Family God's Way, "Raising Children", Lesson 6

RAISING CHILDREN, GOD'S WAY

Our greatest assets are our children.

Psalms 127:3

Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him.

Our children are under attack by the devil. We have to equip our children to

deal with the devil and his demons.

1. Relationship with God

     Emphasize at home

     God has to be first in their lives

Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

2. Be the best role model of a man or woman.

3. Spend quality time with your children

    Deuteronomy 11:19

 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you  

 walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

4. If you don't teach your children, the world will

5. Teach your children to be respectable.

    a. Demand  respect

    b. Make sure you are a respectful role model.

Leviticus 19:3

Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God.

Leviticus 19:32

Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.

6. Self esteem   Don't criticize,  be the first to encourage.

    a. The world discourages  our children from being Godly.

    b. The World points out all their faults.

    c. Our children judge themselves according to their piers.

7. Teach your daughters how to be a lady.

    a Teach them the how to know if someone is encouraging them not to be a lady.

    b. Read to them Proverbs  31, a virtuous woman  

       What did you think about the Royal wedding.

        Was it all good?

        Fairly tale story

        Every girls dream

       According to the movie  she gave  up the milk  before  she got the ring.

       It didn't have to turn out that way.

       Often times sex don't lead to marriage.

       Often times romance don't lead to marriage.

       Is that what you want your daughter to know?

       Many times the movies show romance and don't even suggest marriage.

       The word on the street is sex is fun because everybody is doing it.

       What does God say. That's what your daughters and sons needs to know?

    

 8.  Teach your sons how to be a man

    a. What is a man ?   1 Tim 3:4-5

    b. Teach your sons how to be  gentlemen.

    c. Teach your sons to respect girls, women, teachers and others.

    d. Teach them how to be responsible.

9. How to react when being bullied while keeping their focus on God.

    a. If your child is being bullied, talk to the principle, teachers and

         parents of the student doing the bulling.

   b. Document each incident and your discussions with the school.

10. Talk to your children

  a. Make yourself easy to talk to.

  b. Not only should you talk, but you must listen.

  c. Be prepared to investigate and take action.

  d.  Ask lots of questions

  e. Don't let your children isolate themselves from you

  f.  Inspect their rooms

  g. Teach your children about drugs

  h. Teach your children about gangs

  j. Teach your children about sex

  k. See what your children are putting on facebook, twitter and social media

      websites.

l. Your children have the rights you give them. Their should be limitations.

m. Their freedom should be based on their obedience.

     Don't do stupid
     There should be no reward for disobedience.

11.  Discipline your children when they do wrong.

       Proverbs 13:24

       He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline 

       him.

11. Safety First

    a.   If you have guns in your home take personal responsibility

          Know that your children know  your hiding place.

          Teach them the purpose and danger of guns.

          Teach them not to touch a gun unless under your supervision.

          Buy safety locks for your guns

     

Proverbs 22:15;  Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him. "

    b. Have a gun talk with your children.

       The last two mass murders was children killing children

       The devil is attacking our children

Look at the attached statistics  of gun violence in schools.

    

    c.  Teach safety at home.

    d.  Teach safety at school

    e.   Teach safety in shopping centers

    f. Teach your children to look for a way to escape.

    g. Teach your children how to hide if they can't get out of the area.

    h.  Stay away from strangers.

    i. Don't take your kids safety for granted.

        

12.  Chose the right Friends

         1. Know who your children hang out with.

         2. Tell your children who to stay away from.

   

Our main defense for the safety of our children is prayer

Pray each day with your children before they leave the house.

Psalms 4:8

I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Rev.  M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church.

This Week's Sunday School Lesson,"Praise The Lord At All Times", 5/27/2018

PRAISE THE LORD AT ALL TIMES

Psalms 34:1-10, Hebrews 2:17-18

PRAISE FOLLOWS THANKFULNESS

V:1-2. " I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul will make its boast in the Lord; The humble will hear it and rejoice. "

A. This is a declaration of gratefulness. It is a statement of being thankful.

    1. When we reflect on our lives, we should be able to see the times when

        God has stepped in and rescued us from danger.

    2. The attitude of thankfulness is a recognition of the goodness of the

         Lord to us.

 B. The phrase "at all times" means, I will trust God when times are bad.

     1. Since all thing work to the good of those who love the Lord,

         then the bad times will have a positive outcome.

     2. King David had been through some times when He was under attack

         by his enemies,

     3. God was King David deliver in tough times.

C. It is easy to bless the Lord in good times.

     1. Can you bless the Lord in the middle of the bad times?

     2. Can you thank the Lord for the bad times?

     3. The bad times may be times of chastisement. 

     4. The bad time may be times when God strengthen you.

     5. The bad times may be the first step in your deliverance .

D. It takes a humble heart to recognize the goodness of the Lord

     on your behalf.

    1. It takes a humble heart to give God the credit for saving you.

    2. It takes a humble heart to be thankful.

    

A GRATEFUL PERSON SHARES HIS JOY OF THE LORD

V:3. " O magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. "

  A. Since God has been good to us, we ought to invite other to rejoice

       with us in the name of the Lord.

     1. First we must lift the Lord up in our hearts.

     2. Praise and worship ought to be on your lips at all time.

 B. Because you are joyful, you ought to invite others to share in your

      joy.

     1. Easier said than done.

     2. We can start with a smile, a good morning salutation.

     3. We can follow with a genuine concern for the well being

         of the person.

     4. Then follow with a word of praise to the Lord for the

         presence situation.

CALL ON THE LORD IN TROUBLE TIMES

V:4. " I sought the Lord, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears. "

  A. It good to remember your troubled times when Lord came to your

        rescue.

      1. We ought to pray without ceasing.

     2. We should never forget the times when God answered our prayers

     3. By reflecting on our relationship with God our joy should increase.

     4. The trials and tribulations of our lives strengthen our trust in

         God.

     5. Our trials and tribulations draws us closer to God.

B. We should remember how God has comforted us in our times of trouble.

     1. Trusting God and fear don't go together.

     2. God has not given us the spirit, but power love and sound mind.

     3. When we trust God, we are putting the outcome in His hands.

     4. Whatever God does for us will be to our benefit,

C. When we call on the Lord in faith, He does three things for us.

     1. He saves us from our enemies.

     2. He keeps doing our trials.

     3. He satisfies all our desires.

BE A JOYFUL TESTIMONY FOR THR LORD

V:5-6 " They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him And saved him out of all his troubles. "

A. When we put all our trust in the Lord, we should radiant like a mother looking

      at her new born baby.

   1. The more we trust the Lord, more confident we should be about our lives.

   2. The Lord said He would never leave us or for sake us.

   3. We have to study the Word to know what God says.

   4. God has revealed His Word in the Bible.

   5. We will not get any new revelation.

B. God is no respecter of person.

    1. Your wealth and connections on earth carries no weight with God.

    2. Every believer who calls on the Lord will get an answer from Him.

    3. Our troubles are God's opportunity to be glorified.

ANGELS STAND GUARD FOR BELIEVERS

V:7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them. "

 A. If God is for you, who can stand against you?

    1. We have to put God first in our thought process.

    2. When we are devoted to the commands of the Lord, He has His angels

        camped around us.

    3. God takes responsibility for those who fear Him.

B. We cannot escape the troubles of life.

    1. We live in a world full of trouble.

    2. From time to time we will find ourselves in trouble.

    3. God promises that our obedience to Him secures our 

        our rescue in times of trouble .

TRY GOD AND SEE HIS BLESSINGS

V:8. " O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in    

        Him!

A. In order to receive the promises of the Lord you have try Him.

     1. You will never know what God will do for you unless you trust Him.

     2. The promise is that you will be blessed.

B. Consider that you get sunshine each day without asking.

    1. Consider that you get rain with out asking

    2. It is free of charge.

    3. Anything  man provides for you, it has a price.

    4. The price for to get God's blessing is your trust.

    5. What do you have to lose by trusting God?

REVERENCE THE LORD ALL THE TIME

V:9-10. " O fear the Lord, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want.

10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the Lord shall not be in  

     want of any good thing. "

A. In order to reverence the Lord, you have to have a relationship through

     Jesus Christ.

   1. A saint is person who has accepted Jesus as his/her personal savior.

   2. We belong to Jesus because He paid the price for our sins

B. You can accept Jesus as your Savior without trusting Him with

    your daily life.

   1. We lose the blessing of God when we don't trust Him.

   2. We have wants that are  not satisfied because of out lack of trust.

   3. Those outside the body of Christ, suffer want,

   4. But those who trust the Lord lack nothing/

   5. Jesus said, that whatever you ask the Father in my name shall be given

       to you.

THE MISSION OF JESUS

Hebrews 2:17-18

17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted

A. Jesus be came man and took on human flesh.

    1. Jesus knows first hand our all our troubles.

    2. He knows our fears.

    3. Jesus is aware of all our desires and needs,

B. It was because of His grace and mercy that took it upon himself

     to die for our sins.

   1. The Father showed His great love for us by allowing His Son to

       die on the cross for our sins.

   2. No one took the life of Jesus, He voluntary gave if up for us.

THANK YOU FATHER FOR JESUS

Rev. M Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Park Way North

Houston, Texas 77o41

For more lessons, follow me on facebook and

visit my blogs; revmmitchell.com and goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "A Time To Celebrate With The Lord", 5/20/2018

A TIME TO CELEBRATE WITH THE LORD

Leviticus 25:1-12

ANTICIPATE A WORD FROM THE LORD

V:1.  The Lord then spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, saying,

A. Our Lord who is in heaven, comes down and visits us in our minds.

    1. He reminds us of His Word.

    2. We should always have an open mind to communicate with the Lord.

B. The Bible is the living Word in which God communicates with us.

    1. Every time we study the Word we are communicating with God.

    2. God reveals to us the meaning of His Word through the power of

        the Holy Spirit that indwells us.

C. Doing the early years of Israel, God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai.

    1. Moses in turn spoke to the people the Word of God.

    2. Today, God has given us Pastors and teachers to bring the Word

         to the Church.

    3. Each of us has an inside teacher, the Holy Spirit to help in understanding

        God's Word.

ACT ON THE WORD OF GOD

V:2 "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you come into the land which I shall give you, then the land shall have a sabbath to the Lord.

3 'Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its crop."

A. God created the heavens and the earth and all it inhabitants   in six days.

     1. On the seventh day God rested.

     2. God commanded the Israelites to work six days and rest on the seventh day.

     3. God does not intend for us, His people to work seven days a week.

     4. We commanded to set aside a day to worship Him.

B. The Israelites were commanded to work the land that God gave them for

      six years, then let it rest during the seventh year.

    1.The seventh year was to be devoted to the Lord.

    2. It is easy to get into a routine of work and forget about God.

    3. It is easy to plan our lives and leave God as an after thought.

C. God instruct us to plan for a day of rest devoted to Him.

    1. We are to be good stewards of that which God has given us for six days.

    2. But on the seventh day our stewardship is to be devoted to God in praise,

        worship and thanksgiving.

DEDICATE A TIME TO CELEBRATE WITH THE LORD

V:4-5. " but during the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord; you shall not sow your field nor prune your vineyard.

5 'Your harvest's aftergrowth you shall not reap, and your grapes of untrimmed vines you shall not gather; the land shall have a sabbatical year."

A. The Israelites were commanded to let the land rest during the seventh year,

    1. This allowed the land to rejuvenate itself.

    2. This gave all the workers of the land a year of rest,

     3. This seventh year of rest gave the animals used in the harvest a year of rest.

B. The Israelites were to trust God for their provisions.

    1. This year of rest  was a reminder to the Israelites that the land belong to God

         and that they were temporary tenants.

    2. God gives us use of what we have until the day we die.

    3. We came into this world with nothing and we will leave with nothing.

    4. We need to rest and to reflect on the goodness of the Lord.

    5. We need a specific dedicated time study and to meditate on the Word of

         God.

    6. We need time to remind ourselves how dependant we are on the goodness

        of the Lord. 

  C. During the seventh year, there was to be no organized labor to gather crops.

       1. There was to be no sale of produce from the land.

       2. The land was to be left to itself without any work.

       3. Trees and plants, don't need the hand of man to grow.

       4. God provides the rain, the sun and all the nutrients needed for their

           natural growth.

       5. Before God created man, everything in the garden of Eden survived by

           God's divine process.

     

PROVIDE FOR THE NEEDS OF THE POOR

V:6-7. "All of you shall have the sabbath products of the land for food; yourself, and your male and female slaves, and your hired man and your foreign resident, those who live as aliens with you.

7 'Even your cattle and the animals that are in your land shall have all its crops to eat. "

A. The seventh year was a free for all year.

    1. No work was to be done in the fields.

    2. God promised that fields would produce everything that the Israelites needed

        to survive without human help.

B. The worker, animals, slaves would have enough to eat from what fields produced

     without being worked.

    1. In additions any foreign residents and the poor who had no land was to                         

        eat from the fields without charge.

    2. God reminds us that those in need are our responsibility.

    2. No commerce was to take place during the seventh year.

    3. Not only that, the fields would produce enough for year after the sabbath year

        until fields could produced their normal harvest

    4. God gave the Israelites a vacation year every seven years.

MAKE IT YOUR BUSINESS TO GET RIGHT WITH GOD

V:8-9 "You are also to count off seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven sabbaths of years, namely, forty-nine years.

9 'You shall then sound a ram's horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall sound a horn all through your land."

A. We are on God's time.

    1. The success of our lives are based on our obedience to His directives.

    2. God demands that we stay in tuned with Him.

    3. The study of God's Word is important to God's promise of abundant living.

B. The Israelites were to keep track of 49 years of sabbaths.

    1. In the forty ninth year on the day of atonement  a horn was to be sounded.

    2. The day of Atonement was set aside  as a day to offer up a sacrificial lamb

        for the sins of the people.

    3. God knows the end from the beginning.

   4. God knows in the course of time, we will sin against Him.

   5. God knows that we will become selfish, gathering more than we need

       for ourselves, and forget the needs of the poor.

   6. God's made plans for our redemption.

   7. Jesus, the passover lamb is our scapegoat, the redeemer of our sins.

          

DEDICATE YOUR TIME AND RESOURCES TO GOD

V:10 "'You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family."

A. God looks out for the future of His people and future generations.

    1. Every fiftieth year was a year of jubilee.

    2. All debts were to be forgiven and all land was to be returned to the family

        it was originally given to by God.

    3. Men who had sold themselves into slavery or taken in slavery were to be

       freed and debt free.

B. God reminds us that all resources belong to Him.

    1.We should dedicate ourselves to the Lord.

    2.  "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your   

        bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable 

         service."   Rom 12:1

PREPARE FOR A FAMILY REUNION WITH CHRIST

11 'You shall have the fiftieth year as a jubilee; you shall not sow, nor reap its aftergrowth, nor gather in from its untrimmed vines.

12 'For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you. You shall eat its crops out of the field.

A. The year of jubilee was a time of celebration.

    1. We are reminded of the second coming of Christ when all be believers will

         in the presence of the Lord.

    2. It will be the start of a new life with Christ.

    3. We will be freed from all burdens

    4. There will only be rejoicing with the Lord

B. The number fifty is a divine number.

    1. It was fifty days after the resurrection of Christ that the

        Church was formed with the giving of the Holy Spirit.

    2. It was a time when all believers were on one accord.

    3. The Holy Spirit joins us together in one body.

    4. We are reminded that God is able to provide all we need

        without any help from us.

TAKE TIME TO REJOICE WITH THE LORD.

Rev. M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston ParkWay North

Houston, Texas 77041

For more lessons, follow me on facebook and visit my blogs:

revmmitchell.com and goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com.

Family God's Way, "Handling Conflict" Lesson 5

HANDLING CONFLICT GOD'S WAY

In any relationship, there will be conflicts from time to time. Resolving

conflict as soon as they occur, allows you to get back to a state of harmony.

If we do not handle conflict, the situation can get out of control and

lead to a breakdown in the relationship.

THE CAUSE OF CONFLICT

Let's look at the cause of conflict,  James 4:1-3 gives us insight.

James 4:1-3

1. What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your   

    pleasures that wage war in your members?

2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain;

    so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.

3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may

    spend it on your pleasures.

According to the Word, we are the cause of our own conflicts.

It is our desire to have what we want over the desires of others.

Here are some attitudes that promote conflict

    1. I want it too much.

    2. I need it now.

    3. I deserve it.

    4. If I don't get my way, I will find a way to punish you.

I think about the arguments that I have had with my wife is because

my opinion of what need to be done and how it should be done is

different from hers.

We have to decide whether getting our way is worth the peace we loose.

We can be the source of peace or the source of conflict

Conflict does not glorify God. Conflicts separates us from God.

Conflict is driven by pride, anger and emotions.

If we love one another we will try to avoid conflict

THE SOLUTION TO HARMONY

Romans 12:9-12 gives us God's solution to harmony in a relationship.

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

According to James, conflict starts with us. According to Romans, it can end with

us.

In the case of right or wrong, we have to choose right.

In relationships there is always more than one right.

It does not have to always be your way to be right.

But often times, right or wrong is not the issue. It what I want over what you want.

In this case it is our selfish desires that will escalate the conflict.

Conflict always has an evil motive. Selfish pride over looks the opinions of

others. Pride does not promote the love of another person. Selfish pride promotes self.

God hates the proud: 

The context of proud is someone who lifts themselves up. One who is haughty or

arrogance

Proverbs 16:5

Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

Proverbs 28:25

He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat.

CONFLICT IN RELATIONSHIPS

Dealing with conflict face to face is always difficult.

But it is made easy if we show love to the other person.

1. Roman 12:10 say honor the other person above ourselves.

   a. Listen to the other person without judgment.

   b. There is a difference between listening and understanding.

   d. You can pretend to listen by just being silent.

   e. Understanding is being actively engaged in the conversation.

   f. Take time to understand the other persons point of view without judging.

2. Show enthusiasm   for the other persons opinion.

3. If their idea is different from yours, bite you tongue before  speaking.

4. Be joyful and hopeful that the other person has a good idea or a good

     solution

5. Present you own idea as an addendum to theirs.

6. When something goes wrong, don't be quick to blame.

     a, Seek the cause of the problem. 

     b. Seek a solution.

CONFLICT IN THE HOME

When dealing with a spouse, the situation can be emotional and intense at

 the same time.

1. Listen carefully to understand the spouses point of view.

    James 1:19-20 states, " My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick

    to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,

2. Whatever the issue is, it is important to your spouse.

    a. Therefore, it should be important to you.

    b.  Ask questions to be sure you understand the issue.

3. Doing a conflict it is easy to let your emotions control you.

    a. Exercise self control.

    b. Proverbs 29:11 states, " A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps 

        himself under control. "

4. If the situation is intense, it is good idea to start with prayer to put yourself in

    a spiritual mode.

   a. The Word says pray without ceasing.   1 Thess 5:17

   b. The devil will flee when you are in prayer.

5. Evaluate your own attitude to be sure ,you are not selfish in your opinions.

    James 4:6 states, " But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God

    opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."`

    We don't always have  to win the argument to be successful in marriage.

     It may be better for your spouse to win and take credit to keep the peace.

       a. Submit to God.  What are you holding from God?

           Ephesians 5:21-26

           21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

           22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

           23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the          

                church: and he is the saviour of the body.

           24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own              

                husbands in every thing.

           25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave           

                himself for it;

   Conflict can easily operate outside the bonds of love.

   Conflict pushes it own agenda.

   Conflict opens the door for Satan to walk in and destroy the relationship.

       b. Draw near to God.  What are you hiding from God?

       c. Cleanse your hands .  What outward behavior need to change?

       d. Purify your heart.   What inward attitude need to change?

       e. Humble yourself.   Admit when you are wrong.  

       f. Ask yourself is your selfish pride the cause of the conflict?

      

6. Don't point the finger at each other.

   James 4:11 states, " Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against   

   his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law,

   you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.

7. Be patient with each other.

    Proverbs 14:29;  A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man

                               displays folly.

    Proverbs 15:18:  A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a

                               quarrel.

    Change does not always occur over night.

    Conflict continues to occur if we don't recognize our own faults and

    seek change.

8. Be joyful that you have a spouse that want to improve the relationship.

9. Be the first to seek a peaceful solutions.

10. Don't go to bed with conflict.

      a. Ephesians 4:26 : "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while              

                                      you are still angry."

      b. Psalms 86:15:  But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to

                                  anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

      c When dealing with our spouses, we ought to model Jesus Christ.

      d. Even in conflict. love and compassion has to be our goal.

      e. Resolving conflict must lead to harmony

If the emotions are to high, put the discussion off until you calm down.

    a. Use that time to pray about it.

    b. PUSH:  pray until a solution happens.                       

    c. Mutually agree to discuss specifics  at an agreed upon time.

11. Seek wise Christian counsel if all efforts fail.

      a. Proverbs 19:20: Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest              

                                    be wise in thy latter end.     

      b. If you cannot resolve the conflict between you and your spouse

          or your relationship, seek counsel.

      c. Everyone who counsels may not be qualified to counsel.

      d. Christian counseling must follow the Word of God.

      d. A relationship in trouble does not need the opinions of the counselor.

      e. A relationship needs the wisdom of the counselor according to the

          Word of God.

           Proverbs 8:14:  Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding;                   

                                     I have strength.

Everything we need to know about relationships is in the Bible.

We have to search the Bible to discover the wonderful relationship

God has designed for us.

Rev. M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Thank You Jesus For Blessing Me", 5/13/2018

THANK YOU JESUS FOR BLESSING ME

Leviticus 23:9-14, 22

WHEN THE LORD SPEAKS, WE SHOULD LISTEN

V:9. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

A. When the Lord speaks, you and I should listen carefully and take heed.

    1. It is according to God's great love for us that He gives us instruction.

    2. The abundance of His grace and mercy imparted to us depends on our

        obedience.

B. The Bible is our rule of life.

    1. God has preserved in His Word instructions for successful Christian

        living.

    2. His Word is forever and does not change with time.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PUTING GOD FIRST

V:10 "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.

A. The Israelites while still in the desert, were given instructions on how to praise God

     and give Him thanks tangibly from their harvest.

    1. They were instructed to bring to the Priest a sheaf ( a stalk with grain still attached)

    2. The sheaf brought to the priest was the first of the harvest from the field.

B. Before they started the harvest, the men were instructed to bring the first sheaf

    to the Lord.

   1. Notice it was the men who lead the worship of the Lord.

   2. Most of us are not farmers, but the first breath we take in the morning

      we can thank God and give Him praise.

C. While we are waiting for an answer to our prayer we can give God a

      thank you.

    1. God has blessings awaiting us at the start of each day.

    2. We ought to dedicate to the Lord our praise and worship first

        thing in morning.

PROCEDURES FOR BLESSING GOD

V:11,-12 'He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.

12 'Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to the Lord."

A. God established the method and the procedure for us to bless Him

    1, First he required a Wave Offering.

        a. It was a thank you Father for breaking my chains

        b. Thank you Father for freeing me from the bondage of sin,

        c. Thank you Father for your provisions.

        d. Thank you Father for keeping your promises.

THE SYMBOLS OF JESUS  

2. Second was a burnt offering.

      a. The male lamb was the scapegoat for our sins

      b. The sins of the nation were transferred to the lamb.

      c. It represented the unblemished nature of Jesus our sacrificial lamb.

      d. To the Israelites it was a reminder of the lambs blood that they

           put on their door post for the death angel to Passover them

           before their release from slavery 

V:13 'Its grain offering shall then be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire to the Lord for a soothing aroma, with its drink offering, a fourth of a hin of wine. "

A. The third and forth offerings were a grain offering and a drink offering.

     1.The grain offering reminds me of Jesus as the bread of life.

     2. The drink offering of wine reminds me of the blood Jesus shed on

         the cross for the atonement of our sins.

        a. The grain and the wine offering may also represent our fellowship

            with the Lord Jesus.

        b. It through His bruised body and His shed blood on the cross that we

            access to Him.

    3. The oil may represent the anointing of the Holy Spirit. 

    4. The soothing aroma  may represent  prayers of the saints.

B. Putting God first is a way of recognizing that all the good in our lives comes

    from Him.

   1. Putting God first is our way of honoring God for who He is and What

        He has in store for us.

   2. Putting God first is our way of showing our gratefulness

BLESSING GOD BEFORE EATING

V:14 'Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your God, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. "

A. This reminds us that we are to thank God before every meal.

    1. Starting our day by putting God first reminds us of our dependence on Him

    2. Saying a prayer before our meals reminds us that God is our provider.

B. God reminds that our gratefulness is to be continuous as long as we live.

   1. God is everywhere we go, ready to bestow His blessing upon us.

   2. We have to stay mindful that we are obligated to praise and worship the Lord

        continuously

   3. God's statues never change and are never to be diminished.

PROVIDING FOR THE POOR

Leviticus 23:22

V.22  "When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the alien. I am the Lord your God."

A. God blesses us so that we can bless those who have needs.

    1. God's blessings are not all about us.

    2. It is our job to draw others to Christ with our generosity.

B When we give to the poor, God rewards our giving with

     additional blessings.

Rev M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Parkway North

Houston, Texas 77041

For more lessons follow me on facebook and visit my blogs:

revmmitchell.com and goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Giving, The Building Of God's Tabernacle", 5/5/2018

GIVING; THE BUILDING OF THE TABERNACLE

Exodus 35:20-29,   2 Cor 9:6-9

20 Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses' presence,

21 and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments.

22 All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the Lord.

23 Everyone who had blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen, or goat hair, ram skins dyed red or hides of sea cows brought them.

24 Those presenting an offering of silver or bronze brought it as an offering to the Lord, and everyone who had acacia wood for any part of the work brought it.

25 Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun — blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen.

26 And all the women who were willing and had the skill spun the goat hair.

27 The leaders brought onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.

28 They also brought spices and olive oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense.

This entire passage is the result of a command from God to the Nation of Israel to

contribute all of the articles to build a Tabernacle for worship. The articles listed

above were brought out Egypt when the people were released from slavery.

Ex 25:1-9

Notice the contributions were voluntary from those who had a willing heart.

The tabernacle, once constructed, represented salvation which is obtained through

Jesus Christ.  The voluntary offering is a forerunner to Jesus voluntary offering

of Himself on the cross for the atonement of our sins.

Notice in the offering God requires all that we have.

Our minds:    Willing heart

Our resources:  All of the articles for building the Tabernacle.

Our skills:   Skills of building, carving and weaving of material

Our Labor:  men and women

All of the articles for the building of the Tabernacle had symbolic references

to Christ. The following symbolism has been suggested.

Item                                 Symbolic Meaning                                    Reference

Gold                                 Deity                                                         1 Cor 3:12

Sliver                               Redemption                                               Ex 36:24

Brass/Bronze                   Judgment                                                   Ex 27:2                                                                  

Blue                                 Heavenly nature                                        Ex 25:4

Purple                              Royalty                                                      John 19:2

Scarlet                             Blood Sacrifice                                          Lev 14:4

Fine Linen                       Righteousness                                            Lev  6:10

Goats/Ram Hair              Atonement                                                 Gen 15:9

Acacia Wood                  Jesus Humanity                                          Ex 26:15

Oil                                   Holy Spirit                                                 Lev 14:16

2 Corinthians 9:6-9

6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

In this passage the success of Christian living is based on our giving. Giving must be

done with a willing and cheerful and loving heart.

The promise of giving is all grace abounding to the giver in all things and at all times.

The cheerful giver is under the favor of God.

The cheerful giver will have success in his/her relationships and works.

The cheerful giver will be provided everything he/she needs

Our failure to give is one of the  reasons for the troubles  and discontentment

in our lives.

At the start of God's nation, He established giving as one of the priorities

for successful living.

Rev M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Parkway North

Houston, Texas 77041

For more lessons, follow me on facebook and visit my blogs

revmmitichell.com and goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com