Daily Bible Study for Friday November
18, 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 trust this is helpful to you. If you are studying in another
version, that is fine. I am studying from the KJV.
***Please
note a change! We will look at everything for our basic study from the King
James Version going forward. It is helpful to stay with one solid version as we
study so as not to cause confusion. I may add other translations for specific
scriptures as the Lord directs.
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
John 17:17
Sanctify them through thy
truth: thy word is truth.
A Personal Testimony About an Unusual Day…
What Happened to Me Today
This will not be our usual Bible Study lesson today. We are
in Psalm 103, however that lesson will go out tomorrow for this week – on
Saturday. I had an unusual day and the Lord wants me to share it with you. May
my experiences encourage you in some way. Let’s pray…
Heavenly Father:
Thank You for always being here to help us and give us the
strength we need in life when unusual circumstances present themselves. Thank
You for giving us the authority over anything that has a name; be it sickness,
poverty, relationship issues or car trouble. Nothing is as high as the name of
Jesus. Every believer has been given the authority to walk in victory over
every circumstance in life. We are seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus.
You always cause us to triumph in the situations this valley of the shadow of
death on the earth may try to bring. Father, I ask You to anoint this message
and give me the utterance to share my experience, strength and hope so that
others can see from today’s example how to rise above the trials of this life
and still come out with a peaceful, joy filled heart. Bring those You want to
receive this message and give us all eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts to
receive what You will reveal as we step into it by faith. Give glory to Yourself
in all of this and help Your children to grow up more in You from it. I ask in
faith in Jesus name and I believe we receive the answers, clarifications and
increased understanding all in the mighty name above all names – Jesus! Amen.
Oh, what a Savior! And oh, what a day! I woke up a bit later
this morning, having worked late last evening. I started out the day with my
body wanting more sleep, but I did not cave in to its cry for rest. Instead I
made the decision to follow the leading of Holy Spirit. I told myself I would
go back to bed and rest after my husband left for work, but once he did, I was
led to just keep moving. As I listened to the Lord, He had me get about the
business of the day. I did some chores around the house and then I was led to
run some errands.
This alone is highly unusual for the Lord to lead me to do
such a thing on a Friday. Normally I am at home all day doing the Bible study
after spending time with Him. I exercise and get the lesson done with great
joy. But today was different. He was leading me to run my errands and get
several things done. So off I went. I got many tasks accomplished. How many
enjoy that feeling of accomplishment when you know you got caught up on a few things
that have needed to be done? For me, it was that kind of morning.
I was very busy and all over the place getting this, that and
the other thing done. Down the road I went and down the list I went as He led
me every step of the way. I was also led to pray in the spirit as I drove, so I
did. At one point, I asked the Lord if I
could eat out for lunch, and He advised me to eat at home and save the time, so
I did what He suggested. How many realize that this is the best way to have a
successful day? He will never force us to do a single thing. However, those of
us who really are willing to surrender our will to His leading will be very
blessed by allowing Him to direct our path like the Bible says to do. It is a
good thing to obey the Lord and be in the center of His perfect will at all
times – hallelujah!
One of my tasks was to find a laundry mat to wash the king
size comforter for our bed. I did, and I used the time wisely as I read the
book by Kenneth E. Hagin titled, “The Triumphant Church.” This book should be
required reading for every Christian on the planet. If believers got a hold of
this book, which is full of the word and great Holy Spirit revelation, the
devil would flip! Christians would really come to understand the authority they
have been given over satan and every demonic force out there. Our lives would
be victorious on every level and the devil would have to just sit around in hell
and twiddle his thumbs while he waits to be thrown into the lake of fire
forever – glory to God!
But the truth for now is this - the devil is here because he
has a legal right to be here until Adam’s lease on the earth is up. So yes, we
have to deal with him. But that “dealing” can be a victorious, triumphant rule
over him rather than a battle that we think we have to fight against him when
Jesus has already fought the battle and won it for us. Here is where my day
began to turn in a different direction. I was on my way to the laundry mat and
as I drove, my eyes were drawn toward the sticker in the upper left hand corner
of the windshield where the date of my last oil change jumped out at me. I saw that
I was a month overdue on having it done. I asked the Lord if I should stop in to
have it done at our auto repair shop since I was right by them. He said to
wait. I made a decision to call them to set up an appointment next week.
As I walked out of the laundry mat with my nice fresh, clean
bedspread, my eyes were drawn down to the tires of my car. Out of my mouth came
these words, “that tire needs to be replaced.” Then I heard in my spirit, “You
need a new car and this one needs to be fixed up and given away. Denny needs a
new car too.” I certainly agreed with that. Denny and I have sown seed into the
new plane at our church and we know that every seed sown produces after its own
kind. I prayed to the Lord saying that
I know we are tithers and sowers and I believe our harvest is coming in. Then I
hopped in the car and headed down the road to my next stop.
By now the day was moving along and I was getting very
hungry. I asked the Lord if I could stop for a piece of chicken to hold me over
till I got home, and He said, yes. “Why not have them refill your water too?” “Thank
You Lord” was my reply.
My last stop was Walmart for a few grocery items. That store
is close to our home, actually within walking distance really. When I came out
with my food, I loaded up the car and jumped in to start her up. But she wouldn’t
start. All I got was a “clicking” sound when I turned the key in the ignition. I
tried again, but again she didn’t start. Now I spoke to the car and told it
that it will work for me in Jesus name.
And even though I had bound the devil
and all wicked host in the morning over my day, I took the liberty of binding
him from messing with my car. I sat there and asked the Lord for wisdom. I let
my husband know by text. He was on his way from work to leave town for the
weekend on business today. I figured he would have no way to come to my assistance.
I was led immediately to call my sweet neighbor who attends the same church we
do.
She just happened to be out on the road only 5 minutes from
where I was and she was eager to come to my aid. Glory to God. Can you see the
timing on this? Like we studied yesterday, He makes things happen at the right
time. He didn’t make my car quit, but he certainly provided my help at exactly
the right moment. What if I had not listened to Holy Spirit today? What if I
had made up my own mind about what I was going to do and when I was going to do
it today?
I can tell you what would have happened. I would have stayed home
today and waited until tomorrow to run my errands like I normally do. Then,
tomorrow I would have headed out to run those errands and the car would have
failed. Today, when I called the auto repair guys that we love and trust, they
had a tow truck ready and waiting and they were there in 10 minutes to pick up
my car.
In addition, my car insurance jumped right on it and made all
the arrangements with my choice of towing companies and I would not have to pay
a single penny for the work. They took the car and by tomorrow I will have it
back so I can go to church on Sunday as usual. My neighbor had taken me home to
drop off the groceries, then ran me back up to my car to wait for the tow
truck. I handed him the key and a receipt for the last battery we bought, and
guess what? When he got in the car, it started!
I just looked at him calmly and told him to take it anyway.
He smiled and drove off and I went home with my neighbor and returned to the
business at hand at home. I thought I was still supposed to do today’s Bible
study, but the Lord had another plan. He wanted me to share this experience
with you today. And why? Because He wants you to see how this was handled. I am
not giving myself any credit here. It is God in us to will and to act according
to His good purpose, so when we do something good and someone says, “Hey, you
did a great job”, we have to give that praise immediately to the Lord.
If it had not been for the Lord of glory living in me, I can
assure you from past experience that I would not have handled these diversions
today with such joy, confidence and peace. But because I know who I believe in
and what He is able to do, I could remain calm and trust that He was already working
out these details long before I knew they were going to happen. I thanked Him and
praised Him. I thanked Him for our new cars – no matter when we get them. I
know we will. And until then, I thank Him for the ones we have and for the help
He has provided in keeping our old cars running. He is so good and so faithful.
Let me show you the verse I had opened to in the morning. I
did not know why I had opened to these yet. I was waiting on getting quiet with
the Lord for today’s Bible study in order to find out. But God had a plan. I
just had to step into it by following the leading of Holy Spirit all day – and I
did. I kept asking Him what I should do next, and He would tell me. I found
such joy and peace in that. I did not have to try to figure it out on my own. I
knew I could depend on Him. He would say, “Now listen and be silent and I will
teach you wisdom. So I did, and He did – hallelujah! Look at this …
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the
church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We are bound to thank God always for you,
brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the
charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the
churches of God for your
patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous
judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which
ye also suffer:
6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to
recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when
the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that
know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
10 When he shall come to be glorified in his
saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among
you was believed) in that day.
11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our
God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of
his goodness, and the work of faith with power:
12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be
glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Now look at what I opened to in another Bible this morning…
2 Timothy 2:1-13
2 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace
that is in Christ Jesus.
2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among
many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to
teach others also.
3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the
affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a
soldier.
5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is
he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first
partaker of the fruits.
7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee
understanding in all things.
8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David
was raised from the dead according to my gospel:
9 Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even
unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.
10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect's
sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with
eternal glory.
11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with
him, we shall also live with him:
12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if
we deny him, he also will deny us:
13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he
cannot deny himself.
Friend, we will have to suffer some hardships in this life.
It is “a given.” But that is not really the issue. The real deal is how we
handle them when they come. Do we “freak out” and get all stressed out and look
at the circumstances. Or, do we start praising and thanking God for His
faithfulness and remind Him that we are going to trust Him because He is where
our help comes from? Will we stay in peace, or will we let the devil jump all
over the opportunity to steal our peace and joy? What will we focus on when
things happen – and they surely will? We get to choose. Nobody, not God, not
the devil, nor another person can force us to respond to any situation a
certain way. It is all our very own choice. And how we respond to things can be
a matter of life and death – spiritually.
Now look at what I opened to in my little scripture book,
also earlier this morning long before I knew how this day would unfold…
2 Corinthians 4:8-11
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are
perplexed, but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not
destroyed;
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of
the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
11 For we which live are always delivered unto
death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in
our mortal flesh.
If Jesus had to endure hardships, and Paul too, along with
many others in the Bible, should we not also have to deal with the same kinds
of things? Every situation is what we make it. I came across people all day and
how they talk is amazing to me now. Some of the things they say just lead them
down a very negative path for the day. They say things like, “I hope God loves
me” when I tell them He does. Then I have to explain that He proved His love by
sending Jesus. And this to a man who has been in church. How SADD-U-CEE!
Others are speaking out that their day is not going well or
that it is going to be a bad day. So, guess what they get on the menu for their
day? You guessed it – a bad day. Friend, we need to wake up, rise up and be the
triumphant church, like the book I am reading now reminds us to do. Another man
I ran into today was all concerned about people saying wrong things about the
Bible and saying things that were not true. This whole thing had such a hold on
him that he was consumed by it. I asked him if he knew what the Bible says
about dealing with those who are weaker than us, and he did not know, even
though he was making himself out to be one who knows the word quite well.
So, we can ask a few effective questions, just like the
Master did, and we can walk away, having been used by Holy Spirit to shed some
light on some darkness in another Christian soul – glory to God. The day I had
was a different one. It was a reminder of how awesome our God and Savior is and
how He has already gone way before us in every day to prepare a table before us
of abundant provision (see Psalm 23) in the presence of our enemies. The question
to us as the church of Jesus Christ is this: Will we partake of it? We get to
choose.
There are three main points to
consider from today’s study…
God already has great plans for our
day if we will follow His lead
Trouble and hardship is a fact of
every life – we better get used to how to handle it effectively and
triumphantly
The Lord will never leave us or forsake
us – He is always with us and He is for us
Questions:
If my day had been your day, how do you (honestly) believe
you would have handled it?
What meant the most to you as you read this message?
What will you do differently as a result of reading this?
Who can you share this study with?
How
will you respond when diversions come?
Let’s pray…
Heavenly Father:
Thank You for Your faithfulness in my day today.
Lord, I know You had already planned it all out for me and I thank You for the comfort
I had because I was listening to Your leading. I praise You for Your
faithfulness and loving kindness to Your children. Help me to always remember You
are with me every step of the way and You have a victorious and prosperous day
planned for me when I place my trust in You. Thank You Lord in Jesus name.
Amen.
And God Said… You fill in the blanks.
Matthew 7:17-20
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt
tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt
tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and
cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
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