Monday, September 29, 2014

1 Thessalonians 5:23-28

There's a prayer i often pray for my wife and myself along with my friends.  I found something very similar to this prayer in some of the final words of this book as written by the Apostle Paul.  My prayer is usually this I ask that God would make Marion and I into the family he wants us to be and that i would be the man of God and her the woman of God that he desires.  I also ask he would do the same with my friends.  Like i said last week if our goal is not to please God then we're just wasting our lives.  Let's look at God's word.  


23.  "Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again."  Holy and blameless these are things God wants from me and you and only He can make them happen.  
24.  "God will make this happen for he who calls you is faithful."  That is assurance and hope.
25.  "Dear brothers and sisters pray for us."  I can assure you any teacher of God's word needs people lifting them up in prayer.  There's this lady at Real Life Corpus named Ms. Beatty who walks through each row of chairs at church each Sunday praying for the leaders and the people about to walk through the doors.  God answers those prayers.
26.  "Greet all the brothers and sisters with Christian love."  I'm a member of Real Life Corpus and an honorary member of Lakeview Baptist and I will tell you this both of these churches greet you with love.  I have been to some churches where they do not and it makes a difference.  
27.  "I command you in the name of the Lord to read this letter to all the brothers and sisters."  Read God's word aloud to others.  
28.  "May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.  


Light of your face by Misty Edwards Onething 2010 - Misty Edwards - Light of Your Face 1  


I will call upon the Lord/ Praying man by Petra Petra - I Will Call Upon the Lord/Praying Man


Omega by Rebecca St. James  OMEGA / REBECCA ST. JAMES

 
 
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Exodus(Faithful) Bethany Dillon  Bethany Dillon Exodus (Faithful)


on a side note i was having a little struggle with the music for this and i started praying about it and i started this study on Friday and God has provided a different song almost each day.  it's been really awesome.  
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Tuesday, September 23, 2014

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

The verses I've listed above end with a sentence and begin with a passage heading in my bible.  "So encourage each other with these words."  One of my goals with the Batcave Blog has always been to put God's word as the main focus and encourage people.  2 Weeks ago i gained much encouragement from David Hill, Cody Meyer, Lynn Ploeger, Cindy Minnear, Ms. Beatty, Greg Blankenship, Becky Koeller and Nattalene King Tauber.  See doing an online bible study I don't see the same interaction a pastor or life group leader sees in face to face interaction with people.  The people i mentioned all in some way encouraged me personally.  The passage heading for these verses said The Hope of the Resurrection and I need to be reminded of this as much as you.  Many of you have lost loved ones be it friend or family.  I have lost 2 grandparents, 1 great grandmother, and 3 uncles.  My Paw Paw and Marion's Nanny both have failing health.  We need hope.  God is hope.  I have a friend Clyde who calls himself a hope giver and i want to follow his example and show you in scripture the hope God has given us.  

13.  "And now dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope."  Paul is telling us to relax because he's got good news on the way.  think of it like an infomercial where Paul is saying "But wait there's more.  
14.  "For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns , God will bring back with him the believers who have died."  Read the gospels when Jesus showed up at funerals they didn't last long.  
15.  "We tell you directly from the Lord: we who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet with him ahead of those who have died."  Did you catch the first part of that?  "We tell you directly from the Lord."  you don't need to look any further for authority.  Remember there's 3 principles of life.  1.  There is a God! 2.  You are not Him!  3.  There is no vacancy!
16-17.  "For the Lord himself, will come down from Heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trumpet call of God.  First the Christians who have died will rise from their graves.  Then together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  Then we will be with the Lord forever."  I got this cd years ago at a Todd Proctor concert and one of the songs on it says this.  "In the twinkling of an eye like a thief in the night we will be with the Lord forever.  In the twinkling of an eye he will open up the clouds of heaven and we will be with the Lord forever."  
18.  "So encourage each other with these words."  Why are you sitting here still reading this?  Get up go encourage someone.  

Hope Now by Addison Road Hope Now Music Video  

 
 
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We shall behold Him by Sandi Patty We Shall Behold Him [Live] 

 
 
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Lord i lift your name on high by Sonic Flood Lord I Lift Your Name On High - Sonicflood

 
 
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Imagine/ sing the wondrous love by Amy Grant Amy Grant - Imagine/Sing The Wondrous Love Of Jesus (Medley) 




As i thought i had finished getting this bible study ready God provided a better ending and this was it.  
"When with the ransomed in glory His face i at last shall see twill be my joy through the ages to sing of his love for me.  Singing how marvelous how wonderful is my Savior's love for me.  How marvelous how wonderful and my song shall ever be."  
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Monday, September 15, 2014

1 Thessalonians 2:4-6

My Dad has a phrase i have literally heard him say for years.  "A good example of a bad example."  The Apostle Paul and those who traveled with him lived in such a way they set a good example of a good example we should follow.  

4.  "For we spoke as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News.  Our purpose is to please God not people.  He examines the motives of our hearts."  If you are saved you are called and approved by God to speak his word to others.  Your purpose in life is to please God not people.  It doesn't matter how many hits you get on you tube or likes on facebook if your goal is not to please God then what you're doing is futile.  God examines your heart and the motives behind what you do.  
5.  "Never did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know.  And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money!"  This verse talks about not using flattery and pretending to be someone's friend to get a result.  Time for a personal story to illustrate this.  A few years back i worked under this young lady who had the authority to tell me to do things and as an employee I was subject to doing them.  One night she wanted me to do something.  She started the conversation by saying.  "Zac that's a really nice shirt you have on."  Then before she took another breath she said.  "Can you come take operator services calls."  She later claimed i couldn't take a joke because i was upset by her use of flattery.  I didn't take it as a joke.  I didn't take it as a joke because compliments were something i rarely received and when it was done to get me to do something it hurt.  If you compliment someone i feel you should mean it otherwise it'd the same as lying to them.  Paul in these verses says he and those with him did not use flattery to teach the Good News about Christ's death, burial and resurrection.  See flattery will make someone like you but if you use it to lead people to God you're not always going to get genuine life change but someone may never correctly believe in Jesus Christ savingly.  It will be just a moment in time where they were talked into an emotional response.  
6.  "As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone."  Praise from people is fleeting seek instead in God's word for what he says about you and me.  

   Live the Life by Michael W. Smith Michael W Smith - Live The Life (OFFICIAL VIDEO)


The Mission by Steve Green THE MISSION by STEVE GREEN with lyrics

 
 
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Live like that by Sidewalk Prophets Sidewalk Prophets - Live Like That - Lyrics


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