Bible Studies

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Jesus is our pattern in pleasing the Lord. What pleased God regarding Jesus at his baptism?
That he was different, called of God and that he recognized it. He didn’t hate to be different but he yielded.

Two vacillations we struggle with:
#1 I want to be liked by everybody, especially other Christians

#2 I want to feel “better” than anyone else
“I must do everything my way” “That is in the flesh” “If people don’t do things like we do, they’re unspiritual”

KEY: Whenever we lose our way go back to the pattern, JESUS.

The Life of Christ:
#1 Relationship to people (Jesus’ very life exposed sin) The Father wants all we see and meet to react to Jesus and not to us.

Jesus criticized hypocrites but do we know hearts well enough to judge them? NO!

Check the balance of my attitudes towards people. True spirituality does not show off.
Jesus ached with sinners but did not compromise himself to do it because his motive was pure.

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS: we have a responsibility to our earthly family. Jesus let children interrupt, they were brought into the presence of God with Him.

Ministry Balanced to Life
#1 Nondiscriminatory – ANYONE
#2 Diversity of healing methods – touch, word, prayers

DON’T PUT GOD INTO A BOX – VARIETY IS THE LORD.
Don’t specialize in this or that ministry, specialize in JESUS.

The BEST ministry is whatever is needed at that moment.

The needs of the people did not motivate Jesus ministry. Popularity and numbers did not motivate Jesus. He didn’t take care of every need he saw. Jesus didn’t force himself or his message on anyone who didn’t want it. Jesus does not twist arms or force something which is not a real response. He was sorrowful but let them go.
Jesus did not share everything with everybody. He did speak at the level of that person’s understanding.

There are some intimacies with Jesus that are spoiled in sharing with others. Share with those of “like Christian faith” who are learning in the same area that we are and not with everyone.
Jesus spoke with authority – he knew and spoke what he knew. He did not always answer every question. DO NOT CONJECTURE.

Jesus was non-reactive/dead to people’s opinions. We need to be the same as he was. The need for self-justification brings forth an emotional response rather than a REAL one.

We are spirit and soul and body, not all spirit. We need to play and pray.

We have a need for common sense. Jesus used it. Christian kids hitch hiking – thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

He didn’t put down fellow workers.

Matthew 23:11
But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.(NKJV)

The greatest in Jesus’ estimation was one who served.

Relationship to God

KEY: Worship – who is being lifted up or focused upon? Not Jesus if we are zeroed in on the demon of this or that…. Most demons we try to cast out are part of our human lives that we have to deal with and not cast out. Carnality is blamed upon a multitude of demons but is in reality our carnality.

Character is molded/produced by the Holy Spirit. Fruit takes time to grow and is one indication of growth/maturity.

What is our attitude in breaking tradition, if it is “hoity-toity”, watch out. We need to be broken bread and poured out wine. The greatest among us is a servant or will be in heaven.
Move when the Holy Spirit moves you. Jesus loved/forgave everyone.

Have prayer with the Father and with the fellowship of believers. Jesus prayed to be heard… for the sake of others. He knew, read and expressed the Word. Oh, we need to be more and more like Him.

Relationship to Life
“render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s…”

Matthew 22:21
"Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's. (NKJV)

Jesus practiced time utilization and was not pressured by people, problems or prestige.

Challenge: spend as much time in prayer as on the phone. Do not be running to people instead of running to Jesus.

(C) Marijo Phelps all rights reserved. Use with proper credits.

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