes to my day off, I am not so overwhelmed. Question 3. What is one of the ways of God have you learned recently? How have you been applying what you learned? God is the planner, I am the dreamer. Sometimes I think I know what I want to do for God. Then I make plans and set priorities. After that is all done, I pray to God and ask him to bless my plans. Since I am doing everything for him, I should be successful. However, that is incorrect. Take a look at the following verses: Psalms 33:10-11 (vs. 10) “The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.” (vs. 11) “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” Proverbs 19:21 “Many of the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” If I am not on the same wave-length as God’s, he will not work through me. His timing is right and when he says so, he will reveal to me what he is going to do. That is when I can join him in his plans. His plans always succeed. When we try to make plans and attempt tp carry them out before God tells us what to do, we are relying on our own wisdom. We must remember to follow him and get guidance from him. If we try to do things on our own wisdom, we may forget about our need for a daily intimate relationship with him. While we might reach out to people with our own plans, if we do not have that love relationship with God, we will be outside his will. We may not be able to Experience Him as fully as we are capable. I must remember that God’s plans never change. I must allow him to redirect me whenever he wants me to change. Question 4. Has God’s revealing of Himself to you increased your faith to trust Him in other areas of your life as well? Words cannot describe what he has done for me. Asides from being loving, compassionate, redemptive, forgiving and cleansing, He builds up my spirit while at the same time, makes me humble. Reference: Bible verses are taken from The Holy Bible New International Version Questions are taken from Experiencing God Knowing and Doing the Will of God. Henry and Richard Blackaby. |
| Question 1. What has God been saying to you through His word? How have you been responding? There are many things I learn about myself as I read the Bible. Even though the events take place thousands of years ago, everything can be applied to everyday life. I recently finished reading 2 Samuel. David was blameless in God’s eyes, even though he had sinned. In a nutshell, he slept with a married woman and made sure that her husband got killed while in battle. God punished David for this by allowing the baby that was conceived through this adulterous act to die. When David committed this sin, he turned his back on God. However, he turned back to God and the Lord forgave David and forgot his sin. There are times when I feel unworthy of God’s love and forgiveness. I do not think I make it once through the day without once having a negative thought or making a rude comment. However, God will forgive me if I ask for his forgiveness. Hebrew 4:12: “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (NIV). Some people think of the Bible as a type of history book, since it contains the history of such people as Abraham, Jacob, Moses, King David and so on. However, it is more than that. It is one of the many ways God speaks to us. I may be reading a specific passage and, all of a sudden, I will understand God in a whole different way. The Bible is another way for all of us to get personal with God. John 14:17: the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” (NIV). Question 2. Are you spending time regularly reading your Bible so you can hear God speak? The Holy Spirit plays an important role when we read the Bible. Without the Holy Spirit, the Bible is just a book filled with stories. However, with it, the truth of God is revealed to us. When we know the truth we can adjust our lives and obey God. In order to experience God and to accomplish his purposes, we must set aside time each day to read the Bible. This is something I still need to work on. When I first became a Christian, it was suggested that we spend an hour each day to study the Bible and spend time in prayer. While I have greatly improved on reading the Bible, it is still not a daily activity. I do make up on it on my days off since I spend more than an hour with God. Question 3. If you keep a journal as you read scripture, take time to review it and see if there is a pattern to what God has been saying lately. Yes! I admit I am a journal person. I have been one most of my adult life. I have, however, never been into the one and five year diaries-those with the dates-because with these I believe that there are a limit of how much I can write each day. On top of that, there may be days where I do not write anything at all. I prefer the hard back journals that have over two hundred pages, since I always have a pan in my hand. I believe having a journal nearby is necessary for me. I might be reading a scripture whether from the Bible or a supportive one that is mentioned in a book. It might inspire me but I tend to forget what I learn later. That is where the journal comes in handy. By writing down a specific verse, I can meditate on it and pray to God. I can get a deeper understanding of the verse and apply it to everyday life. As I look through my journal, I see several different patterns. The one type of pattern is more organized. This is when I have the time to write out well-thought responses. Other parts of the journal are not organized. These are notes that I jot down at church or while I am watching a video. I go back to these when I have more time and get these notes more organized. I guess my journal describes my life. At times I am organized, I know what I plan to do each day and am able to accomplish my goals. Other days I cannot seem to get anything done. Question 4. If you have not been hearing God speak to you through his word, why do you think that is? What might you need to do to change that? Sometimes-I do not like to admit-I do not always practice what I preach. At work, as I have mentiponed before, there is the gossip mill. While I try my best not to get involved by repeating what I hear, I sometimes dwell on something I hear. In my thoughts I judge the person. This is as bad as talking about the person. When I sit down to read the Bible, and I am dwelling on something else, it is obvious I will not hear God speak to me. This is what I must do. I cannot let my thoughts hinder our love relationship. I must adjust my ways of thinking. When I feel my thoughts are going in the wrong direction, I must confess to God that I am doing wrong. However, that is not enough. I must take action by turning my thought back onto the right path. Reference: Bible quotes are taken from The Holy Bible. New International Version Questions are taken from Experiencing God Knowing and Doing the Will of God. Henry and Richard Blackaby. |
| Question 1. What has God been saying to you in your prayer times? I really cannot complain about my drive to work. It is a 75 mile commute each way. While sometimes the drive is hair-raising-such as a snowstorm, a deer nearly getting hit, a funny sound coming from my engine-other times it is calm and relaxing. I use a majority of these commutes to talk to God. I will talk to him about my problems, good things that happen to me and so forth. Pray is not a one-sided thing. It is not one person speaking and one person listening. The other person-God-speaks back through the Holy Spirit. Since God already knows what I am going to say, it is more important to know what God says. Though many people relate to prayer to an activity in church, it is actually part of the love relationship. God causes things to happen that will make me want to pray. Through prayer God’s will is revealed to me. I pray agreeing that it is his will if my prayer is answered. After praying, I will look for further guidance from the Bible. Question 2. Could it be that God is seeking to elevate your praying to a level He would be pleased to answer? How might God be leading you to pray? I already know that I am not doing enough. Sometimes I am facing a situation that is stressful and I may not feel that I will get out of it. I will have doubt in my heart when I pray and sometimes do not have the confidence that God will help me. I start a bargain game with him by saying, “If you do this, I will do that.” Even if God does not do this, I should always do that. When I pray I must do so with a clean heart. I must leave behind any selfish desires. When I pray the only desire I should have is to know God and do his will. By doing this, the Holy Spirit will reveal to me what God is saying. Question 3. Have you been experiencing a period of silence from God? Why might God be withholding His word? There are times when I pray to God to allow something to happen and my prayers are not answered. Sometimes something different happens and I do not understand. I get angry and do not trust God. I have to ask God to allow me to understand why he did not answer my prayer. For example, I may be asking for something that is too small. God wants to do something greater in my life than I could even think to ask for. If I am praying and I see that God is responding in a different way my prayer is going, I must adjust my way of praying. I may not be concentrating when I pray. After I pray I need to see how God responds. In a typical day I can pray, then right after I might start concentrating on my daily activities and forget about my conversation with God. Unusual things may happen around me and I may tend to ignore them. I never realize those things relate to my prayer. After I pray, I must watch what happens. I realize that God will answer my prayers. However, he will answer on his timing, since his timing is best, he will answer my prayers whether it is right away or years from now. Sometimes God is silent so he could reveal something else about him. Blackaby uses the story of Lazarus. While Jesus could have healed him while he was still alive, he waited until the man had died and was dead for three days. Mary and Martha had witnesses Jesus healing many people. He revealed that he could also raise people from the dead. Reference: Questions are taken from Experiencing God Knowing and Doing the Will of God. Henry and Richard Blackaby. |
| Question 1. Are you in the midst of a confusing situation? How are you seeking God’s perspective on it? Proverbs 3:5-6 (vs. 5) “I lie down and sleep, I wake again, because the Lord sustains me” (NIV). (vs. 6) “I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side” (NIV). The last few months had been harrowing. In the beginning of February I had money set aside in the bank to pay on a bill the next day after I got out of work. On the way to work my car broke down. The costs for the repairs used up the money I had saved up. Around two weeks after I received a check that I was going to us to pay on my daughter’s college tuition. While I was going to work, my battery light came on. I had to get a new alternator. Needless to say the money went towards that. Two weeks after that I was going to pay $300 towards my daughter’s tuition. Once again, on the way to work, my serpentine belt came loose. The belt tensioner had broken off. It is frustrating when I make one plan for money and I have to change my plans. Even so, God always came through for us. Our federal taxes came at a time to help us get caught up on our bills. He also provided us with the extra money to finish paying our daughter’s tuition. It is the same with doing missions for God. We may have plans already set. However, God may allow circumstances to prevent us to go on with our plans. God allows these circumstances to steer us in a different direction. We see what is physically around us. We may know what is in the near future for us. I will say that we “may” but only God will know the outcome of our situations. We cannot lose hope when situations look bad because God always uses the bad to build our characters, to give hope to other people and to draw us deeper into his kingdom. Whenever I am faced with a circumstance or confusing situation, I must rely on God and the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth. Question 2. Is God speaking to you through a circumstance in your life? What is he saying? How is that being confirmed by God’s word, your times of prayer, and other believers? Whenever I am facing a circumstance or situation in my life, I cannot rely on the world, personal experience or what others say. I must rely on what God says. Asides from prayer, I must turn to the bible. It is my guidebook through life. Even though it deals with events that happened thousands of years ago, it is a very practical book for everyday living. John 5:17 “Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too an working’” (NIV). Even Jesus watched God’s-his father’s-activities. He did not do things on his own. He waited until his father guided him. When Jesus saw the activity his Father did, he knew it was his time to join his father. Jesus faced many circumstances in his life. God guided him through these situations. God was able to accomplish his plans through His Son. Another great example is from genesis. Joseph’s brothers turned on him and sold him into slavery. His circumstances were grim. He was in a foreign country, separated from his family. Falsely accused, he was thrown in prison. He was forgotten by a prisoner he had helped. Yes, Joseph was in a situation that he did not deserve. However, God turned that situation into something good. Joseph had a gift of interpreting dream. When the Pharaoh had a dream, Joseph was able to interpret it and understand that God was warning about a worldwide famine. God used Joseph so he could save the people from starvation. While difficult and confusing circumstances can suffocate us, rather than having negative attitudes about God, ask him to show you his perspectives on what is happening to you. God, through the Holy spirit, will help you understand. In the circumstances in my life, I must glorify God. When I am aware of activity going on around me, I must turn to prayer. When people around me see what God has done for me, some will come to know God. God has always walked with me, carrying me at difficult crossroads in life. If you are facing difficult times, here are some things that you must remember: God loves you. His love will never change. Look at situations through his eyes. Seek God to help you through these times. Wait patiently. God will help you in his perfect timing. Continue to adjust your life and obey. Question 3. As you review your spiritual markers do you see a clear direction God has been leading? What might suggest about a current decision you are facing? I really cannot do anything until I hear from God. I tend to be impatient when things do not happen right away. I tend to blame god for not caring for me. However, I am wrong. God loves and cares for me. The difference between him and I is God is very patient with me. He allows me to suffer so that I can personally witness him deliver me out of my situations. Psalm 25:3-5 (vs. 3) “No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse” (NIV). (vs. 4) “Show me your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths” (NIV); (vs. 5) “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long” (NIV). I realize as I am getting to know God in a more personal relationship I have changes my ways in speaking, thinking and doing. However, I am not doing my full potential. There is always a lot that I can do for the Lord. I just need to prioritize the activities in my life. There were many times in the Bible when somebody encountered God and the individual either place a stone or built an altar and gave it a name. These are known as spiritual markers. We all have spiritual markers-even though we probably will not place stones each time with our walk with God. As I look at my spiritual markers from the day I became a Christian, I see a path which goes off course quite a bit. These represent times when I turned my back on God or times when I relied on my own will and understanding. Reference: Bible verses are taken from The Holy Bible. New International Version. Questions are taken from Experiencing God Knowing and Doing the Will of God. Henry and Richard Blackaby. |
| Question 1. Are you interconnected in a church body so God can speak to you through other church members? If so, what is something God has said to you through fellow Christians? I, unfortunately do not attend a church on a regular basis because of my work schedule. However, I do have the opportunity to learn from fellow Christians? I have experienced several types of Christians throughout my life. One type is the judgmental Christian. This is the person who carries the holier than thou attitude. This type of Christian will judge others for things they do and not look at themselves. The other type of Christian is the hypocritical one. They will judge a person for what he does. Then this person will do the same type of thing and not think he is doing anything wrong. Then there is the contagious Christian. This is the type of Christian who has a positive outlook on life. I need these types of Christians in my life. When I witness them I find that their ways of following God addicting. God talks to me through the testimony of other Christians. I can see what God is doing around me just by hearing wonderful stories of other Christians. I understand that while my walk with God is independent, independence and self-will go hand-in-hand. I must be dependent on other Christians in order to further strengthen my love relationship with him. Being dependent on other Christians will help me have a clearer understanding of what God is doing around me. Question 2. How do you respond when you become aware of a need in your church that you might meet? How do you know if you are the person God wants to use to meet this need? There are always needs in a church body. It might be a need for prayer. It might be a need for healing. It might be a need for financial assistance. It might be a need for guidance. If you go to a church and there are no needs, there is something wrong. It is best to find a new church. Since there are many needs in a church body, I realize that I cannot respond to each one. I must use the following ways to know if God wants me to respond to a specific need: By reading the Bible Through prayer Personal experience Through the counsel of other Christians I must trust God to use other Christians to give me direction. God speaks through other believers to help me know when and how to respond to a need. Reference: Questions are taken from Experiencing God Knowing and Doing the Will of God. Henry and Richard Blackaby. |
| I have decided to take my younger daughter to church tonight. It has been a while since I have been to my church. I think it is best for her if we attend on a regular basis. I got her to go tonight but I am praying that God reaches out to her so she will feel a desire to keep going. She is nineteen, an adult who can make her own choices. But I desire for her to go and love going. Wednesday night services have changed since the last time I was there. Usually the first twenty minutes are praise and worship, and it was that way tonight. Then there was the main service for about an hour where the pastor has his service. But tonight it was different, there were several classes going on. One of them was a women's service called Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer. I actually have both the book and study guide at home. So we attended this one and am planning of going to the next one-this goes on for 12 weeks. This covers half the book and there is going to be another class for the second half of the book. |
| Question 1. Are you presently experiencing a crisis of belief? If so, what is God asking you to do? What is it that keeps you from obeying? A crisis of belief is when God gives an assignment that we cannot do on our own. Some people may decide not to do the assignment because they believe that the task is impossible. This is the crisis of belief. Go back and read how Moses responded when God told him that his assignment was to led the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses at first came up with one excuse after another. Moses was experiencing a crisis of belief. However, others will tackle the assignment head on since it is from God. Whatever, we cannot do, God will provide assistance. The main thing that hinders me is a lack of faith. Without faith, I will not be able to accomplish God’s will. I realize that I have a comfort zone where I try to build my life. In other words, I like to live my life where everything is under my control. However, living a life of ease is not what God wants. He needs to disrupt our lives to make us dependent on him. Once I recognize the crisis of belief, I can be prepared for God’s assignment. Question 2. What does your preset walk with God reveal about what you believe about him? What is the evidence of god at work in and through your life? God is all truth. What he promised he will do. However, it is necessary to have faith in God. Faith and obedience go hand-in-hand. You cannot obey or please god without faith. We must have faith in order to do what God wants us to do. As Christians it is one of our biggest desires to draw others to god. However, when we lack the faith to do things that only God can do, the rest of the world is not attracted to God. Question 3. What in your life or the life of your church can only be explained by the presence of the Almighty God? Throughout the experiencing God Bible Study, God has revealed several things about me. These include: I lack faith that God can do the impossible through me. I am using human reasoning to carry out God’s plans. I allow the storms of life to overwhelm me. I forget that God exists or believe that he does not care. Question 4. Is there something in your life you struggle to turn over to God? How is God presently seeking to increase your faith in him? As I answered in the above question, I know what my pitfalls and weaknesses are. Now that I know what they are, this is what I must do: When I face a crisis of belief, what I do is an indicator of my faith in God. Since I believe God and believe what he says, I must act in faith. When I act in faith, God will see me through the rough assignments. All my actions I take must demonstrate my faith in God. Reference: Questions are taken from Experiencing God Knowing and Doing the Will of God. Henry and Richard Blackaby. |
| Question 1. What adjustments is God presently asking of you? Do these include values? Actions? Relationships? I need to make many adjustments in my life. Without making any necessary adjustments I will not be able to complete God’s assignment. I must be willing to do what God asks me to do. If I do not adjust, I am not in a position to obey. The first major adjustment I have to make is time. I commute seventy-five miles each way to work. On top of that there are times where I have to work overtime. Sometimes it is my choice to get some extra money. Other times I am scheduled to do it. I try to get things accomplished at home so I am not too over-whelmed trying to get things done on my days off. However, my time is not well-managed. I might have a set plan so I can get several things done. However, I rarely stick to that schedule. I find myself wasting time throughout the day and putting off less pleasant tasks. I need to evaluate each thing I do to see if it is beneficial for God. I need to change my attitudes. For example, at work I carry a strong work ethic. When I see someone not doing his share, I get annoyed. Or I might dwell on something I hear. I must be God-focused in my thinking and watch the words that come out of my mouth and the thoughts in my head. I need to make adjustments in my relationships. I need to end relationships that tear me away from God and build up on other relationships. The biggest one I need to and want to build up on is my relationship with God. Question 2. Is there an adjustment God has been asking you to make which you have found difficult? Is there something God is asking you to do right now that you are resisting? I have an opportunity at my job to take a voluntary layoff. Sometimes when there is a lack of work, the company will lay people off. This is normal for the spring months. After the Christmas season, orders start to fall. Then they start to pick up during the summer and fall months. For the past few years, rather than laying those off with the least seniority, the company will offer a voluntary layoff to those with more time. If enough people take it, the younger workers can still have the opportunity to work. For this layoff, we are something like three weeks ahead on orders. By reducing the workforce for a short time, we will not get too far ahead on orders. Eventually, as stated before, more orders will start to come in. Therefore, in a nutshell, we are looking at a layoff that can last from four to eleven weeks. If I volunteer for this I will have more free time that I can dedicate to God. However, I cannot take the layoff. I am still paying on my daughter’s tuition for the spring semester. Then I will have to start paying for the fall. In addition to that, we have other bills to pay on. My unemployment check will not cover everything that we have to pay. I am not getting any strong sense that God wants me to take the layoff. However, if he wants me to take it and I do not, I am showing that I do not trust him. I also have to make adjustments in accepting how others will think of me and respect me. I know there are a lot of non-Christians in the world. I am resistant because, since many of these individuals do not share my beliefs, I am afraid that I will be mocked and made fun of. I must remind myself that Jesus came down from the safety of his home to reach out to humans. Jesus gave up everything-even his life-so we could have salvation. I need the same attitude that Jesus had in order to complete God’s tasks. I need to make many adjustments in my life. Even though some of them are difficult, they are for my own good. These adjustments are not just for me but for everybody I reach out to. Reference: Questions are taken from Experiencing God Knowing and Doing the Will of God. Henry and Richard Blackaby. |
| Question 1. Consider a directive from God that you have recently obeyed. How did you experience God as you obeyed him? Is there anything God had to teach you before you were prepared to obey? In order for me to have a love relationship with God and to experience him, I must obey him at all times. Obeying God is expressing my love for God. When I obey him, he will make himself known to me. Obedience is doing what you are told to do. Since we are self-centered, we have a natural tendency to say no and not do what we are commanded by god. However, some of us may later have a change of heart and do what the Lord commanded. Others will make a promise to do something and then not follow through with his promise. Others will hear God and drop everything to obey him immediately. First of all, I have to realize that I am not perfect. I can try to live perfectly every day-by following the Ten Commandments and all the other laws in the Bible. However, when I mess up and disobey God, I get frustrated. All of this hard work for nothing! Then I have to remind myself that, since I am a child of God, he has already forgiven-even though I don’t deserve his forgiveness, mercy and love. When I find myself walking down the road of disobedience, I must direct my path by: Seeking God’s direction Looking to the Holy Spirit Evaluating the honesty of my heart Being upright before God Being patient Not listening to the counsel of others There are times I get frustrated with my husband. Day after day, he sits in front of the computer playing games and not helping me with the household chores. (I really cannot say anything since I have the tendency to do this as well.) However, it would be nice to help me out at times. Then he criticizes my work by kindly informing me that I missed a spot. Other times he will say things just to get me angry. Other times I try to start a conversation. However, he is not in the mood to start. Then it is my turn. He may talk about something in the news and I am trying to read a book. I might hear him but not reply. Other times, I will snap at him or make a sarcastic reply. For our marriage to work, this has to stop! “Serve him,” God commands. And I obey. As I clean house, I realize that my husband is using the computer to escape from his problems. I also realize that he does a lot around the house-even though he is afraid to pick up a broom. He is a good handyman and gardener. He spends time in the garage, building desks and tables out of wood. So rather than looking at his faults, I need to focus on his good qualities. As I practice being the serving wife, I am also serving God at the same time. Sometimes it is difficult, especially when I am tired after getting home from work. However, I see myself improving each day. Question 2. How does your following God cost others? How has others’ obedience to God cost you? Obedience and sacrifice go hand-in-hand. It does cost my family. While I am not spending days on end away from my family like some of the missionaries, I am spending hours on the Internet trying to reach out to others throughout the world. Sometimes I feel guilty because it takes time away from my family needs. After all, I should be the serving wife-cleaning house, cooking meals, running to the store and so on. It has also cost me my friends. These friendships would only allow me to walk down the road of obedience. It was necessary for me to end them. Now how am I to balance my time with God and my family without neglecting one? There are many times when it is my day off when I cannot sleep through the night, since I work the night shift. I can be up at my computer a few hours before anybody else wakes up. That way I can get a head start with my plans and still be there for the family when they wake up. (I am currently typing this at 12:30 in the morning.) Question 3. Have you ever suffered the consequences of not obeying God? Yes. While it was not something like getting struck by lightning, it was like God was distant from me or being disappointed with me. I know God never leaves me. When I feel that God is distant it is really me who moved away from God. I get disappointed in myself as well. I might have a set plan for a certain day. Then I go online and do everything else that what I had originally planned to do. I neglect God, my family and my household chores. (See, I really cannot complain when my husband does this.) Then before I know it, it is time to cook dinner and I have not even thought about what to make. The entire day was wasted and nothing was accomplished. My time in this life is too short for me to waste it. Reference: Questions are taken from Experiencing God Knowing and Doing the Will of God. Henry and Richard Blackaby. |
| Question 1. Are you presently waiting on the Lord to fulfill His word to you in some way? How do you spend your time waiting? My problem is I am waiting for God to act before I do anything. When God invited Moses to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt, God would show the sign that it was from him after his servant to obey. My problem is I am waiting for a sign from God before I act. I should be doing things for God without asking for a sign. I should be doing it because I love and trust him. Well how do we know if there is a particular activity that God wants us to do? We may get a sense that he wants us to move in a certain direction. We use our own reasoning to decide what he is doing and when he is going to do it. Then when we set out to do what we think that God wants us to do, we run into a dead end. When it seems that I am at a dead end, I must focus on the love relationship with God. I must wait patiently for him and listen as he speaks. I have to be sure that I understand his directions. He may, after all, have a different plan in mind for me. I must rely on his timing to work out the details. As I complete a task, I must continue to wait patiently until he tells me what to do next. Even the disciples were with Jesus for some time when he told them, “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t hear them now: when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come” (john 16:12-13). While I am impatiently waiting for God to speak to me, he wants me to be prepared to hear what he has to say. If he speaks to me in my timing and not his, I might not be ready to respond. Therefore, it is necessary to wait patiently for God. Question 2. What is something God has accomplished through your life? How did people witness God’s activity as He worked through you? How have you given glory to God for what He did? The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity-the Father, the son, the Holy Spirit. Therefore, since God and Jesus is one hundred percent truth, the Holy Spirit is not misleading. When I became a Christian, the Holy Spirit came on me and took up residence in my body. The Holy Spirit is my guide, getting me to do God’s will. It shows me what God’s will is and makes me realize that I must be totally dependent on God. Finally it gives me the courage to carry out God’s plans. God has allowed me to use my difficulties in life to help other people who have experienced what I have gone through. I have two beautiful daughters and am pleased about the direction they are taking in life. However, imagine my joy that I felt when I found out that my third child was going to be a boy. However, that joy turned into grief when, in 1998, I miscarried him eight months into my pregnancy. While I never got over losing Edward Joseph, I have learned to cope over the years. It also was a blessing in disguise. My husband and I were on the verge of getting a divorce during that time. We were constantly fighting over one thing or another. The death of our son allowed us to reconcile our differences and grow closer together. I was also able to use my experience to help others who have gone through the same experience. It is the same with our debt situation. God has always provided for us. He tells me what I need to do each week. He is my guidance counselor, showing me how to be wiser in the future. He uses me to show other people ways they can get out of the debt quicksand. Well not everybody listens when I say that it is God who provides for me. Some people just do not want to hear it. Some are non-believers. Others have their own gods they worship. Even so, when I am walking in God, people can see it in me. To give glory in God I recognize that everything is from God and I believe him, even during the hard times. Reference: Bible verses are taken from The Holy Bible. New International Version. Questions are taken from Experiencing God Knowing and Doing the Will of God. Henry and Richard Blackaby. |
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