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BOOK STUDY || GRACE: The Power of the Gospel | Living Holy

REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES OFFERS FOUR TOPICS FOR CONTEMPLATION EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR. EACH TOPIC IS A 12-MONTH STUDY SERIES ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH. IN MONTHS WITH FIVE FRIDAYS I’LL BE REVIEWING VARIOUS INSPIRATIONAL CHRISTIAN MEDIA.
On the second Friday of each month in 2022 we’re studying Andrew Wommack’s life-changing book: GRACE: The Power of the Gospel. In this study we dig into the New Testament book of Romans — Apostle Paul’s masterpiece on the subject of grace. I hope you will get a copy of Andrew’s book and join me for this study. Today we highlight Chapters six and seven.

The Gospel is the good new that our right standing with God is not based on our performance but rather on God’s grace. The Law was brought about to show us how much we need our Savior Jesus Christ. Salvation isn’t just about forgiveness of sins when we are born-again. Salvation also includes other things that were purchased by Jesus on the Cross: our healing, prosperity and deliverance.

Chapter 6: WHY LIVE HOLY

So do you think that we should continue sinning so that God will give us more and more grace? No! We died to our old sinful lives. So how can we continue living with sin?  ~ Romans 6:1-2

As born-again believers we live a holy life because:
    1. After we have Christ in our heart it’s our nature to live a holy life.
    2. Living a holy life prevents the devil from having open doors into our life.
    3. Living a holy life is a result of having a right relationship with God.
    4. Living a holy life helps us know the Word more and correct our attitudes.
CHAPTER 7: DEAD TO SIN

Did you forget that all of us became part of Christ when we were baptized? We shared his death in our baptism. So when we were baptized, we were buried with Christ and shared his death. We were buried with him so that we could live a new life, just as Christ was raised from death by the wonderful power of the Father. Christ died, and we have been joined with Christ by dying too. So we will also be joined with him by rising from death as he did. We know that our old life died with Christ on the cross. This was so that our sinful selves would have no power over us, and we would not be slaves to sin. Anyone who has died is made free from sin’s control. ~ Romans 6:3-6

Because of what Christ has done for us we can live free from sin.
    1. It’s important that we remember the Apostle Paul was talking about our sin nature not individual actions of sin in our daily life.
    2. Through Adam the sin nature entered humanity.
    3. God took the root of our sin nature and dealt with through Christ on the Cross.
    4. Through Christ, we are dead with Him to our sin nature.
    5. Through Christ, we are alive also in His resurrection.

Praise God I have been freed from the domination of a sinful lifestyle because of what Jesus Christ has done for me!

Be blessed with Andrew Wommack’s teaching video that focuses on much of what we have covered today.

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THE TEN COMMANDMENTS STUDY | Honor Your Parents

REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES OFFERS FOUR TOPICS FOR CONTEMPLATION EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR. EACH TOPIC IS A 12-MONTH STUDY SERIES ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH. IN MONTHS WITH FIVE FRIDAYS I’LL BE REVIEWING VARIOUS INSPIRATIONAL MEDIA.
On the first Friday of each month in 2022 we’re studying the Ten Commandments; why we need to know, memorize and obey them.

Regard (treat with honor, due obedience, and courtesy) your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land the Lord your God gives you. ~ Exodus 20:12 (AMPC)

HONOR: to revere; to respect; to treat with deference and submission and perform relative duties to. ~ Noah Webster 1828 Dictionary

GOD’S FAMILY PLAN

From the beginning God had a plan for His People. He designed a family to have two parents: a man and a woman. Together, with God’s blessing to be fruitful and multiply, they would create the human race.  The responsibility of the children fell to the parents. The responsibility of the children was to obediently submit to the authority of their parents.

It’s no secret in today’s world, the destruction of many nations began with the breakdown of the family.  With Biblical values declining in our schools and homes and out of control divorce rates, the majority of children no longer have both parental figures in their lives. The concept of honoring anyone, much less your parents is almost unheard of. And we wonder why our world is in the state it is.

“As the family goes, so goes the nation, and so goes the whole world in which we live.”~ Pope St. John Paul II

THE PROMISED REWARD

The fifth commandment teaches us that God designed our parents to be honored and obeyed in the same way that we would honor and obey God, our heavenly Father.  But this commandment is about more than just how we treat our parents. It flows to all areas of community life. When a child knows how to honor their parents, they will be able to respect others in authority as well: teachers, police and other officials.

While this commandment has often been taught as the only one with a promise. I would agree with Dennis Prager in the video below and Alistair Begg who wrote that the fifth commandment is given as a promise not just to individuals but to a society in general.

“So the principle in the promise is this: children who are taught to obey God by honoring their parents will grow up to be responsible citizens, and responsible citizens make for a strong nation, which in turns helps to provide a context in which life can flourish.” ~ Alistair Begg

NEVER TOO LATE TO OBEY GOD

There are many who would say our world is a lost cause, that it’s too late to teach these principles to make serious changes. However, scripture teaches us God will keep all His promises. I believe with the Holy Spirit’s power backing up our obedience, God will honor that obedience and keep His promises to achieve what He desired them to accomplish.

My word, which comes from my mouth, is like the rain and snow.
It will not come back to me without results.
It will accomplish whatever I want
and achieve whatever I send it to do.”  ~  Isaiah 55:11

The prophet Isaiah made it clear that when God spoke a Word it would not return to God until it had accomplished the purpose He sent it to achieve. This assures us that even the fifth commandment’s promised reward has the same backing. God’s Word always finishes what He calls it to finish to the glory of His Name.

UPDATE YOUR MEMORY

Our memory aid for the Fifth Commandment shows us the image of two loving parents in the shape of a 5. This is a good reminder for us to honor, obey, respect and be courteous to the people who gave us life.

Take a few minutes and glean wisdom from Dennis Prager’s teaching on The Fifth Commandment. Be blessed!

RESOURCES:

The Evidence Bible

Thompson Chain Reference Bible

New Living Parallel Study Bible*

Spirit-Filled Life Bible

The Rational Bible: Genesis by Dennis Prager

The Rational Bible: Exodus by Dennis Prager

The 10 Commandments: What They Mean, Why They Matter, and Why we Should Obey Them by Kevin DeYoung

Pathway to Freedom: How God’s Laws Guide Our Lives by Alistair Begg

The Ten Commandments: Reasonable Rules for Life by Dwight L. Moody

The Evidence Bible: Ten Commandments Memory Aid

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LAW / GRACE/ FREEDOM :: The Judges

REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES OFFERS FOUR TOPICS FOR CONTEMPLATION EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR. EACH TOPIC IS A 12-MONTH STUDY SERIES ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH. IN MONTHS WITH FIVE FRIDAYS WE’RE REVIEWING CHRISTIAN MEDIA.
On the fourth Friday of each month in 2022 we’re studying the RHW 2022 Theme: God’s Law, Grace & Freedom.

“Without God’s law and grace there is no opportunity for recovery from any addiction and therefore no true freedom!”

LAW

The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim. He spoke to the people of Israel there and said: “I brought you up from Egypt. I led you to the land I promised to give to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my agreement with you. But in return, you must not make an agreement with the people who live in this land. You must destroy their altars.’ But you did not obey me. How could you do this? Now I will tell you this: ‘I will not force out the people in this land. They will become your enemies. Their gods will become a trap for you.’” Judges 2:1-3

After Joshua and all the people who came from Egypt died off, God raised up political / religious leaders to guide the people in times of oppression from their enemies. The era of the judges highlights the core principles of God’s law brought by Moses:  Obedience brings peace and life. Disobedience brings oppression and death. These stories remind us God’s judgement for sin is sure to come. However, forgiveness of sins with restored relationship is equally as certain for those who turn to Him in true repentance.

REBELLION

The people of Israel served the Lord as long as Joshua was alive. They continued serving the Lord during the lifetimes of the elders who lived on after Joshua. These men had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel….  After those people had died, their children grew up. They did not know the Lord or what he had done for Israel. So they did evil and worshiped the Baal idols. They did what the Lord said was wrong. The Lord had brought the people of Israel out of Egypt. And the ancestors of these people had worshiped the Lord. But the Israelites quit following the Lord. They began to worship the gods of the people who lived around them. That made the Lord angry. The Israelites quit following the Lord and worshiped Baal and Ashtoreth. The Lord was angry with the people of Israel. So he let robbers attack them and take their possessions. He let their enemies who lived around them defeat them. They could not protect themselves from their enemies. When the Israelites went out to fight, they always lost. They lost because the Lord was not on their side. The Lord had sworn to them this would happen. So the Israelites suffered very much. ~ Judges 7; 10-15

This section of scripture shows us the cycle of sin, judgement and repentance that the people of Israel repeated over and over. This is the cycle all humanity repeats over and over again. As one godly generation dies off, the next generation either wasn’t taught the ways of God or they simply fail to follow God because the temptation of sin is so great. The responsibility lies on the family leaders. When one generation fails to teach the next generation how to follow God’s laws, the cycle of sin is sure to continue.

GRACE

Then the Lord chose leaders called judges. These leaders saved the people of Israel from the robbers. But the Israelites did not listen to their judges. They were not faithful to God. They followed other gods instead. In the past the people of Israel obeyed the Lord’s commands. But now the Israelites stopped obeying the Lord. Many times the enemies of Israel hurt the Israelites. So the Israelites would cry for help. And each time the Lord felt sorry for them. Each time he sent a judge to save them from their enemies. The Lord was with those judges. ~ Judges 2:16-18

Even in the face of all Israel’s consistent rebellion to God, He faithfully continued to deliver them from their oppressors. This deliverance wasn’t because of the repentance on Israel’s part, but of mercy and compassion from the heart of a loving Father.

FREEDOM

The judges, even with their flaws and weaknesses did save Israel from their enemies. But through it all the people of Israel continued to insist on having a king like other nations. They did need a king, but not the kind they thought. What they needed was The King, and Messiah, Jesus Christ who would bring true freedom from all the oppressors.

The most important lesson we can learn from the judges stories is that humanity is ingrained with a cyclical sinful nature. Unless we keep our focus on God’s Word and teach the younger generation God’s ways, humanity will consistently return to dark, evil ways.

The good news is our heavenly Father will always be there when we turn away from sin. When we call out to Him, He is faithful to deliver us from our enemies, even if that worst enemy is ourself. God will bring us to a place of freedom and victory over any bondage we may suffer from if we continue to follow Him.

Be blessed by this worship song with Jesus Culture.

 

Resources:

ESV Study Bible

Spirit-Filled Life Bible

NLT Parallel Study Bible

International Children’s Bible

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THE TWELVE LAWS OF LIFE RECOVERY | Sacrifice

REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES OFFERS FOUR TOPICS FOR CONTEMPLATION EVERY MONTH. EACH TOPIC IS A 12-MONTH STUDY ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC FRIDAY OF THE MONTH. IN MONTHS WITH FIVE FRIDAYS WE REVIEW INSPIRATIONAL CHRISTIAN MEDIA.
On the third Friday of each month in 2022 we’re focusing our life recovery work on The Twelve Laws of Life Recovery: God’s Wisdom and Guidance for Your Journey with Stephen Arterburn and David Stoop. This powerful study will take our life of recovery to a level of freedom most of us haven’t yet experienced.

THE TWELVE LAWS OF LIFE RECOVERY 

Each month we’re looking at a requirement that guides us to a specific result which will fill our lives with love, gratitude and serenity. Each of the Twelve Laws of Life Recovery are aligned with one of the Twelve Steps of Life Recovery. As you go through the study you will see how they work together.

 

THE LAW OF SACRIFICE

REQUIREMENT: SACRIFICE
RESULT: FULFILLMENT

“The law of sacrifice is a powerful force in life recovery. Before we begin our recovery… we focus on pleasing ourselves and on what the world thinks is important… but we will not truly know fulfillment or significance until we learn the value of sacrifice.” ~ The Twelve Laws of Life Recovery

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. ~ Romans 12:1-2

Our focus scripture, Romans 12:1-2 helps us understand how our life can become fulfilled when we have a mentality of sacrifice. Let’s break it down.

1. Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God

The Apostle Paul’s call to sacrifice our body to God doesn’t leave anything out.  No matter what our “drug of choice” is, we must willingly sacrifice what makes us feel good for God’s sake.

2. Give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you

We will find a fulfilling life if we will gratefully offer our body to God as a living and holy sacrifice in response to all He has done for us.

3. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable

God isn’t asking us to stop living. He wants us to live a life separated from what the bad things the world focuses on. That is a sacrifice that God can accept.

4. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world

Another reminder that we are to be separated from the ways of the world. We are not to try and fit in with those around us. But rather we are to follow Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit we can show an example of His light to the world.

5. Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think

We are not just to sacrificially offer our bodies. We need to give him our mind as well. God wants to change us from the inside out starting. To do that we have to sacrifice our perspective. But this process won’t start unless we get in God’s Word. As we daily read scripture, our minds will be transformed to the way God thinks and acts.

6. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect

As we surrender to God and stop trying to do everything our way, we will learn that He has a much better plan for our lives. His ways are good and perfectly designed for us. When we follow God’s will and ways He is pleased and our life is fulfilled. And those around us will see God’s blessings on our life!

Fulfillment comes when we know God’s will for our lives and when we sacrifice everything or our own in order to live within the boundaries of His will. ~ The Twelve Law of Life Recovery

Take some time to dedicate your life to God as a living sacrifice with this powerful song by Brandon Lake. Be blessed!

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BOOK STUDY || GRACE: The Power of the Gospel | God’s Free Gift

REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES OFFERS FOUR TOPICS FOR CONTEMPLATION EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR. EACH TOPIC IS A 12-MONTH STUDY SERIES ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH. IN MONTHS WITH FIVE FRIDAYS I’LL BE REVIEWING VARIOUS INSPIRATIONAL CHRISTIAN MEDIA.
On the second Friday of each month in 2022 we’re studying Andrew Wommack’s life-changing book: GRACE: The Power of the Gospel. In this study we dig into the New Testament book of Romans — Apostle Paul’s masterpiece on the subject of grace. I hope you will get a copy of Andrew’s book and join me for this study. Today we highlight Chapter Five.

 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. ~ Romans 5:8-9

MAINTAINED BY GRACE

Just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. ~ Colossians 2:6

We are not only saved by grace but we also continue our relationship with God with that same grace.  Grace not only saves us, it heals us, delivers us from addictions, and prospers us.  All of these are not benefits based on our performance. before God.  Rather all the benefits of salvation come from God’s precious grace through Jesus Christ.

“The same way your were born again is the same way you should continue walking with Him.” ~ Andrew Wommack

Many Christians receive grace for their salvation, but believe it is up to their performance to maintain their relationship with God. This is allowing the devil to deceive us. We must put our faith in and receive all the benefits of the entire Gospel of Christ!

ACCEPT THE TRUTH

For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. ~ Romans 5:17

The gift of righteousness came through Jesus Christ-not from anything we do. Our right standing with God comes by our faith in what Christ has done for us. The only thing we have to do is believe and accept the grace that comes from that faith. If we can believe that we were born a sinner, we have to believe the other side of that truth–when we are born again we are made right with God.

“As you understand God’s grace, His love will abound in your life. Faith will work by love, and everything you need will come through the power of the Gospel. The Gospel is the power of God! ~ Andrew Wommack

Take some time and watch this great teaching from Andrew Wommack that goes perfectly with this chapter. Be blessed!

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THE TEN COMMANDMENTS STUDY | Honor The Sabbath

REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES OFFERS FOUR TOPICS FOR CONTEMPLATION EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR. EACH TOPIC IS A 12-MONTH STUDY SERIES ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH. IN MONTHS WITH FIVE FRIDAYS I’LL BE REVIEWING VARIOUS INSPIRATIONAL MEDIA.
On the first Friday of each month in 2022 we’re studying the Ten Commandments; why we need to know, memorize and obey them.

“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.” ~ Exodus 20:8-11

While some see the Ten Commandments as rules to keep us from having a fun time, the Ten Commandments are God’s laws given to humanity to help us, protect us and make our lives better. After the fall in The Garden of Eden, God began working on a plan to restore His relationship with humanity. With sin separating us from God’s holiness, He needed a way to show us our need for a Savior who could provide the way to bring people back to Him.

NOT JUST RULES

God knew what kind of life He wanted us to have. He also knew that we couldn’t do that on our own. The Law was given to show us that no matter how hard we try we can’t do life without God and be happy, healthy or successful. If He didn’t love us, God wouldn’t have give us rules to live by. Just like a good human parent puts rules in place to guide and protect their children, God gave us the law to help us.

THE GRACE OF REST

God’s grace is seen through all the commandments. Here we see the grace of rest bestowed on us as a blessing from being obedient. In Genesis chapter 2 we see the first six days of creation showed God separating light out of the darkness and water from the dry land. When God rested He separated what was ordinary from what is holy. This would later be the foundation for Israel’s worship and pave the way for the ultimate rest in Christ taught in the New Testament book of Hebrews.*

FREEDOM TO WORSHIP

When we honor the Sabbath by resting from our ordinary duties, chores, activities and the sort, we free ourselves from the cares of life so that we can freely focus on time to be with our Creator and Lord Jesus. This allows us to bring ourselves fully to a sweet place of worship in the Holy Spirit, where God can minister to us, energize and renew us for our upcoming week. If we fail to do this, not only are we dishonoring what God has put in place for us out of His ultimate best for us. But we are setting ourselves up for unnecessary stress and possibly potential illness. Certainly our marriages and families are happier and healthier when we take a full day to be with God and with them.

Not in a spirit of legalism, but for the sake of our physical & mental health, for the health of our families and our growing relationship with God, let’s commit ourselves to honoring God by faithfully keeping the Sabbath to the best of our ability.

UPDATE YOUR MEMORY

Our memory aid for the Fourth Commandment shows us the image of someone watching television. This is a good reminder for us not to waste a day on frivolous activities.

 

Take a few minutes to watch this short video from PragerU with Dennis Prager teaching on the fourth Commandment.

RESOURCES:

The Evidence Bible

Thompson Chain Reference Bible

New Living Parallel Study Bible*

Spirit-Filled Life Bible

The Rational Bible: Genesis by Dennis Prager

The Rational Bible: Exodus by Dennis Prager

The 10 Commandments: What They Mean, Why They Matter, and Why we Should Obey Them by Kevin DeYoung

Pathway to Freedom: How God’s Laws Guide Our Lives by Alistair Begg

The Ten Commandments: Reasonable Rules for Life by Dwight L. Moody

The Evidence Bible: Ten Commandments Memory Aid

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BOOK REVIEW :: The Rational Bible by Dennis Prager

REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES OFFERS FOUR THEMES FOR CONTEMPLATION EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR. EACH OF THE FOUR POWER-PACKED THEMES ARE A 12-MONTH STUDY SERIES ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH. IN MONTHS WITH FIVE FRIDAYS I REVIEW INSPIRATIONAL MEDIA.
TODAY WE’RE LOOKING AT AN AMAZING SERIES OF BOOKS.

The Rational Bible: Genesis by [Dennis Prager]   

   

Dennis Prager has spent most of his adult life teaching the Torah. I can think of no one more qualified to write a line by line commentary on the Torah. One of the things I most enjoy about Dennis Prager is his straightforward way of teaching.

The format Dennis uses is excellent. He not only goes line by line in the Scripture explaining the verses. But also he offers insightful essays that delve deeper into various topics throughout the books. Here are a few samples of some intriguing essay titles:

From Genesis:
    • The Belief People Are Basically Good Is Foolish and Dangerous
    • Faith Demands Sacrifice
    • Can We Expect God To Protect Us
From Exodus:
    • The Moral Significance of Fearing God
    • Do All Believers In One God Believe in the Same God?
    • We Are Not Commanded To Love Our Parents

I’ve been using The Rational Bible: Genesis and Exodus for the last several months as references for some of my columns and I’ve learned so much. I’m looking forward to getting the recently released The Rational Passover Haggadah and The Rational Bible: Deuteronomy which is coming in October 2022. I encourage you buy and read these valuable commentaries. Everything Dennis Prager is excellent. He never disappoints.

Take some time to watch this great episode of The Book Club with Michael Knowles discussing Dennis Prager’s The Rational Bible: Exodus. Enjoy!

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LAW / GRACE/ FREEDOM :: The Exodus

REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES OFFERS FOUR TOPICS FOR CONTEMPLATION EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR. EACH TOPIC IS A 12-MONTH STUDY SERIES ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH. IN MONTHS WITH FIVE FRIDAYS WE’RE REVIEWING CHRISTIAN MEDIA.
On the fourth Friday of each month in 2022 we’re studying the RHW 2022 Theme: God’s Law, Grace & Freedom.

“Without God’s law and grace there is no opportunity for recovery from any addiction and therefore no true freedom!”

God spoke to Moses, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I didn’t make myself known to them by my name, the Lord. I even made a promise  to give them Canaan, the land where they lived as foreigners. Now I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians hold in slavery, and I have remembered my promise.

“Tell the Israelites, ‘I am the Lord. I will bring you out from under the oppression of the Egyptians, and I will free you from slavery. I will rescue you with my powerful arm and with mighty acts of judgment. Then I will make you my people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the forced labor of the Egyptians. I will bring you to the land I solemnly swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your own possession. I am the Lord.’ ” ~ Exodus 6:2-8

As we are now in the Passover and Easter season of the year, this is an interesting study to reflect on.  Today we’ll look specifically at how God’s grace was displayed to the Children of Israel before, during and after their exodus from Egypt.  And we will look at how that grace brought freedom from Pharaoh’s slave law

Grace In HIS PROMISE

Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God. God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act.~ Exodus 2:23-25 

Our Scripture reading above reflects God’s grace as He has heard the cries of His people in slave bondage under the Pharaoh. It’s not because the Children of Israel deserved God’s grace and mercy. It was because God remembered the promise He had made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God is always faithful to fulfill His promises.

GRACE IN THE PLAGUES

The homes of the Egyptians will be filled with flies, and even the ground outside will be covered with them. But on that day I will treat the region of Goshen differently. That is where my people live. There won’t be any flies there. This way you will know that I, the Lord, am here in this land. I will distinguish between my people and yours. This miraculous sign will happen tomorrow.’ ” ~ Exodus 8:21-23

But the Lord will distinguish between Israel’s livestock and the livestock of the Egyptians. No animals belonging to the Israelites will die.’ ” ~ Exodus 9:4

All over Egypt the hail knocked down everything that was out in the open. It struck down people, animals, and every plant in the fields and destroyed every tree in the fields. The only place it didn’t hail was the region of Goshen, where the Israelites lived. ~ Exodus 9:24-25

Moses lifted his hand toward the sky, and throughout Egypt there was total darkness for three days. People couldn’t see each other, and no one went anywhere for three days. But all the Israelites had light where they were living. ~ Exodus 10:23

Then Moses called for all the leaders of Israel. He said to them, “Pick out a lamb or a young goat for your families, and kill the Passover animal.Take the branch of a hyssop plant, dip it in the blood which is in a bowl, and put some of the blood on the top and sides of the doorframes ⌞of your houses⌟. No one may leave the house until morning. The Lord will go throughout Egypt to kill the Egyptians. When he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, he will pass over that doorway, and he will not let the destroyer come into your home to kill you. ~ Exodus 12:21-23

From the above selected Scriptures you can see that God graciously protected the Children of Israel during the ten plagues in Egypt. While there aren’t specific verses for all ten plagues, we have no reason to believe that God didn’t protect the Hebrew people through every plague.

GRACE IN THE EXODUS

The Egyptians begged the people to leave the country quickly. They said, “Soon we’ll all be dead!” So the people picked up their bread dough before it had risen and carried it on their shoulders in bowls, wrapped up in their clothes. The Israelites did what Moses had told them and asked the Egyptians for gold and silver jewelry and for clothes. The Lord made the Egyptians generous to the people, and they gave them what they asked for. So the Israelites stripped Egypt of its wealth. ~ Exodus 12:33-36

Even after all of God’s grace bestowed on the Hebrew people, He still had more for them on there way out of Egypt. The Egyptians were so afraid of what God would do to them they begged the Hebrew people to leave quickly. Not only were they now free to go, God made the Egyptians have generous favor so much that Egypt was cleaned of its wealth!

God heard the cry of His people, remembered and kept His promises.  His mercy and grace found them in their bondage just like He does for us today. God blesses all His people with His grace and freedom.

Be blessed by this touching song by Matt Redman.

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THE TWELVE LAWS OF LIFE RECOVERY | Willingness

REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES OFFERS FOUR TOPICS FOR CONTEMPLATION EVERY MONTH. EACH TOPIC IS A 12-MONTH STUDY ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC FRIDAY OF THE MONTH. IN MONTHS WITH FIVE FRIDAYS WE REVIEW INSPIRATIONAL CHRISTIAN MEDIA.
On the third Friday of each month in 2022 we’re focusing our life recovery work on The Twelve Laws of Life Recovery: God’s Wisdom and Guidance for Your Journey with Stephen Arterburn and David Stoop. This powerful study will take our life of recovery to a level of freedom most of us haven’t yet experienced.

THE TWELVE LAWS OF LIFE RECOVERY 

Each month we’re looking at a requirement that guides us to a specific result which will fill our lives with love, gratitude and serenity. Each of the Twelve Laws of Life Recovery are aligned with one of the Twelve Steps of Life Recovery. As you go through the study you will see how they work together.

THE LAW OF WILLINGNESS

REQUIREMENT: willingness
RESULT: growth

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. ~ Colossians 3:23

“Willingness opens the door to new paths that lead to growth. Resistance or stubbornness are signs of foolish ness and self-delusion.” ~ The Twelve Laws of Life Recovery

There’s a childish side of us all that wants everything our way. Those of us in life recovery have probably experienced a time when friends or family members tried to get us to stop our addictive habits or behaviors. But we were foolish and stubbornly refused to listen or comply with their requests. We were unwilling to change. We wanted to live life on our terms.

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. ~ James 3:17

Take a moment of inventory…

Are you living a life of wisdom? The proof you are not wise is a lack of purity, love, gentleness and a willingness to yield to others. When we willing submit to God we open our selves to His wisdom. We will begin to grow personally and our lives will produce godly results that others will see.

Take a few moments to watch / listen to this beautiful Casting Crowns song.

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BOOK STUDY || GRACE: The Power of the Gospel | Faith Accesses Grace

REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES OFFERS FOUR TOPICS FOR CONTEMPLATION EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR. EACH TOPIC IS A 12-MONTH STUDY SERIES ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH. IN MONTHS WITH FIVE FRIDAYS I’LL BE REVIEWING VARIOUS INSPIRATIONAL CHRISTIAN MEDIA.
On the second Friday of each month in 2022 we’re studying Andrew Wommack’s life-changing book: GRACE: The Power of the Gospel. In this study we dig into the New Testament book of Romans — Apostle Paul’s masterpiece on the subject of grace. I hope you will get a copy of Andrew’s book and join me for this study. Today we highlight Chapter Four.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. ~ Romans 5:1-2

Many Christians believe that God gave the Law for us to keep. And when we kept the Law then we deserved a relationship with Him. But that isn’t the purpose of the Law. Then why did God give us all the laws and commandments if our salvation comes only by grace?

In Romans Chapter 4, Paul explains this to us using the example of Abraham. In Genesis 12, God promised Abraham that he would be the father of  so many that he couldn’t count them. Abraham took God at His Word and by faith believed that God was going to keep His promise. At the point of Abraham’s belief, God saw Abraham as a righteous man. God saw Abraham as a person of right standing who could be in His presence. It wasn’t because of anything Abraham actually did. It was what he believed. It was his faith that put Abraham in right standing with God.

written for us

That is why Abraham’s faith was regarded as the basis of his approval by God. But the words “his faith was regarded as the basis of his approval by God” were written not only for him but also for us. Our faith will be regarded as the basis of our approval by God—each of us who believe in the one who brought Jesus, our Lord, back to life.  ~ Romans 4:23-24

Abraham  was declared right in God’s eyes thirteen years before he made covenant with God through the sign of circumcision. It was after he believed God’s promise that he would be the father of many nations not because of any actions or performance. Paul teaches us that these things are written for us so that we will know we too are found righteous and have access to God by our faith alone.

Have Peace With God

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ~ Romans 5:1

It’s a hard life trying to measure up to God’s approval based on our own efforts. There’s nothing we can do that will clean off the sins we have committed.  That kind of living carries a heavy burden and is empty of true peace that is available to us simply by putting our faith and trust in what Christ did for us on the cross.

“The only way we can have peace with God is through our Lord Jesus Christ.” ~ Andrew Wommack

Trust God and Let Go

Through our faith, Christ has brought us into that blessing of God’s grace that we now enjoy. And we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory. ~ Romans 5:2

The world doesn’t understand God’s grace is equally available to all. God is an equal opportunity God. He won’t play favorites between people. We all have the same availability to the benefits of His love. Jesus paid the price for all of us. We each have free access to God’s grace everyday.

It’s not difficult. But we do have to make the decision to accept by faith what Jesus did for us. Faith is the only price we have to pay; to simply believe and receive. To do that we must let go of trying to please God in our own goodness and trust in our Savior, Jesus Christ!

If you’ve never taken this step of faith before, pray this simple prayer:

Jesus, I confess you as my Savior and Lord. By faith in God’s Word I accept your grace and receive my salvation today. Thank you Jesus for saving me! 

Be blessed with this excellent teaching video from Andrew Wommack.