Daily Bible Study for Friday
September 9, 2016
By: Hanny Lynn Stearns
Fish N Loaves
Ministries, Inc.
“Multiplying
God’s Word Around The Globe”
Chapter Reading
for Today: Please read in
your Bible before proceeding. Note that most translations are considered
paraphrases. The Young’s Literal Translation provides a more accurate
translation since he is the one who authored a concordance. Others are helpful
for seeing a different perspective, but we cannot always depend on their
wording. I hope this is helpful to you. If you are studying in another version,
that is fine. I am studying from the KJV, but for the purpose of this study, I
will keep it with the New King James Version.
One final note: I will put the scripture in italics to differentiate from my
own writing. I am adding red to the letters when
it is Jesus talking – just like the Bible. Thank you.
Bible
Gateway Verse of the Day
Titus 2:2
that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate,
sound in faith, in love, in patience;
Psalm
100:4
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
and into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless
His name.
Song: Freedom By: Eddie James
Psalm 53
Freedom From Bondage
Only foolish people choose to say there is no God. He has
revealed Himself in a multitude of ways. The truth is that on the earth there
is no one person that does or has done everything right – there are none that
are good. But of those who know God, the cry to the Savior remains - come Lord
Jesus, set Your people free. What most do not realize is that they have already
been set free. Let’s pray…
Heavenly Father:
Thank You for loving the people You created even when they
have been corrupted. The depth of man’s evil ways reveals the greatness of Your
mercy and grace. Father, I ask You to speak through me today. I am asking for
the anointing and the utterance to bring about Your purpose in this lesson for
Your people. Lord, I am praying in accordance with Your word in Matthew 18:19
that if two on earth agree concerning anything, or as touching anything, it
will be done by our Father in heaven. Father, I am praying in faith that there
are others who will read this and agree with me that Your people will receive
this and be enlightened, transformed and brought up higher. I am asking for
people to be set free from bondage as they study this message. Use me as Your
vessel to turn our hearts like a watercourse that we may understand what is the
hope of our calling. Father, we thank You for always watching over Your word to
perform it in our lives when we place our full confidence in You and Your word.
We will make it our goal to be doers of Your word who get results rather than
forgetful hearers or just note takers. We thank You in advance for what You
will reveal to us today in Jesus mighty holy name. Amen.
There is one thing that every
person needs to realize. The Bible makes it clear. Not one of us is good.
Nobody! Every one of us has turned to evil ways. It can be lying, stealing,
wanting what others have, dishonoring our parents, robbing our neighbors. The
list goes on. Evil thoughts of hatred in our minds toward another which is
equal to murder, or lack of faith in God who has revealed Himself to the Sons
of men - all have fallen short of perfection and glory. No person can say they
have never done anything wrong.
I once met a man who was
helping me with some car repair. I had to get a ride home so they could fix the
car. I figured it was a good time to talk about the Lord with Him. When I began
to question him, he said he had never done anything wrong. I was shocked that
he thought this. When I asked him if he had ever lied, he said no. I knew then
that he was a liar. The more I questioned him, the more he professed to be
innocent of ever doing one single thing wrong. He admitted that he smoked
cigarettes and drank now and then, but he had not broken any of the Ten
Commandments. Later, as I drove my own car home the Lord had spoken to my heart
and gave me a question I could have asked him. At that time, I was just
learning evangelism, and I felt I had missed the mark with this guy. I didn’t
know how to respond to his self-righteousness.
In the world there are many who
foolishly think they are innocent of wrong doing. But that shows what they
really are – they are fools. There is no other way to explain it. God says it,
so It must be true. I remember a lady who worked in my children’s Christian
pre-school program. I was just beginning to go to church semi regularly. I knew
so little about the things of God back then. But I thought this woman was a
saint. Well, she was, because she was a born again Christian. What I didn’t
realize is that even though she appeared to me to be flawless in every possible
way, this woman had not always done everything right. If I would have asked her
that question, I am confident that she would have admitted she had fallen short
of the glory of God.
She was some kind of lady.
Maybe I saw things in her that I wanted to emulate. She was wonderful and
extremely patient with those screaming three-year old’s. She showed amazing
love and understanding while she held them through their tears. I had never
known anyone like her - always smiling and very humble. She never tried to draw
attention to herself. She served with a humble and gracious heart. Oh that
there were more like her on the planet today – amen!
Moving on, a person might ask
this question. Are the fools out there who are consuming God’s people really
ignorant and completely void of understanding about the things of God? The
truth is, many are just that ignorant – by choice. All of us have a choice to
accept or reject the Lord. He makes Himself known to everyone. Then it is up to
them on how they will respond to Him. God gives everyone a chance to know that
He is real even though He cannot be seen…
Romans 1:18-25
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in
unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of
God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the
creation of the world His invisible attributes are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and
Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because,
although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their
thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing
to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the
glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and
birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness,
in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,25 who
exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature
rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Nobody has any excuse for
saying there is no God. Many have hardened their hearts and cannot see light
because they reject the light…
John 3:1-21
3 There was a man of the Pharisees named
Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to
Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come
from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most
assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born
when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I
say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the
kingdom of God.6 That which is born of the flesh is
flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do
not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The
wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where
it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can
these things be?”
10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are
you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most
assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen,
and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have
told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell
you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to
heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man
be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For
God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the
world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he
who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the
name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this
is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved
darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For
everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest
his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the
truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have
been done in God.”
Many will not even acknowledge the Truth
when it (He) is standing right in front of them. They love their evil deeds
more than the thought of living a clean life for God. Many are perishing on the
planet every day without God. They have either turned to false gods or have
rejected any form of God altogether. For them there is no hope once their
spirit has left their body (unless by grace the Lord sends them back to their
body and gives them another chance). I have heard several testimonies of this
really happening. But we can’t all count on that. For those who refuse, the
only way out is down - to the pit of hell.
It isn’t like they couldn’t understand my
friends. The fact is they refuse to. Faith in God is a choice. God gives
everyone a measure of faith. It is up to us on how we will use what we have
been given…
Romans 12:3
For I say, through the grace
given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more
highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each
one a measure of faith.
In this conversation, the writer of God’s word (Holy Spirit) is
instructing us to think realistically about ourselves. We should not be
thinking more of who we are or where we stand in life than where we are really
at. And when it comes to our faith, we need to be realistic about what we have
the faith to believe. The Bible tells us to work our faith by building it up…
Jude 20-21
20 But you, beloved, building
yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in
the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal
life.
Many refuse to use their
measure and so what they have will be taken away…
Matthew 13:10-17
10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do
You speak to them in parables?”
11 He answered and said to them, “Because
it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to
them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to
him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have,
even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore
I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they
do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them
the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:
‘Hearing
you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not perceive;
15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.’
And seeing you will see and not perceive;
15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they
hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you that many
prophets and righteous men desired
to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
All of these scriptures should
make it clear why people are not seeing Jesus like they should. Faith,
salvation and growth as a Christian is all a choice – each and every day of
one’s life. We can take it or leave it. God is not controlling anyone and He
will never force people. He only knocks to see if there is anybody home who
will come and open the door to Him…
Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and
knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and
dine with him, and he with Me.
The foolish people who have
not called on God have trembled in fear when there was no fear. How many know
that in God and with God there is never any fear? If we sense fear of any kind,
then we know evil is near. People who resist and reject God will have reason to
fear. They are submitting to wrong spirits. Because they reject the goodness of
God, they open the door of their hearts and lives wide to the devil and his evil
demonic spirits. A spirit of fear is a big one that overtakes many – even in
the body of Christ. Many people give more credence to their fears than they do
in the power of God. It is really SADD-U-CEE but it’s true never the less.
The spirit of fear has put
God’s people in bondage. Bondage to what you ask? Well, a host of things. They
are in bondage to addictions, phobias, fears of all kinds of things that are
not real. People fear sickness, and dying. They fear relationships and the loss
of loved ones. The spirit of fear is very real, but it is from the pit of hell
and has nothing to do with God…
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but
perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears
has not been made perfect in love.
People who reject God are
going to live in fear whether they admit it outwardly or not. But the really
sad thing is that the people of God for the most part are living with some kind
of fear – some much more than others. I am not saying every Christian is doing
this, but the vast majority are. What God has given us in His perfect love is
the ability to be free of all fear or any other form of torment from the devil.
In the last verse of our Psalm
today, David was being used of the Lord to cry out for a Savior. He longed for
the help to come from God’s holy place. He cried out for those within the
church to be set free from captivity. When he said that Jacob would rejoice, it
represented those who were (of God’s people) in bondage. When he said Israel
would be glad, it is a type of saying that the entire church would be glad when
those who were in bondage were set free. Nobody who is a child of God has to be
in bondage to anything. From the moment they get born again, they have all the
power of heaven coming to live in their spirits – hallelujah! That means that
we have inherited everything that Jesus has. Everything He accomplished for us
is available for us right now.
I will give you an example
from my own life. I was in bondage to food, especially sugar. I fought the
“flesh fight” with the “food giant” for years. That is really SADD-U-CEE. I
have been born again since the age of 9 years old, but I didn’t surrender my
life to the Lordship of Jesus until I was two months shy of my 50th
birthday. Now I am 60. Praise God that He was patient with me these past ten
years. I was so foolish. I thought I had to fight the food. I thought I had to
fight “it” rather than using my faith to get free.
Jesus told us that He has
given us the keys to the kingdom…
Matthew 16:17-19
17 Jesus answered and said to
him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not
revealed this to you,
but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say
to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the
gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on
earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be
loosed in heaven.”
What Jesus was telling them
and us is that we have already been given the power we need to take care of the
devil and any other kingdom business we have on the earth until He comes back
for us. Praise His name forever. Many Christians do not believe this. They will
quote you Bible verses off the top of their head until they are out of breath,
but when it comes to applying these truths to their life situations, forget it!
Suddenly they have a case of spiritual “amnesia.” What they know in their head
means nothing to them in their hearts. And many will go from meeting to meeting
to hear message after message and then go right home and keep living like a
battery that has lost its power. Look at this…
Luke 10:19
Behold, I give you the authority to trample
on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing
shall by any means hurt you.
Friends, we have to use the power we have
been given. Like I say in my daily addiction devotional, we have to work the
word, or it is worthless to us no matter how many verses we can quote from
memory. Just this morning I woke up with a terrible leg cramp. The spasms were
so intense I could not stand the pain. I cried in anguish a couple times and
then I started thanking Jesus. I thanked Him and said “By Your stripes I am
healed.” I kept thanking Jesus. After a few moments of this, the pain subsided.
Do you see that I had to stop fighting with the symptoms and start fighting the
good fight of faith in the power of the name of Jesus?
Recently I have reached new levels of
healing with food issues. I am free. Every day I began to quote verses from the
Bible that say “I am free because the Son has set me free.” I also decree that
I will follow my plan of eating for the day. I finally stopped fighting with
the food and focusing on it. Instead I started working the word of God and it
began to work with me. God’s word works when we work it. It is terrible how
long I went around and around in the ring with food when I could have been
living a free life that Jesus has given me as a born again Christian.
Today Christians all over the world are
crying out to God to be set free from bondage. But the truth is, we have
already been set free. What we need to do is accept the free gift we have
already been given. When David cried out for a Savior in the Psalm today, Jesus
had not yet come. He was used by Holy Spirit to pen the request in writing of
what he wanted to see. Then the Lord God Almighty brought it to pass one day in
a stable for animals in Bethlehem! Rejoice saints! No gift is any good if it is
not used. The only ones who will get set free from any bondage they are in are
the ones who will believe in God and take Him at His word.
Once they do that,
they are home free. Religion tries to tell people all kinds of junk about what
Jesus said and did. That is all coming from the evil spirits. But Jesus didn’t
tell us He gave us all this authority for nothing. He meant what He said. The
problem is that many do not believe it. It is the doers of the word of God who
get results. We have to speak the word over our lives in faith, out loud. Once
we do that we keep thanking the Lord that His word is working in our lives.
Just last night as I was typing at my
computer, one of my monitors had a black screen. The other two were fine but
the third one was blank. I said out loud, “I wonder why my monitor is not
working.” Then I thought, “Oh well, I will have my husband look at it.” He is
the “techy guy” around here. Later the Lord spoke to my heart. He said, “Don’t
ever say something is not working.” What He wanted me to see was to speak the
desired results over every situation. Jesus spoke to a tree and because He
cursed it, the thing was dead a short while later, leaving His disciples
marveling. Holy Spirit helped me to realize I had said the wrong thing about my
monitor.
Today I had another opportunity to speak
to something that was not functioning properly. This time it was the vertical
blind in my office window. So I spoke to it. I said to the blind, “You will
work.” That was all I said. A couple pulls and down she came – working just
fine. When God spoke, things happened. We are created in His image and Jesus
came and gave us every example of how to make things cooperate for us. He didn’t
talk just to “chat.” When He spoke it was to teach or to make something happen.
It should be the same with us.
So many of you can be free right now if
you will accept what Jesus has already done for you. It wasn’t just the cross.
That’s where it started. But it was finished when God raised Him from the dead.
He went to hell for you and me so we wouldn’t have to. He took our infirmities so
we could be well and whole. He came to set the captives free. He came to pull
us all out of bondage. One can only try to imagine how it must break the Lord’s
heart to see all these people of His suffering loss and devastation in their
lives because they do not believe in His word. So many of His children are in
bondage so deep and don’t realize that they have all the power right there
inside of them to step up and out of it to become free.
A sick woman who could barely speak in a
whisper started saying I am strong. Forty-five minutes later she was sitting up
on the death bed shouting I am strong. Instead of throwing up all her food, she
started confessing that she had a voracious appetite and everything she ate
stayed down. This had been a lady who was a minister and believed in healing.
But she had gotten worn down by the disease and she needed a faith buddy. So
our pastor went to her bedside and together they spoke what the Lord put on his
heart to say. Months later she was all around town preaching and working and
had gained 20 pounds! Glory to God!
Friends, if you have been struggling with
anything that has been making you feel trapped, be encouraged. You can talk
your way out of your bondage and step right up into the freedom that Christ
died and was raised to give you. Whatever you have been fighting in the flesh,
you can start fighting in the spirit, by faith in God and His word. Start
speaking out loud the results you expect. If it is a test you will be taking,
say something like this, “I will pass that test with an A+.” If you are
addicted to cigarettes, every time you think about them or pick one up or take
a puff, say, “I am free.” In no time at all you will be free.
Recently I printed a list of several
scriptures and I started saying them out loud over myself every single day. And
recently I have had a major breakthrough with those “once upon a time eating
issues.” I am really free. Glory to God! The same thing can happen to you. Do
you want to be free my friend? You already are! Just say it and believe it.
That’s how you got born again. You had to say with your mouth that Jesus is
Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. It was a
matter of faith and confession. Remember, Jesus is the High Priest of our
confession. Come on now. Start saying some good things about your life, your
family, your health, finances and your future. Then stand back and watch the
miracles happen! You’ll be shoutin all over town – praise the Lord!
Questions:
What does the Bible call a person who says there is no God?
What have you been in bondage to?
Write out a list of confessions you want to make over your
life and start saying them, in faith every day. Thank God for His word working
in your life.
Who can you share this information with? There are a lot of
people out there who want to be free.
There
are three main points to consider from today’s study…
Only a fool would say there is no
God
God has already set His people free
from bondage through Jesus Christ
What we say really does matter
Heavenly Father:
Thank You for setting us free through Your
precious Son Jesus. Father, I want to live the free life You sent Him to give
me. If I have been speaking something over myself that I should not be, I ask
You to show me what that is. I will change my confession from one of sickness,
weakness or failure to one of health, strength and success. Thank You for
supplying my every need according to Your riches in glory. Thank You for
setting me free. In Jesus name. Amen.
What
has Jesus set you free of? Who can you tell about it? Testimonies are powerful!
And God Said… You fill in the blanks.
John 8:36
Therefore
if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
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