Verse of the day
Meeting Notes
Church Notes February 7, 2010
Bruce Hempel
Scriptures:
Psalm 62:58, 1 Samuel 1:1-2:21
It is good to know that you are receiving a spiritual education, to know what classes God is teaching you, and to recognize that when you have a hard “class” you should not be discouraged, but know that you are learning. You may not be the best student, but be assured you have the world’s best teacher.
Classes I am in: Fear of God, Faith, Trust, and Neediness
- God want you to be sensitive to problems in your family.
- How often do you go on and on with a problem in your life without going to God first.
- There are problems in your life that are there to build our Faith
- Hannah is an Old Testament example of the New Testament verse “believe that you have received it and it shall be yours”
- Eli is fairly passive towards God – Hannah is not passive. We not be passive, but press in to God.
- God is birthing something in us to pray and not give up.
- We need to learn that our resources are not enough to meet our needs – we must rely on God.
- If we are going through a trial and feeling that we are just coping, that is a sign that the trial is one where God is teaching Faith, and not something we should have patience and just suffer through.
- Hannah gave her one son (type of God giving Jesus) – worship is sacrificial.
- The Lord gave her a blessing beyond what she gave – 5 children
- What came out of this is a man of God (Samuel), who was used of the Lord to fulfill His purposes all the way down to a messiah.
- When we live for God what results is far bigger than us.
- When God sees that you are willing to do whatever He wants, then he can work with you.
4 points
- God is able: The bible has things we are told to do (communion, read the word, etc) – these are sometimes referred to as “means of grace”. We need to hold onto the thought that “anything I need God has the means to meet”. If God wants to change you, His means of grace are greater than you – the blacksmith is greater than the iron. God wants you to have great faith that He has the means to change you. He also wants you to have Faith that as you continue in the faith, you will change.
- Deadlock: A is waiting for B and B is waiting for A. This happens all the time between God and the people. The way deadlocks are broken is by continuing talking
- Neediness and weakness: God has designed it so that the older we become, the more neediness and weakness we experience – and the more we rely on God the more spiritual we get.
- Desire: When we put desires on the altar, God is able to fulfill it and make it a blessing. Otherwise we grab and don’t get the best. When we put it on the altar, God will fulfill it to His glory.
Count Zinzendorf: A rich young ruler who said yes.
Homework: 1 Samuel 1-4:22 – look for fear of God, Eli’s passivity responding to Lord’s reproof
Church Notes 01-31-10
Bruce Hempel
Scriptures from Testimonies
Psalm 119:40,50,88,93,107,149,89
Bruce Hempel
Pray for Kairos ministry – planning to go into a new prison in one year – pray for God to raise up what is needed for this to succeed.
Blessing – how can I be a blessing?
- A disciple is someone learning to be like Jesus – do you want to become like Jesus?
- Jesus is very clear, that He is Lord, He isn’t just Friend or buddy. He has a claim on your life.
- He is very clear that following Him will bring division, rejection from friends and family. He wants us to count the cost before we say Yes.
- He is saying “I am the central thing” – we must decide to live our lives that way.
- He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life will find it.
- When I see my own life, if I love it I will lose it
- People see Jesus when someone dies and rises again in new life. (compare to seed in passage)
- Our lives are to be seeds for Christ
- When we find sin in our lives, if we have faith we will be glad and see it as part of the process of being cleansed from sin. (If we never saw it we would never be free.)
- Where is the frontier in your life (the border between where we have victory and where we don’t) – where are the areas where we find our own life?
- It is a good thing when we find our own life (not the sin, but that we found it) – we then have an opportunity to die to ourselves
- Brother Billy Wade said to pray “Lord where am I wrong?”
- If we live loving our own life we will lose it.
- The carnal side of your life is allied with Satan. You must not preserve it.
- Do you want to be His disciple? Then you must be willing to take up your own cross.
- Have you counted the cost of being His disciple? Or are you just hoping that you can get the blessings, and avoid the cost?
Dr. Teubl
Psalm 37: A related word to ‘fear’ is ‘fret’ – this is another thing that should be cast out of our lives.
Church Notes 01-24-10
Dr. Bill Teubl
Bruce Hempel
Dr. Teubl — Blessed is the Man
- Psalm 1:1-3 — blessing promised to those who meditate on the Law of God.
- How is it with me? Do I feel blessed by God?
- The basis of the blessing — how am I doing with that — am I meditating on the Law of God?
- If you are having trouble knowing what to read, read and meditate on verses from previous Sunday.
- Benefit/Fruit: In all he does he prospers.
- Ps 84:4 — blessing for those who dwell in the house of God
- Am I aware of the Lord’s presence in my life?
- Do I enjoy being with Him?
- Cultivate a sense of awareness of God’s presence &emdash; God wants us to dwell with Him and enjoy Him.
- Benefit/Fruit: We learn to sing praise.
Mr. Hempel
- Thoughts from visiting Maryland:
- The body of Christ has persisted for 2 millennia now, and it is very critical for the health of the Church that the relationships in the Church be strong. When the bonds of love are strong, there is willingness to work together even when there is strain.
- When we travel and visit other fellowships we are like red blood cells in the natural body, and bring great blessing to the body.
- Luke 11:53 - Luke 12:12 — Live your life from God’s point of view, out of devotion to Christ rather than selfish desires (parallel passage: Matthew 10:24 - 42)
- Are there areas in your life where you are a hypocrite — areas where you might give the correct answer, but do not live it?
- Go to the Lord with the fear of God, and say "Lord I want to live my life for you".
- Do not fear those who can kill the body — do not be afraid of anything — fear God only, and live asking "God what do you want me to do?"
- 3 paradoxes
- Smallest is the greatest
- Weakest is the strongest
- Lowest is the highest
Church Notes 01-17-10
Dr. Bill Teubl
Anger
|
Cause of Anger |
Inward effect |
Means of overcoming |
Outward result of overcoming |
|
Fighting (Gr mache) associated with questioning or contentious discussions |
Justifying yourself (Luke 10:29) Wanting to appear important to others |
Knowledge that the Lord loves, justifies and honors you |
Speaking slowly (not questioning quickly or contending in a conversation) out of a true inner rest (because of the |
| |
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Passion or pleasure (Gr hedone) |
The desire to kill to get the pleasure you desire (James 4:2). Consider Jezebel who desires the pleasure of Naboth’s |
Learn to rejoice because of the presence of the Lord or His people (those who have come from death to life) (Luke 15:32 - make merry - Gr euphraino - and be glad - Gr chairo) |
Enjoying focused times with the Lord (times when we are consciously seeking Him) and with others |
|
Envy or desire (Gr zeloo) |
Forcing our will on another person and fighting if they object (James 4:2) |
Earnestly desiring good for someone – especially that they should be reconciled to God and obey Him (2 Corinthians 5:20) |
Time spent asking the Lord to turn someone's heart Making an earnest appeal to someone out of a loving motive |
Summary thought:
The causes of anger above are all motivated by love of the world (James 4:4). This love can be displaced by the love of the Father (1 John 2:15). Love for the Father grows and we consider the depth of our own forgiveness (he who is forgiven much loves much) and remembering He loved us first.
