Sarah continues Sept. 1

Ladies Bible Study Sept. 1

We opened with prayer

We continued in Bible connections pg. 20 question 3

Respond to the statement: no good has ever come from any violation of the “one-flesh” principle of monogamy.

We read:  Genesis 29:23-31; 2 Samuel 5:13; 1 Kings 11:1-4; Matthew 19:4-5; 1 Corinthians 7:2

No sin is ever good in the sight of God, but if our sins left us here in front of God as no good, we would be without hope.  It brings us to Romans 8:28. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

But we need to look at the consequences of your sin and how they affect not only us but those in our lives. But, God is working with us through all our sinning.  My sins still have consequences today, but everything that we are working through as Christians is working toward the good.

Like a pipe cleaner that gets kinked and we cannot straighten, our sin messes with our lives and we are in bondage by the sins that have flowed through generations.  We need to turn to the one true God, who is the one that can straighten our lives.

We had a lot of discussion about the imperfectness that have happened in the world around us and how adultery and sex outside of marriage has caused problems.  We all had instances to relate and also how God has used the things in our lives to change us and turn us to Him.  WE have to be careful not to label others as no good.  God does as he directs.

Abraham was a weak link with Sarah, but he broke the marriage trust. We have to be constantly on guard to keep from sin.  Sin affects us and leaves us with scars. We need to be alert to the spirit and run from the sin and temptation around us.

Isaiah 61

61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

Because the Lord has anointed me

To bring good news to the afflicted;

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to captives

And freedom to prisoners;

2 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord

And the day of vengeance of our God;

To comfort all who mourn,

3 To grant those who mourn in Zion,

Giving them a garland instead of ashes,

The oil of gladness instead of mourning,

The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.

So they will be called oaks of righteousness,

The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

Ecclesiastes 7:13 
Consider the work of God,
For who is able to straighten what He has bent?
¹⁴ In the day of prosperity be happy,
But in the day of adversity consider—
God has made the one as well as the other
So that man will not discover anything that will be after him.

We remember where we came from and the grace that gets us through.

Zechariah 13:9

⁹ “And I will bring the third part through the fire,
Refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them;
I will say, ‘They are My people,’
And they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

Let us lift up our voices to proclaim “The Lord is my God” and to turn away from the sins that so easily beset us.

Sarah Aug. 18

Ladies Bible Study Aug. 18

We began with prayer presented by Shera

Discussion begins with Mark 9- Sarah is in her tent listening to the Lord. Is anything impossible with the Lord.

At the beginning of Mark 9 is the transfiguration.  What a wonderful experience and when they came down from the mountain there were 9 other disciples left there.  The scribes had been questioning these disciples and a man stepped out of the crowd to speak to Jesus.  This man said he needed Jesus to heal his son and Jesus’ disciples could not remove the demon from the boy.  Jesus refers to the crowd as a faithless generation and the boy begins convulsing and falling into the fire.  The man explains that this has been happening throughout the boy’s youth.  The man said to Jesus IF you can you could remove the spirit and Jesus replies If you can believe, with God all things are possible. The man said I believe, help my unbelief!

Then we see the responses of the Leper and then the lady with the issue of blood.  Peter’s mother in law was sick with a fever and Jesus just walks over and touches her

The ultimate end was that they all believed and all had healing and all were touched by God.  People may not be looking for God, but God has a purpose in all that he does.   Our salvation, healing, or whatever, is not of us it is all of God, for HIS GLORY!!  We get so much more when we do believe. When we believe we begin to see more of the whole picture of God’s movements. 

When looking at our moment of salvation and looking at the thief on the cross, we don’t know when his salvation happened, but we do know that at the end he is receiving the blessings poured out upon him. Like Sarah, we don’t know when Sarah received her moment of salvation, but she too received the blessings poured out upon her.  Sarah is an example placed in God’s word for an example of a faithful woman.

Hebrews 11:11- We looked at the paper prepared by Pastor Jon, and Shera asked us to be careful of what versions we are reading.  The Hermeneutics of Biblical study = the thoughts of another combined with the thoughts written in another language. 

Question 2 pg. 20

The promise isn’t what was important, what IS important is the knowing that God who is in control.  Corrie Ten Boom said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to an unknown God.”  Sarah trusted God and we have that opportunity too! Trusting God through all things in our lives!   Sarah counted God faithful in all, knowing that through all her making a mess He still loved her and fulfilled his promise through her.

1Tim. 12:1-15

12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; 14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. 15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. 16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Sarah had faith but she also had doubts, she had jealousy of her maid servant, her child, lived with her weaknesses, she was totally human, just like us.  But, God knew her heart and all her weaknesses and God saw great things.  His faithfulness doesn’t rely on us.  

Shera shared the story of her brother’s death and how her mother’s strength in God was unwavering. At the same time of her brother’s death the marines in the American embassy in Iran were killed.  Her mom said, “Oh, I need to pray for those families that have lost family” Her thoughts were on others even in her worst times.

In Genesis God tells them that there will be enmity between the serpent and man as a prediction of the coming of the Savior.  

Edith brought the story of her mother-in-law and how she got sick on Thanksgiving and died of bone cancer by Christmas.  Her mother-in-law when asked if she was upset replied, “Christians look forward to going home!”  How some have tremendous faith and they are a great inspiration to us.

In 1 Samuel 30:4-6 tells of all the sadness of having their families taken, but David encouraged himself in the Lord His GOD!  How do we give out our Christian heart; how do we show our heart and not have it be a platitude, when we say “God really cares for you.”  That person may hate what we say but sometimes we need to say it.  Sometimes words unspoken are better and actions need to be done. 

Sarah continues Aug.4

Ladies Bible Study Aug. 4- Study of Sarah

We began by discussing the polytheistic nature of the world today, how many are embracing nature gods or what they want to be gods. 

We then looked at question 5 – what ways were the name changes of Abraham and Sarah significant in helping them have faith in God’s fulfillment of His promise.

It is a constant confirmation since they can’t even hear their names without thinking about the promise. It is also a time that God is confirming Sarah’s involvement in the promise.  God had plans for their union.  This is also showing God’s love to the both of them, after 13 years after the incident with Hagar.  We also wonder if Sarah is carrying around “baggage” from her past religions which hinders her walk or even if she truly trusted that she would be a part of the promise.  She is a true example of our wavering in her walk with God, and yet God placed her in faith’s hall of fame!

In today’s culture we choose names because they are what we want, but God changed or selected the names of several people in his word, and God has also promised us a new name in heaven!!

Bible Connections:

1.       Genesis 17:15 Sarah’s name was changed when she was 90, how does age impact the ability or desire to change:

Our requirements from God remain the same, although with time growing short she may have felt a desire to get things done.  She suffered with childlessness for 90 years, but when change in your life has been prepared by God we go through things a little easier, at least if we are walking with God. God was preparing her through her suffering and God is revealing himself through these circumstances. They didn’t have God’s written word and they didn’t have years and years of experience with God.

What is required for change to be embraced by women especially older women?

Women must have: She needs support, Submission to God, willingness to change, to be flexible and flow in the grace of the Lord and to have Faith. It really doesn’t matter what we think, what matters is having the faith in God.  You must let go of self, if you are stuck in your way you won’t. You must have a teachable spirit, sanctification- the teachable spirit.   God calls us beloved.  We must have the willingness to look at the big picture.  When we learn that it isn’t all about us, we are just a piece of the whole puzzle, there is a purpose.  How broad was their scope of view.  Without the blessing of God there will never be change. The world has their opinion on change, but God is the one that will change things.

2.       Hebrews 11:11 – Sarah is mentioned in the Faith’s hall of fame, she judged him faithful who had promised. What does that phrase mean to you?

We have a discrepancy on the interpretations in this passage, so we will be researching this passage further and come back to it another time.  We encourage you to listen to the sermon that Shera shared with us.  We cannot transfer faith or belief. Each of us will independently be given faith by God if he so wills.  We do see some of Sarah’s walk of faith as she learns how to trust.  The faith of her husband would affect her because of his leadership in the family, as well as how he prayed and demonstrated his faith.  God uses people to spread his word. Throughout history God has chosen men to have a part in God’s way.

Shera  listened to a sermon by Rev. John Greer of Ballymena Free Presbyterian Church, Ballymena, N. Ireland last week: the path if anyone is interested in the further understanding of Sarah from Heb 11:11-12 and Gen 18.  It is titled "Receiving Strength By Faith".
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?m=t&s=520464142.

Sarah continues

Ladies Bible Study July 21^st- Study of Sarah

We continue in the first section with question #4

We read chapter 16 of Genesis, with question 4, Sarah, Abraham and Hagar all had their part in sinning.

Sarah didn’t wait upon the Lord; she tried to “help” God.  There was a divine promise and she tried to engineer it.  Her sin still affects us today with the peoples in the Middle East and the warfare that continues there today.  But, God in his sovereignty uses this in his plan.  We too can be easily influenced by family and friends, the custom of the day.  We need to be careful of opinions and turn to God’s word for guidance.  They knew the culture around them; God had to remove them from the culture.  They still had the influence from their culture and had to “re-learn” to follow God.

Reference was made as to “Who are we dancing for?” Who are you following, do you “dance” for idols or do you dance for the Lord? Looking at the culture of home lives and work, or school, are we careful to follow the right path.

p.28 The consequences of such a carnal life nearly tore her life apart and leaves a scar on our personalities.  Through our trials, others see the hurt and circumstances in our lives and wonder how we hold fast to God.  They need to see our faith through trial.  People assume that God allows the bad, but Adam through the fall of man brought sin into the world.

How do we feel about Sarah’s response and behavior to what was happening with Hagar? We don’t understand the cultural circumstances that led Sarah to this decision.  Sarah was holding on to this promise, but ignore other scriptures.. like man should cleave to his wife and become one flesh.  We need to be careful to not ignore God’s word! Are you reading God’s word?

Looking at historical facts of Abram, we know that there were worshipers of God at this time, but we don’t know exactly how they worshiped.  Noah’s Law – a man of true faith, he had laws: Not to worship other idols, not to blaspheme, to follow laws, and not to commit adultery, not to kill, and not to rob. They were descendants of Noah and they knew of God.

Abraham sinned in that he offered his wife as his sister, opening his marriage to give her to another man as the other man’s wife for fear of his own life.   Abraham could have refused to take Hagar as his wife. The fruit of sin is bitter, but God is sovereign in his dealings with us.  He was torn as a father and seeing the strife in their family and sending his son away when he was 16, even though he did come back.

God still says that they were faithful, God looks at us and says precious and treasure.  God said faithful.  Even when we act the same way that Sarah did, God still judges us. We are his and he knows our hearts just like he knew hers. 

Hagar- her sin, she had bitterness and contempt. Contempt= to make little.  Hagar placed Sarah as beneath her.  But Hagar was a servant, she wasn’t a wife, was she looked on with contempt from the other servants? She didn’t have a choice in becoming Abraham’s “wife”.  Her fruit was to return to being a servant.  God restored her to her position.  She called God “the God of seeing, truly here I have seen him who looks after me”, knowing that God was watching over her as well.  

We need to keep our eyes on God.

Sarah Continues

Ladies Bible Study July 7^th -Study of Sarah

Last week we finished question one and listened to the Old Testament scripture readings that involve both Abraham and Sarah.

Returning to question one, one thing we didn’t do was apply her characteristics to us:  Impatient, temperamental, conniving, pouty, erratic, naggy, beautiful, unreasonable, great faith, hospitable, having a hope that never dies.  Did she truly have all these characteristics? We looked at the word- naggy.  Did she nag or are those our words? Looking at the positives and negatives what do we glean?

She was barren and she had a hope and a promise, but it also caused her grief.  Some of our strengths can be our greatest weaknesses. Like her we can use our strengths in ways to get our own ways which leads us into sin.  We too have a fight within our members, saved but full of flesh.  Our characteristics depending on how we use them could bless or be sin.  Nagging could be used positively as exhorting or in the negative.  She was probably a very strong woman, and possibly a little spoiled in nature. Sarah was a total woman, full of emotion and illogic at times, searching for the correct answers.  She was preeminent in her relationship with her husband, but she did not have a direct voice from God. So, in the process of waiting, wanting to accomplish God’s will, she stepped out and sinned in giving Hagar to her husband.  It probably seemed right at the time, but the result brought heartache and trouble to the nations throughout history.  She acted in desperation and turned to the ways of the world.

Sin is any personal lack of conformity to the moral character of God or the law of God.

Question #2.

 She moved with her husband and began their journey through a land that God led them through. What was her response to leaving Haran for this “unknown land of promise”? They went forth and didn’t look back, Hebrews 11:15.  She left with family and servants, but it involves leaving what is known to move to the unknown, not knowing what was ahead. Whether there would be danger or hardships they went.

We too, when called by God have to leave friends and family, following God in the direction he wants us to go.  We have to surrender our children into God’s hands.  We want to have control of things, but it is God who must reign and to whom we have to let have control  .

Romans 1:20 – none of us are in a vacuum, we are all without excuse.

Question #3-

From the time she was 65 until death she lived a nomadic life. What made it bearable?

Tents, servants, family, her husband and her dedication to him, her faith in God’s calling and leading.

McArthur suggested that Bethel was their anchor of their faith.  Both had the need to return to it to refresh their faith. 

God’s timing and plans are way different than what we think they should be. We need to learn how to give over our worries and concerns and efforts to fix things, to God.  God is soverign.

Sarah

Ladies Bible Study June 16, 2012   Study of Sarah

Thinking about a stranger in our midst, Sarah, who is Sarah?

Patient to a point- then impatient; She was Abraham’s half-sister.  She was 90 when she had her first child and died when she was 127; She was very beautiful in a time when most were weathered,  she was jealous, She came from a wealthy family, she had comforts of home with her, her luxury was different than ours.  Men noticed her even in her older age, ageless beauty and she had inner beauty. She followed her husband in faith. She was barren, but God promised her children.  She was jealous and vengeful, yet she never turned from God. She didn’t waver in her husband or her faith. 

Romans 4:17-20 these verses show the deadness of Sarah’s womb and the agedness of Abraham.  God provided the complete miracle in the birth of Issac.

God keeps us from harm’s way, yet we have frailty, impatience, deceptiveness.  But through their faith God rewarded them. We don’t see their asking for forgiveness, but they remained faithful to God.  God had a plan to make Abraham the father of many nations, God provided the wealth and growth of these people directed in His plan.  They fell hard, but God still used them.

We wish we could be a little further over on the perfect scale, but because of our inadequate and sinful nature we can clearly see and praise God even more for taking our imperfect selves and using us for his greatness. God looks on the heart, and God knew them.  Even though we do stupid things, God knows our hearts as well, and uses us anyway. 

Even after Hagar became pregnant because of Sarah’s impatience, Sarah waited another 13 years before she had her child.  During that time she may have questioned herself wondering if she had made a horrible mistake.  But God in his mercy has the perfect plan.

A Road Map-

She left Haran for an unknown land of promise. In our handouts we marked all the mentioned places that they had traveled to and through, Reading from Genesis 12-23.  They traveled the land that Israel inhabits today.

Hebrews 11: 13  All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. 15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them

End of the study on Eve

Ladies Bible Study June 2, 2012

We opened with prayer

We began with question 8 page 4 to finish the study of Eve.  The reflective questions were discussed as desired.

#8 What is the biblical understanding of the crushing of Satan by Jesus?   Romans 16:20; Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8; Gal. 4:4

Jesus took the place of the yearly sacrifices because he is the ultimate sacrifice!  We forget that Jesus gave his perfect submission, that he might render the devil powerless, God is all powerful. So why was it written that Satan will be crushed shortly, this was after the resurrection.  Humans must still deal with Satan and the influence that Satan puts in our lives.  Just like a kid, Satan still pushes against God and tries to get us to fall. 

The ultimate lie of all lies is our wanting to exalt ourselves over God. That exultation is still goes on in our lives.  The moment we place ourselves over any situation without exulting God, we are sinning. The ultimate insult would be from those that insist there is no god.  Atheists state that we are just chemical reactions, a result of evolution, yet they go home and cherish their own families, placing value on those “chemical reactions” thus, giving value to humanity and thus giving God glory.

 The perfect woman- by not giving us her physical attributes, we do not feel we have to live up to those standards.  We in our imperfections, realize that the physical is not the focus. It is the heart that determines who we truly are.  Eve was made for Adam, God made her specifically for him, knowing what Adam needed and what Adam would desire.  Before we were saved we may have concentrated on the physical, but as we grow in the Lord, you learn to love in a different way.  God changes people. Ps. 45:15 - The king’s daughter is all glorious within.

Vulnerability- being vulnerable, is it an excuse? Are we pasting a fig leaf on us? 

How do we best protect ourselves from the vulnerability of Eve? 

Physically- we place boundaries around us, spiritually I know my shortcomings and so does God and so does Satan.  But by opening up our lives before the Lord and others we become approachable, others see where we fall short and are lacking.  We have scars,  but so does the Lord.  He has scars for us.  We need to be vulnerable for the Lord.  It is easy to be vulnerable with those you feel safe with.  We can feel safe with God and we trust that we are safe with other Christians.  Not judging others is so important.

Vulnerability is tied in with meekness- the definition of vulnerable is open for attack, weak.  But with God our vulnerability is invulnerable in Christ!  It is His strength that makes us invulnerable.  God gives us discernment, asking God for wisdom, he supplies it.  When we lay ourselves open and vulnerable we lay ourselves open before God, giving him all. It is who we are with that will result on how we are treated by those we are with, we need to place ourselves before God. In the garden, after they were removed, God still remained with them and their vulnerability.

It was her misunderstanding of God’s word that led her into disobedience.  Every word of God is very important. We must not misquote, misunderstand, or misinterpret God’s word.  To understand that God is the one in charge of the ministries, the church, his leading, we keep him preeminent.  

Day 4 – Why is important to pursue the knowledge of what is good without gaining the knowledge of that which is evil.

When you are soaked in the truth it is easier to spot the counterfeit.  When Jesus was being tempted by Satan, he used the word.  God’s word needs to fill our hearts and lives. 

We gain knowledge through experiences.  God takes you through things to build us.  The consequences of sin live on and hurt others, it is far better to learn through God’s good.  Like the story of Dorian Grey, the evil that comes into our lives changes us to ugliness on the inside and ultimately the evil will change the outside.  Beauty may be skin deep, but ugly goes clear to the bone.

The ultimate picture of self, when a tennis player thought she would win the match, it was her “due”.  “She didn’t need to do much to win”.  But, her opponent, who struggled through the year by heartaches and physical ills, was the one that was triumphant.  The girl that thought she would win, walked away with her self-reliance, but the girl that won took a year of difficulty and learning with her along with the win.

Nothing is due us. We are not entitled to anything.  The first things we learn as a child, “it isn’t fair”.  But God did not promise us anything, everything that we have or get in our lives is a gift from God.  We are to be dependent on God, praising him for everything he has blessed us with.  We need to realize that God doesn’t owe us anything, we owe HIM everything.

Women in different roles, wife, mother, daughter, caretaker, etc…  We don’t think about it a lot, but we move and transition into different roles.  If we do all for Christ, it will last. It is the relationship with the Lord that lasts.  Each person at a funeral may see a different aspect of a person, but we are blessed by the people that God brings into our “family”.

Eve had generations of grandchildren, she suffered with her children’s acts, she may have rejoiced with the promise that God told her about her children.  She was human.  When we don’t repent we experience judgment, but through repentance we have repentance.  One small act of disobedience changed the world and the future of mankind.  When we sin we don’t think things through and how much does our sin impacts the world.  Every time you stop and think about something and choose to do the right thing for God you are dying to self, putting yourself last.

Just Think! We have so many more wonderful examples to go through!
Sarah is next!