Sunday School Lesson: "The Destruction Of Israel and The Temple" 2 Chronicles 36

 DESTRUCTION OF ISRAEL AND THE TEMPLE

2 Chronicles 36: 1-21

INTRODUCTION

The nation of Israel was a problem child of the Lord from the time He freed

them from slavery. Out of slavery, they brought their love for

the worship of idol gods with them. While Moses was on the mountain

receiving the law of God for them to live by, they corrupted themselves

by building a golden calf with the gold articles God provided for them

before they left Egypt

God gave them His law and provided instructions to build a Tabernacle to

worship Him. They worshiped God with their lips and not their hearts.

After wandering in the desert for 40 years, under the leadership of Joshua

God brought them into the promised land with the promise to

be their God if they worshiped Him. Their worship was off and on until

they finally rejected God’s rule for a king like the surrounding nations.

Finally, God's tolerance for their disobedience ran out and He announced

their destruction

Jeremiah 20:4-6 (626 BC)

4 For this is what the Lord says: 'I will make you a terror to yourself and all your friends; with your own eyes you will see them fall by the sword of their enemies. I will hand all Judah over to the king of Babylon, who will carry them away to Babylon or put them to the sword. 5 I will hand over to their enemies all the wealth of this city — all its products, all its valuables, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah. They will take it away as plunder and carry it off to Babylon. 6 And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into exile to Babylon. There you will die and be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have prophesied lies.'"

SIGNS OF A FALLING NATION

You can see the signs that God had removed His hand of protection from Israel

The nation rejected God as their leader 1 Samuel 8:6

The reign of successive kings was shorter

There was no time of peace during the reign of the kings

Their behavior became so irrational that they crowned children as kings

Manasseh was 12 years old 2 Chronicles 33:1

Josiah was 8 years old 2 Chronicles 34: 8

Jehoiachin 8 years old 2 Chronicles 36:9

It was the older leaders and parents that led the children to do evil

against the Lord.

Worship in the temple stopped 2 Chronicles 34

The temple became in disrepair 2 Chronicles 34:8

The book of the law was hidden in the temple 2 Chronicles 34:15

The chief priests polluted the temple 2 Chronicles 36:14

Even after the warning, God gave Israel time to return to Him. He gave them the same warning

again before the fall in 2 Chronicle 36 before they were taken captive to Babylon in 586 BC

LEARNING FROM THE MISTAKES OF OTHERS

1. A nation without God at the center of its activities becomes irrational.

Israel entered the promised land in 1406 BC with a promise to follow God

They continued their worship of idol gods. In 626 BC God announced their

destruction, giving them one final chance to worship Him. They refused

and did evil before the Lord with their continued worship of idols.

In 586 BC the prophecy was fulfilled.

2. If God said it, you can believe it. He will do what He said.

3. Never neglect the worship of God in spirit and truth.

After King David solidified the nation Israel, God gave him the plans to

build the most extravagant Temple of all times. King Solomon built and

dedicated the temple

All of Israel makes annual trips to the temple to celebrate the Passover.

They worshiped God with their lips, but not their hearts

4. Signs Of Separation From God

Israel continues their worship of idols, with the false claim of worshipping the

Living God.

Without God's direction, and protection the Nation of Israel became irrational

in their thoughts and actions,

In the end, Israel chose babies to be king.

The babies only did evil because the parents directed them.

The chief priest left their duties and polluted the temple. The religious leaders

did not stand for God.

5. A nation without God at the center of their lives cannot know true love

6. A nation without God at the center of their lives is a nation where truth does not

matter

7. When truth does not matter the lives of people do not matter.

8. When elected officials, ignore the responsibilities of their elected

position and focus on staying power, chaos results.

9. The nation of Israel forfeited the favor of God that was theirs for the worship

of worthless idols made with human hands.

10. A nation without God lives a life of endless wars, trials, and tribulations.

11. A nation without God is on the road of self-destruction.

12. A nation without God has limited success over the enemy.

13. A nation without God chooses death over eternity with God.

14. A nation without God has no continued hope, peace, or joy.

BIBLE STUDY SERIES: GOD'S GRACE, 2 cORINTHIANS 9:8

 

GOD’S GRACE

What is GRACE?

charis (khar'-ece); graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude):

KJV - acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy).

Grace has as its primary objective our salvation. It is the love of God to cleanse us of all

unrighteousness which is sin.

Grace is the favor of God for all human beings, good or bad. It is the free gifts of God that

can not be earned.

There is a difference between the degree of grace of believers and the grace of nonbelievers.

All mankind is favored by God with daily graces to live a normal life.

However, God's chosen get the grace of salvation not offered to the world.

For believers, Grace has as its primary objective of salvation. It is the love of God to cleanse us of all unrighteousness which is sin.

For the believer, Grace is more than pleasure or joy it is the divine gift of salvation.

Grace is the aspect of God’s love that allows Him to forgive our sins.

Grace is intertwined into every fiber of your body. Grace was working with you and for

you before the foundation of the earth.

Grace has no end and no beginning. It cannot be quantified, justified, or contained.

According to Ephesians 1:4, believers were chosen before the foundation of the world

for divine love that includes divine protection, divine provisions, divine corrections,

divine restoration, divine improvement, divine keeping, divine rest, and divine

eternal salvation. These, the world cannot receive.

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF SALVATION

Even though you were chosen by God for salvation, you have the responsibility

to accept Jesus as your personal savior.

Romans 10:9-10

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

However the confession is not yours, it was graced to you. It was not your idea or desire to

love Christ.

John 6:44

44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.

This verse eliminates the world and is directed all who are chosen by God.

According to Psalms 23, surely goodness and mercy follows us all days of our lives.

This is not the case for unbelievers.

God hates sin, so he will not follow non believers.

Psalms 106:1

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

( endures is not in the original Hebrew language). The text was originally given by

God is; Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, His love forever.

GOD'S NEVER-ENDING LOVE

God never quit loving. He never quit working in, on, and for believers.

He has a vested interest in us, for we are the light of the world and the salt of

the earth. We are the church that world sees.

Zechariah 12:10

10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. (He is talking about His Church)

John 1:16-18

16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

That spirit is the holy spirit, It is the power that can move mountains. It is the power that gives us

the resolve to follow God’s commands.

It is a truth that God’s grace provides one blessing after another.

If you consider what happened to you today is the proof. You were awakened out of

sleep, you got up, you walked, you talked, and were involved in other activities throughout

the day. Did you consider that these were blessings from God? Did you consider that you

could not do anything without God’s GRACE?

CHOSEN FOR GOOD WORKS

God loves you so much, that you were chosen for good works.

Jesus came to save a dying world. The world rejected Him but the Church HE established

accepted Him. According to Ezekiel 28:14-17 and Isaiah 14:12-15, Lucifer, the Arch Angel

better known as Satan, was kicked out of Heaven because of his pride. Landed on

earth in the Garden of Eden where he tempted Adam and Eve to sin so God's GRACE

could be magnified (Ephesians 1:5)

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Not only were you chosen to do good works, but you were equipped to do good works.

Acts 14:3-4

3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.

You and I, the believers still have that power through prayer. God said it, you ought to believe it

Philippians 4:10

I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.

Each of us was chosen for different and unique jobs.

Ephesians 4:7

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.

SALVATION IS FOR THE LIVING

Salvation is not death, but living and working in our lives daily.

Acts 20:32

"Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

The word sanctified means set apart made holy. You have been set apart from the world,

You ought not to look like or act like the world. You don't fit into the crowd, because you

were not made to fit in by God Himself. You were made to stand out from the world.

The grace of salvation is made available to all mankind. A few will accept salvation

but most will not.

Isaiah 26:10

Though grace is shown to the wicked,

they do not learn righteousness;

even in a land of uprightness, they go on doing evil

and regard not the majesty of the Lord.

The reason the world rejects salvation is because they cling to popular

ideas and opinions. They love the things of the flesh and reject the things

of the spirit.

Even though we the believers in Christ are saved, sanctified, and justified, we can

lose some grace available to us when we slip into the activities of the world.

Jonah 2:8-9

"Those who cling to worthless idols

forfeit the grace that could be theirs.

What is a worthless idol? Anything you put before God is worthless

While we are enjoying that which we put before God, blessing could be

passing by.

Guard your mind so you don’t S L I P, sin like ignorant people

We lose nothing by putting our commitment to God before everything

and everyone else. That is not popular, but it is profitable.

2 Corinthians 9:8-9

And God can 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.

NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO EARN SALVATION

You are not good enough, smart enough, educated enough to earn salvation

Ephesians 2:8-10

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

You and I are never without sin. Even what we call good has some sin involved

Isaiah 64:6

6 All of us have become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;

The Good News is we didn't have to be perfect. We didn't have to be good enough, We didn't

have to be without sin for God to save us. He saved us because of His grace.

Romans 3:23-25

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.

It is what God did out of His Love that graced you with salvation.

EXAMPLES OF GOD’S GRACE

Mercy is the aspect of God's love that forgives the guilty.

We are guilty as hell. We deserve a judgment but God’s grace covers all our sins.

We are driving down the highway, the speed limit is 65, but we are clocked at 80. We get

pulled over, got a warning but not a ticket, God's grace showed up.

You have been sick for a long time. And your current doctor can't figure it out. You are

referred to another doctor who has your cure, God’s grace showed up.

You are driving down the highway and there is an accident in front of you. You were late

because you forgot something. God’s grace showed up.

You were out of money and the bills were due. You get an unexpected check in the

mail that covers everything. God's grace showed up

SUMMARY

WHAT JESUS DEATH, GOD’S GRACE DOES FOR MY PEACE AND JOY

JESUS SECURED A RIVER OF GRACE FOR MY LIFE

A WORRY-FREE LIFE TO LIVE MOMENT BY MOMENT

DIVINE POWER TO OVERCOME THE TEMPTATION TO SIN

COUNT ALL TRIALS AND TRIBULATION WORKING FOR MY GOOD WITH THANKSGIVING

THE ASSURANCE OF AN ETERNAL HOME IN HEAVEN

CLASS QUESTIONS

WHAT GRACES ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR?

WHAT GRACE CAN YOU GIVE TO OTHERS?

Bible Study Series: Strive For Perfection, Matthew 5:48

 PERFECTION MADE POSSIBLE IN THE LORD

Matthew 5:48

Wouldn’t it be nice to be perfect?

It would be great if all your plans turn out great.

What if every thought you had was perfect?

Wouldn't it be great if everyone considered you perfect?

It would be great to have the perfect life

The perfect family

The perfect job

The perfect set of friends

Perfect health

Well, that is wishful thinking. Or is it?

Jesus said that there was no one good but the Father

Matthew 19:17

17 "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good.

If I can’t be good, how will I ever be perfect?

Some people want everything to be perfect

They are not satisfied if what they do does not come out perfect

Do they strive for perfection? They want their efforts to end with

in perfection validated by the praise of their piers.

They give 100 percent. And sometimes 100 percent is not enough.

They may spend many days and nights frustrated because perfection

is not in sight.

You may never be perfect, but you can strive for perfection

The first thing you need to realize is that there will always be someone

better than you by your eyes and the eyes of others.

The second thing to realize is you cannot measure your perfection by

standards you set or the standards of others.

The third thing you need to realize is that human perfection if you ever

obtain it on last for a season.

The fourth thing you need to realize is that there is only one who is perfect all the

time for all times. That person is God and He alone

Webster describes perfect as being entirely without fault or defect,

satisfying all requirements

flawless, accurate, complete

GOD IS THE STANDARD FOR PERFECTION

How does God define perfect?

God defines perfect according to His character,

Deuteronomy 32:4

4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect,

and all his ways are just.

A faithful God who does no wrong,

upright and just is he.

The role model for perfection ought to be God and not us or some

standards we have or a standard another person sets.

Since God is perfect, only He knows what perfection is.

It takes faith to believe that God exists.

No man has seen God at any time. Therefore we cannot

fully describe Him.

We see the works of God. Can we judge them as perfect?

Who can say that the universe that God created is not perfect?

We cannot describe how big it is, so how can we determine its

perfection?

What we can conclude is God’s way is beyond our understanding

2 Samuel 22:31

It is God who arms me with strength

and makes my way perfect.

Notice it is not your way that you can obtain perfection. Perfection is in

God’s way.

What is God’s way?

Psalms 19:7

7 The law of the Lord is perfect,

reviving the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

God defines perfection as an element of revival

Revival starts with obedience to His statutes.

The soul needed revival the day you were born

You are born in sin and shaped in iniquity. We were made perfectly

imperfect. Here is what God says about you;

Psalms 139:14

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

The only people that were made perfect were Adam and Eve. They were

not perfect long before sin entered their lives. From them comes our

imperfections which only God can eradicate.

Perfection is in God. Therefore we must start with God to achieve perfection

Since the law of God is perfect, we are wise to understand the law.

It is God’s standards that are perfect, not man’s.

So to pursue a standard of perfection that we made up is fruitless.

We only frustrate ourselves by pursuing something that keeps moving.

Our standards for perfection change as we learn more.

It's OK to set goals and aspirations. But make sure the Glory of God is

the objective behind the goals and aspirations.

YOUR BEST IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE LORD

Colossians 3:23-25

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

If you are trying to please man, chances are you will be disappointed. You

can please people for a moment, but the next moment, they will find

criticism.

Your best is not always good enough for man. Many times your best is not good

enough for you. You can always find something you could have done better.

It nothing wrong with wanting to improve, but don’t beat yourself up for what you

did or did not accomplish. What you did yesterday is a stepping stone for

today.

God has already approved your best and set a reward for it. A man may say

yes and thank you, but that's the end of it. God says yes and has a reward

in store for you.

Perfection is a work in progress.

Hebrews 10:12-14

But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

In God's eyes, you are already perfect. Your life is a process of being made holy.

God never said you would be made perfect in one day. Perfection takes work.

It will never be seen by the world.

Your enemy is all around you. Jesus will stand on top of them while you watch.

Notice it there is a wait time while you are being made holy.

YOUR WORK HAS GOD’S STAMP OF APPROVAL

Romans 14:17-19

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

When you serve God, He approves you. Obedience brings peace and peace

brings joy. When your work is unto the Lord, He is pleased. God will make

sure man approves you. Your work does not make you perfect. It what

God does with your work that makes perfection.

You are not strong enough or smart enough to be perfect in God’s eyes.

Whether you know it or not, we are weak human beings. And that is good

2 Corinthians 12:9

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

God uses the weakness in us to show His power.

God’s grace is new every day and falls fresh on us. If you wake up feeling

weak. It is alright because it is enough for God to perfect.

God is not going to approve anyone that He not going to perfect.

Stop trying to be perfect to be approved by men or yourself.

2 Corinthians 10:18

For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

Just do your best and God will commend you.

How do you know you have been approved by God?

1 Thessalonians 2:4-5

4 On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. 5

You are here tonight studying the gospel. God has entrusted you with His

word. God does not entrust the world with His Word. He gave you the

desire and ability to understand His Word. He gave you the command to

make disciples. He approved you for the job.

Your best is good enough for God

2 Timothy 2:15-16

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

SUMMARY OF THE PERFECTION YOU HAVE IN THE LORD

YOU HAVE THE PERFECT LORD

Deuteronomy 32:4

4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect,

YOU HAVE THE PERFECT WAY

2 Samuel 22:31

"As for God, his way is perfect;

YOU HAVE THE PERFECT WORD

Psalms 19:7

The law of the Lord is perfect,

reviving the soul.

YOU HAVE THE PERFECT KNOWLEDGE

Job 36:4

4 Be assured that my words are not false;

one perfect in knowledge is with you.

YOU HAVE THE PERFECT WILL

Romans 12:2

Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

YOU HAVE THE PERFECT PEACE

Isaiah 26:3

3 You will keep in perfect peace

him whose mind is steadfast,

because he trusts in you.

YOU HAVE THE PERFECT STRUGGLE

2 Corinthians 12:9

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

YOU HAVE THE PERFECT LOVE

Colossians 3:14

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

YOU HAVE THE PERFECT HOME

Psalms 50:2

2 From Zion, perfect in beauty,

God shines forth.

YOU ARE PERFECT

Matthew 5:48

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

CLASS QUESTIONS

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TOLD YOU DON’T MEASURE UP?

HOW DID IT MAKE YOU FEEL

ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH YOUR WORK?

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SEE YOURSELF AS APPROVED BY GOD?

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The Prophecy Of The Destruction Of Israel, Amos 5

 THE PROPHECY OF THE DESTRUCTION OF ISRAEL

Amos Chapter 5

GOD WARNS BEFORE HIS WRATH

Amos 5:1-4

Hear this word, O house of Israel, this lament I take up concerning you:

2 "Fallen is Virgin Israel, never to rise again,

deserted in her land, with no one to lift her."

3 This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

"The city that marches out a thousand strong for Israel

will have only a hundred left; the town that marches out a hundred strong

will have only ten left."

Amos, a shepherd, and a contemporary of Isaiah was called by God to prophesy

to Israel their fall from grace and their destruction. Starting in Chapter 1 of Amos

God announced the punishment of the ungodly nations around Israel. God held

them accountable for their ungodliness.

In Chapter 3, Amos prophesied to Israel their destruction because of their ungodliness.

Before entering the promised land. God gave Israel His commands to worship Him

along with the promise of success and prosperity. Israel rejected God and worshiped the idol

gods of the surrounding nations.

God called Israel a virgin for the righteousness they were commanded to display before

the nations of the world. Israel prostituted themselves by the worship of idol gods.

The death of the nation was their own doing. Amos announced that only one-tenth

of the nation would survive. The nations of the gods they idolized would be their downfall.

SIN SHOULD BRING REPENTANCE, THEN RESTORATION

Amos 5:4-6

4 This is what the Lord says to the house of Israel:

"Seek me and live; 5 do not seek Bethel,

do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba.

For Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing."

6 Seek the Lord and live, or he will sweep through the house of Joseph like a fire;

it will devour, and Bethel will have no one to quench it.

Even though Israel sinned against God, His grace and mercy was available to

them.

They had abandoned God, but He had not abandoned them. They were given His

promised wrath for their disobedience, but also a way back to Him. All they had to

do was to seek the face of the Lord and live. If they continued in their

ungodliness the 10 tribes of Judah would be destroyed. And Bethel named the

house of God would not survive. There was no defense against God’s wrath.

GOD REMINDS YOU OF HIS POWER

Amos 5:7-10

7 You who turn justice into bitterness

and cast righteousness to the ground

8 (he who made the Pleiades and Orion,

who turns blackness into dawn

and darkens day into night,

who calls for the waters of the sea

and pours them out over the face of the land —

the Lord is his name—

9 he flashes destruction on the stronghold

and brings the fortified city to ruin),

God reminded Israel of His limitless creative powers.

The same creative powers would be used to destroy the

stronghold cities that the nations built would be destroyed

if Israel refused to turn to God.

We have a choice, follow God and live, or follow the world

and die.

HE MAKES KNOWN YOUR SINS

Amos 5:10-13

10 you hate the one who reproves in court and despises him who tells the truth.

11 You trample on the poor and force him to give you grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them;

though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine. 12 For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins.

You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts. 13 Therefore the prudent man keeps quiet in such times, for the times are evil.

God sees all. Nothing is hidden from Him. He knows all our sins.

Not only did Israel reject God for idol worship, but they mistreated and abused

their own people.

The leaders of Israel perverted the truth and the rich took advantage of the poor

for their gain. They showed no empathy or sympathy for each other.

They took on the habits of the ungodly nations around them. They broke the

command of love.

The men who knew better, kept silent as evil progressed in the nation.

We have a responsibility to point out our sins and proclaim the

righteousness of the Lord. If the truth is not taught, the next generation

will not know it and be worse than the last generation.

The US supreme court took prayer out of schools in June 1962. The current generation have no concept of the power of prayer or respect for God or man. I think the

constant rise of violence in America is do to our lack of true worship, praise and

prayer to the Lord in our schools and homes.

GOD GIVES CHANCES TO REPENT

Amos 5:14-15

14 Seek good, not evil,

that you may live.

Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,

just as you say he is.

15 Hate evil, love good;

maintain justice in the courts.

Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy

on the remnant of Joseph.

God is patient and tolerates our sins for a long time. He gives us

ample time to repent, ask for forgiveness and return to Him.

God does not want any of His chosen to perish. He seeks to

bless us out of His abundance so we live a life of peace and joy.

Even in our worst, God looks out for us. He pities our worst

with the chance of restoration. If only we can recognize our sins

and repent, His mercy allows for restoration of fellowship with Him.

God knows that some of us will repent, but most will not. The

remnant of the faithful will carry out His plan.

GOD WILL REMIND YOU OF THE SEVERITY OF HIS WRATH

Amos 5:16-18

16 Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord God Almighty, says:

"There will be wailing in all the streets

and cries of anguish in every public square.

The farmers will be summoned to weep

and the mourners to wail.

17 There will be wailing in all the vineyards,

for I will pass through your midst,"

says the Lord.

The Bible is a record of God’s punishment of the nation of Israel.

The pain of God’s wrath will be real. It will not be

make-believe. Everyone who refuses to return to God

will experience a time of great sorrow.

We do well to listen to God’s warnings and return to

Him. He is waiting for our repentance.

IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO REPENT, DON’T WORRY

Amos 5:18-20

18 Woe to you who long

for the day of the Lord!

Why do you long for the day of the Lord?

That day will be darkness, not light.

19 It will be as though a man fled from a lion

only to meet a bear,

as though he entered his house

and rested his hand on the wall

only to have a snake bite him.

20 Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light —

pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?

It will be a glorious day when Jesus comes back and receives His Church to live eternity with

Him. Those who claim Jesus, but will not accept Him have no hope but eternal damnation.

Why would a criminal wish to get out of jail when he plans to continue his criminal

activities and end up back in jail with a worse sentence?

Why would a churchgoer hope for the second coming of Christ when he refuses to accept

the one who gives eternal life? The second coming of Christ will be the wrath of God for all non

-believers which is eternity in hell.

GOD HATES FALSE WORSHIP

Amos 5:21-27

21 "I hate, I despise your religious feasts;

I cannot stand your assemblies.

22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,

I will not accept them.

Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,

I will have no regard for them.

23 Away with the noise of your songs!

I will not listen to the music of your harps.

24 But let justice roll on like a river,

righteousness like a never-failing stream!

25 "Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings

forty years in the desert, O house of Israel?

26 You have lifted up the shrine of your king,

the pedestal of your idols,

the star of your god—

which you made for yourselves.

27 Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,"

says the Lord, whose name is God Almighty.

There are many pretend Christians who come to the house of the Lord with no intent

to worship Him in spirit and truth. They are consistent in bringing an offering but without

the love of God. They come and give to please man, but not the Lord.

God hates any offering that is not given out of praise and worship to glorify the Him.

The little we give to the Lord in offering and time is nothing compared to what He

does for us daily. We have good reasons to grateful and obedient.

God wants 100 percent of our spirit, body, and soul. God is a jealous God, and will not

share us with any human being. God wants total commitment and not partial service.

God commands us to love Him first and then our neighbor as ourselves. These two

commands covers the whole law of God.

Bible Study Series: Types Of Emotional Baggage

 v.UNLOADING EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE (class 2)

THE SOURCE OF MY STRENGTH, Dr Charles Stanley

LONELINESS IS A CHOICE

Webster defines loneliness as being without company, Cut off from other people.

There can be a period of sadness when you are alone. Loneliness

Can cause you to think no one cares about you

For the Christian, loneliness is a state of the mind. It is a state of

Ignorance. It is a state of unbelief. It is a state of not putting the

Word of God in practice.

Jesus said I will never leave you or forsake you. Due 31:6

You are never alone because the moment you accepted Jesus as your personal Savior The Holy Spirit came and indwelled you.

The person of the Holy Spirit Is with you whether you recognize Him or not. You have someone To talk to if only you will awake to His presence.

There is never any reason to feel alone, When you read the Bible you

Are reading Jesus and with the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit you come

To develop an intimate relationship with Father.

Loneliness is emotional baggage you can drop in the garbage bag.

The Lord chose you before you ever developed any emotions.

The loneliest time of my life was the day my first wife went home

To be with the Lord. I was without the presence of the one that had

Been with me for 44 years. In time I came to realize that God was

With me all the time.

Whenever you have a feeling of loneliness let me suggest you start

Praising the Lord. BREAK OUT IN A PRAISE DANCE, Psalms 22:3

Don’t shut the world out and never shut the Loud out.

Romans 8:38-39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What is the key to get rid of the lonely feeling?

1. Know that you have a friend in Jesus

John 15:15-16

I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

2. Get Your praise on. Sing a song, dance, give God thanks.

3. Be a friend to someone. There is someone who needs to hear your

Voice.

4. Get involved in the activities of the church. Matthew 18:20

DON’T ALLOW FEAR TO CONTROL YOU

Fear is a choice. Fear is an act of unbelief. Fear is allowing the devil to

Take over your emotions.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Fear is a state of being out of your right mind

You are more than a conqueror Romans 8:37

Fear denies the power of God in your life Isaiah 41:10

I

Fear denies the love of God. 1 John 4:18

Fear is a state of unbelief Proverbs 29:25

Be confident that the Lord is with you. Psalms 23:4

YOU ARE NOT INFERIOR

In the world we live in today you are judged by standards that don’t apply

To you. People judge you by the car you drive, the house you live in,

The education you have, the job you hold, the connections you have

And the color of your skin.

All of these describe the surface but not the person you are. Don’t accept

The opinion of the world. Don’t devalue yourself by the standards of the world.

If you are a parent, remember your children look to you for validation

Of who they are. The world will tell them all the lies they told you.

Before you can help them, you have to be sure of yourself.

The only opinion that counts is what God says about you, When you

Focus on the world, you lose focus on the God who created you

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

1. You are a work of God.

God did not create you inferior to anyone.

Can anyone create anything better than God?

2. You were created in Jesus.

Can anyone measure up to Jesus?

You were created to do good works.

You were planned to be successful in your work.

3. God prepared good work for you before He made anyone.

No one can measure you.

How can any man tell you what your value is?

God bases our value not on what we have but on who we have

We have Jesus as Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit as our teacher

And counselor.

It is not what we know, but the knowledge we have in Jesus Christ.

We are not dependent on the education we have from the world, but

Infinite education we get from the Lord.

We are not dependent our our capacity, but the infinite capacity of the Lord.

How can anyone know what we are worth if they don’t know how God

Values us?

UNLOADING ABUSE, IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE

As parents, we must discipline our children. God said if you don’t

Discipline your children, you don’t love them.

Proverbs 19:18

Discipline your son, for in that there is hope;

do not be a willing party to his death.

A disciplined person is a more controlled person

A disciplined person is more able to listen and learn

From others and from the world we live in.

We need to get back to disciplining our children.

We need to make sure our children know that discipline is for

Their long-term health.

When I say discipline, I don’t mean abuse. Many parents

Abuse their children.

There is a difference between discipline and abuse

Abuse can be emotional or physical. Everyone may define abuse

Differently.

According to Dr. Charles Stanley, regular or intense criticism might be considered verbal abuse. To others, criticism may have no impact on

Them. The mental state of the person makes a difference.

Discipline should be given in direct response to a person's action.

Abuse is often unrelated to the victims' actions. Abuse is triggered by the

mental state of the abuser. He or she looks for an excuse to trigger their

Abuse.

According to Dr Stantley, discipline is administered for the benefit of

The person being disciplined. The abuser seeks to do the victim harm.

The abuser's intent is to inflict pain.

An abuser has the desire to control another person and manipulate

With his/her power.

It is never God’s desire that his children be manipulated or abused.

Discipline is designed to make corrective actions to prevent a person

From going in the wrong direction or preventing a person from doing something that would be harmful to them or others

Ephesians 6:4

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

The word exasperate is parorgizo which means to anger or enrage

Or cause to resent

We need to understand why people abuse others so we can be

Sure that our discipline does not turn into abuse

An article by Psychcentral gives 13 reason why people abuses others.

It is reprinted here for your information. This is listed not to defend

Abusers, because abuse is wrong. I pasted them here so you will have

A better understanding and know the signs.

1. They have a disorder. A small number of the population is anti-social personality disorder (sociopath or psychopath) and sadistic. These disorders gain pleasure from seeing others in pain and even more pleasure when they are the ones inflicting the agony. For them, abuse is a means to an end. They abuse others to gain personal pleasure.

2. They were abused. Some abusers act out their dysfunctional behavior on others because it was done to them. In a subconscious effort to resolve their own abuse, they do the same to another person. This type of abusive behavior is identical, meaning it matches almost exactly to their childhood experience.

3. They were abused, part two. Just like in the previous explanation, they abuse because it was done to them. However, in this case the victim is the opposite. For instance, a boy who is sexually abused by a man might grow up to sexually abuse girls as evidence that they are not homosexual. The reverse can be true as well.

4. They watched something. With the advances in technology comes additional exposure at a young age to glorified abuse. Some movies, songs, TV shows, and videos minimize abuse by making fun of it or making it seem normal. A typical example is verbally attacking on another person by name calling or belittling.

5. They have anger issues. Uncontrolled and unmanaged rage frequently produces abusive behavior. The source of this anger varies but it is usually tied to a traumatic event. Unresolved trauma sparks anger when triggered by a person, circumstance or place. Because this anger comes out of nowhere, it that much harder to control and manifests abusively.

6. They grew up with an addict. An addict blames others for the reason they engage in their destructive behavior. While the victims are often forced to remain silent and acceptant of their behavior. The end result is a lot of pent up anger and abusive behavior. As an adult, the victim subconsciously seeks out others to blame for their actions.

7. They have control issues. Some people like to be in charge. In an effort to gain or remain in control of others, they utilize inefficient means of dominance such as bullying or intimidation. While forced control can be quickly executed, it does not have lasting qualities. True leadership is void of abusive techniques.

8. They don’t understand boundaries. Abusive people tend to lack the understanding of where they end and another person begins. They see their spouse/child/friend as an extension of themselves and therefore that person is not entitled to have any boundaries. The lack of distance means a person is subject to whatever the abuser decides.

9. They are afraid. People who do and say things out of fear tend to use their emotions as justification for why another person needs to do what is demanded. It is as if the fear is so important or powerful that nothing else matters except what is needed to subdue it.

10. They lack empathy. It is far easier to abuse others when there is no empathy for how the victim might feel. Some types of head trauma, personality disorders, and environmental traumas can cause a person to lack the ability to express empathy.

11. They have a personality disorder. Just because a person has a personality disorder does not mean that they will be abusive. However, the lack of an accurate perception of reality greatly contributes to abusive behavior. If a person is unable to see their behavior as abusive, then they will keep doing it.

12. They are exhausted. When a person reaches the end of rope, it is not uncommon for them to lash out at whoever is conveniently close. Think of it as a mental breakdown where all the things stuffed inside come pouring out usually in a destructive rather than constructive manner.

13. They are defensive. Defense mechanisms such as denial, projection, regression, and suppression are utilized when a person is backed into a corner. Instead of taking space, they come out swinging and retaliate in an abusive manner.

The definition of discipline from webster

1: to punish or penalize for the sake of enforcing obedience and perfecting moral character

2: to train or develop by instruction and exercise especially in self-control

As a parent, how do you make sure your discipline does not include abuse?

Let me give you some suggestions.

Make the love of God the first priority in your discipline

Make the love of the child the reason for discipline

Make the the best interest of the child the reason for discipline

Never discipline a child when you are angry or upset

Never discipline a child to get revenge

Make sure your discipline is designed to correct the undesired action.

Proverbs 22:6

6 Train a child in the way he should go,

and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Every child is different. Every child learns and responds

In their own way. Therefore discipline must be particular

To the child.

2 Timothy 1:7

7 For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Do you respond to others with love or with abusive language?

IN SUMMARY THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE

THAT DISRUPTS THE JOY AND PEACE OF OUR LIVES

LONELINESS

FEAR

FEELING BEING INFERIOR

ABUSE