Daily Bible Study for Monday November
14, 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
1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also hath once
suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
Psalm 99
Close Encounter’s with God Results In Powerful Leadership
This short little chapter, like others we have seen, includes
so much more than meets the natural human eye or heart. It is so deep with
meaning. It is rich in reverential awe of who God is and what He stands for. This
is a time for God’s people to humble themselves before a great, awesome, powerful,
holy God and enter into His presence with fear and trembling. One encounter
with God will change our lives forever, making us great leaders for the
kingdom! Let’s pray…
Heavenly Father:
We enter into Your presence through this study in complete
awe of who You are and all You stand for. You are a holy and pure God –
completely free from anything evil. Lord, we cannot even come close to entering
Your presence unless we first acknowledge our sin before You and receive our cleansing
through the blood of Jesus that is now sprinkled over the mercy seat in heaven.
Father, today I am asking You for the anointing and utterance to speak Your
words of truth with boldness, accuracy, clarity and excellence. According to
Your word in Matthew 18:19, we agree as touching Your word today by faith and
ask You for eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts to receive what Your Spirit is
saying to Your church for such a time as this. Give us revelation, wisdom,
understanding, application, answers, healing, deliverance and comfort as we
approach Your throne of grace and mercy in the powerful name of our Lord and
Savior – Jesus Christ; Son of the Most High God. Father, show us how we need to
live, and how we need to die – to ourselves. Help us understand the power and
authority that You have already given us as Your blood bought children over all
the power of satan and his forces of evil. Show how these lessons can be
applied very specifically to our current circumstances. When the enemy comes,
help Your church to rise up in her authority and take her rightful place seated
with Christ in heavenly places. Show how to change our thinking with the
washing of the water of Your word. Help us learn how to change our confession –
the words of our mouths, by faith, so that Your plan and will comes to pass in
all our lives. Cause this word to go out unhindered and unchecked by any
outside force or my flesh. No flesh can glory in Your awesome presence. Bring
Your children from across the globe to receive this word of truth that will set
them free. Open doors that no man could ever open and anoint me to preach exactly
what You want said today. Father, thank You for always watching over Your holy
word to perform it in our lives when we place our trust in You and obey what
You tell us to do. We give You all the glory, all the honor and all the praise
for what You will do in answer to this prayer. We believe we receive it and we
thank You for it in Jesus wonderful name. Amen.
Did you know that we are all priests in the body of Christ?
Look at this…
1 Peter 2:1-10
2 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all
guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the
word, that ye may grow thereby:
3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is
gracious.
4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone,
disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a
spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture,
Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that
believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious:
but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed,
the same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence,
even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they
were appointed.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the
praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are
now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained
mercy.
We are a royal priesthood – a holy nation. Many of us are
also called to be prophets. Both of these categories are the indication of a
role of spiritual leadership. That is what the church is called to be by the
holy Lord God Almighty. We are to be a spiritual leader in the world around us.
He is sending Jesus back for a holy nation, a people that belongs to Him.
Priests led people into the holy places of the Lord back in the Old Testament,
and then at one point, the people could go no further.
Only the priest could go into the most holy place to be in
the presence of our holy and awesome God. A prophet also had a special calling.
They were set apart to have intimate fellowship with the Lord and to be used by
God to be His mouthpiece to His people. Folks like Samuel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel,
and Isaiah to name a few, were separated out to do a mighty work for the Lord.
They had to have a special and intimate relationship with the Lord themselves
personally before they could do what He was calling them to do. And once they encountered
God in all His holiness, their lived were forever changed! Glory to His name
forever!
Today’s chapter shows us something very important. We can see
in the first several verses great things about God that sets Him apart from
every living thing, man or beast. He is God! He is our Creator. He is holy!
There is nothing evil in Him – no darkness at all. And He is to be approached with
awesome fear (reverence, respect, honor). Now days, people come before God so
casually like he was the guy living next door.
But saints, this should not be so. Having a casual
relationship with the Lord that includes laughter and light heartedness is
certainly a part in our moment by moment lives with Him, but the main thing is reverential
fear of Him at all times. We need to get back to the main thing in the church
today. We need to look at God for who He is; see how big He is and how high
above all things He truly is.
This Psalm sets the stage for how God’s chosen leaders would
approach Him. The priests, like Aaron and Moses, and the prophets, like Samuel
had to recognize who God is as they drew near to Him. The closer they got to
the Lord, the more they saw how small and unclean they were. The good thing is
that they did fear the Lord. They loved Him and they worshiped Him. They came
before Him humbly. How many know we need more of that in the church today?
Going to a church meeting to meet with God is not the place to slap on a pair
of blue jeans and stroll casually into the sanctuary with a twinkie in one hand
and a big gulp cup of coffee firmly gripped in the other.
Our churches have turned God’s house of prayer into a den of thieves
– a place where there is money changing and business being transacted. There
are café’s and bookstores, etc. with lot’s of food – most of which is unhealthy
and they are becoming the center of attention to draw in the “seekers.” God’s
word is sharp and active. He doesn’t need coffee and donuts to draw them in and
transform their lives saints! They need to hear the truth that will set them
free!
This isn’t how the church looked back in Old Testament days,
we can be certain. People ate their meals at home, and left their aprons near the
cooking pot while donning their reverential best to enter into the house of the
Lord, fully clothed without exposing many of their body parts. No matter what
clothes we have in our closets, even if our very best is only an old pair of
jeans – they should be clean and pressed. Where has this gone? We need it back.
God’s house is not a place of business. Jesus Himself said that He had to be
about His Father’s business, and it had nothing to do with money, profit making
or natural food for the body. No wonder He was fiery mad when He saw the money
changers in the synagogue! There is a time and place for everything.
As we look at the lives of a couple of prophets today, one in
the Old Testament and one in the new, we will see what the cries of their
hearts were as we look at the scriptures. We will look at what one close
encounter with our holy God did to transform them forever. It seems they had
their priorities a lot more in order in those days than we do now.
First, we
will look at Isaiah. I am blessed to have some great study Bibles, so I am
going to share with you some information from one of them combined with, most
importantly, the leading of Holy Spirit as He shows me what He wants us to see
today.
Isaiah is noted as being a praying prophet. He was a man who
lived in close communion with the Lord. His time of prophetic work is
documented to span the lives of four kings – Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah.
Isaiah had a revelation of God that literally transformed him and made him
willing to lay down his life to answer the call that the Lord had placed on
him. In a vision, he saw God Himself on the throne in heaven, in all His power
and glory. Stop and think for a moment (or longer) about what that might do to
your thinking about who God is. Isaiah saw the seraphim’s above the throne. Let’s
look…
Isaiah 6:1-13
6 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high
and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six
wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and
with twain he did fly.
3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy,
holy, holy, is the Lord of
hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of
him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because
I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean
lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a
live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this
hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom
shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye
indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make
their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear
with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
11 Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered,
Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and
the land be utterly desolate,
12 And the Lord have
removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
13 But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall
return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is
in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance
thereof.
Our God is altogether holy. When we approach Him in our
prayer time, we must come with a holy, reverential fear because of who He is.
This is a powerful and effective key to living in a powerful dimension of
prayer that can pierce the darkness of this world, and bring down the glory of
God in all His power upon the earth. When we come before Him, we need to
acknowledge who He is. That is the first order of business.
This touches what was being said in today’s chapter. This
Psalm connects perfectly of course with the life of Isaiah. While Isaiah stood in
God’s presence, he could not help but to see his own uncleanness. He saw his
unworthiness to approach One with such purity and power. He felt undone. How
about you? Does that describe how you feel when you approach our holy and
awesome God?
Not only did Isaiah know that he was unclean, but he recognized
before God that he lived among a sinful people. He knew what he was looking at
and it terrified him down to his core. Can we even begin to imagine such a
scene? Like Isaiah, we also need to recognize our own unworthiness. True
humility before God will energize our prayers. Look at this…
James 4:6
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
In order to come before the Lord to plead for our needs, our
families, our cities and nations, we need to come humbly. We must acknowledge
our sins, ask for forgiveness and make a determined turn around going forward –
aka, repentance! Whatever we have been doing wrong, we need to be serious about
getting it right, and quickly. Isaiah received a live coal from the throne to
cleanse him from his sin so he could approach the Lord.
We have received a “live
coal” from heaven to cleanse us and His name is Jesus – Son of the living God.
When we ask for forgiveness, fully acknowledging it, we receive it all in the
name and by the blood of Jesus. After that, we can proceed with the Lord in our
time of prayer.
The next important thing we see about Isaiah was how he was
willing to be used. “Here I am, send me” was the cry of his heart. After he had
a revelation of the glory of God, he was willing to lay his own life and plans
down for the calling of God to touch His people. Like the chapter today which
talks about how Moses, Aaron and Samuel sought the presence of the Lord and He
showed Himself to them in a pillar of cloud, Isaiah had a true revelation of
God’s greatness in his life that would forever change him along with his
priorities.
Think about it. How would you feel if you were seeking the
Lord in prayer and all of a sudden, a giant cloud came over you? Think about
this cloud enveloping you in an atmosphere of holiness that caused you to
tremble to you very core. Then, all of a sudden, the Most High God, Creator of
the universe starts speaking audibly to you from that cloud? What do you think
would happen next? Most of us would drop to the ground and cry so quickly in
fear and trembling as if we didn’t know what had hit us. God’s presence is so awesome
and powerful, it will diminish the thoughts and plans in any man’s heart, we
can be sure.
Moses spent 40 days up on the mountain with God. When he came
down, he was so full of the glory of God that the people feared just looking at
the brightness that shone from his face. They asked him to cover it because they
couldn’t handle it. This is big stuff saints. Our God is awesome! He was
calling Isaiah the prophet to go speak to His people who were dull of hearing.
How many know that God is still sending us prophets today? He keeps trying to
reach this generation, as He has all the others. He does not want any to perish.
He fully intends to come back for a spotless bride (the church), but right now
the church is steeped in sin. Look at what the Bible says this…
Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no
priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy
children.
Notice He said, “My people?” This is talking about the
church, not the unsaved. We are called to work out our salvation. If we do not
endure to the end, we can lose our salvation. Many are fooled into thinking
this is not so, but that is not biblical church! Who are we going to believe?
The lies of the devil or the truth of God’s word? Remember this. We have talked
about it before. A willing heart makes a hearing ear. If people are not willing
to listen to the Lord, they will not hear and receive what He has to say.
Now let’s look at another prophet called of God to speak to
His people and establish His church. His name is Paul. He was a man on fire for
God. He was a man who loved the church with everything in him. He was a strong
man of prayer. His prayers were powerful and effective. Why? Because they were
not selfish prayers. If our prayers are selfish and self-centered, God will not
hear. That is not what He is or stands for, so He will not heed it from us when
we pray if we are looking for our own comforts, like this, “Oh God, help me to
have a good life free of these troubles. Help my family to be blessed and all
that we do. Bless our home and our things oh God, oh God, oh God - me, me, me…it’s
all about me.”
Isaiah and Paul were men after God’s own heart. They had seen
a major revelation of who God is, and they were awestruck by Him. How about
you? Does God’s holy presence put you in a state of awesome wonder? Like the
pillar of cloud before Moses and Aaron, and the vision that Isaiah had, Paul had
an encounter with Jesus that transformed him on the spot! He was never the same
again. Glory to God. This is a true sign of someone who has seen the living God
in their lives such as they had never imagined.
And what was the result of Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the
road to Damascus? When the Lord opened His spiritual eyes so that he could see
himself for what he really was, and then see the Lord for who He really is,
Paul never went back to persecuting the newly growing church. Now he was being
used by the Lord to build the church of Jesus Christ – the only true church on
the planet – now and forever – hallelujah!
A person who has a true encounter with the Lord will never be
satisfied to sit on the sidelines and just wait for Jesus to come get them to
take them out of their misery here on the earth. No! They will have God’s heart
for the people and want to see others have the spiritual blinders removed from
their eyes too. Like himself, Paul wanted to see the people’s hearts that were
once running from the Lord with a vengeance start running to Him, crying, “holy,
holy, holy are You Lord God Almighty! Heaven and earth are full of Your glory
and I praise Your holy name!”
Once this amazing, miraculous transformation
happens in a human heart, the way one approaches God and the things they pray
for will be different. They can’t help but to be. Paul began to pray the
Ephesians 1 prayer for the body of Christ, along with many other prayers you can
look at too. Take a look…
Ephesians 1:15-23
15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in
the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention
of you in my prayers;
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being
enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the
riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power
to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him
from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and
might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but
also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave
him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that
filleth all in all.
Look at how this leader of the church had his priorities
changed once he encountered Jesus. Suddenly, he was praying all of God’s
perfect will down to earth for His people. Paul laid aside his past education,
status and plans. He set aside everything he had once known as foolishness to
know Christ and the power of His resurrection. As a godly leader, like Isaiah
and Moses, Aaron and Samuel, among others, he was determined not to know
anything but Jesus Christ and the preaching of the cross.
If there had been television sets back then, we can be sure
that these guys would not have been watching! They had an encounter with our righteous
holy God and their lives were instantly transformed into Christ followers and
godly leaders. Even though they didn’t have Jesus yet in the same sense that we
do after His birth on the earth, they had God, and His Spirit working among
them. They chose to follow God. They kept His word like the Psalm says today.
They obeyed His laws. They took God seriously and they honored Him in their
hearts.
They received God’s merciful forgiveness of their sins and
went on to be great leaders of God’s people – giving Him glory, honor and
praise for who He is and how important He is to life and godliness for His
people. A true leader is first a great follower – of Jesus. Many accuse God’s
people of being spineless, having to follow after someone or something because
they are not strong enough to be “real men” or “real women” and stand up for
themselves. But seeing God for who He really is like Isaiah, Paul and others
did changes our perspective from one of weakness to one of boldness for Christ.
Look at this in the book of Acts…
Acts 4:31
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken
where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy
Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Do you suppose the room that day was filled with God’s
awesome power? Indeed, it was! The entire place was shaken. It quaked just like
the opening verse in today’s chapter talks about. God’s presence is awesome. It
will shake us up like we have never been shaken up. And after that, we can go
out to a lost and confused world and be great leaders for the Lord’s work; both
in the church and in the marketplace, wherever He calls us to go. Let’s look at
this about Paul’s plans…
1 Corinthians 16:5-12
5 Now I will come unto you, when I shall pass
through Macedonia: for I do pass through Macedonia.
6 And it may be that I will abide, yea, and winter
with you, that ye may bring me on my journey whithersoever I go.
7 For I will not see you now by the way; but I
trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit.
8 But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.
9 For a great door and effectual is
opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.
10 Now if Timotheus come, see that he may be with
you without fear: for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do.
11 Let no man therefore despise him: but conduct
him forth in peace, that he may come unto me: for I look for him with the
brethren.
12 As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly
desired him to come unto you with the brethren: but his will was not at all to
come at this time; but he will come when he shall have convenient time.
Paul’s plans became God’s plans, even though he faced many
adversaries (devils). Does that describe you, friend? Are you willing to go
where He sends you? Are you willing to lay down your life to pray for and speak
to God’s people as He leads and directs? Have you been awestruck in His mighty
and powerful presence? How have you responded to His call?
There are three main points to
consider from today’s study…
All of God’s children are a royal priesthood,
a holy nation
One encounter with our awesome God
will change our priorities forever
God is looking for leaders who will
answer the call
Questions:
What did you see about our God that you may not have seen
before?
In what way do you believe this will change the manner in
which you approach the Lord in your personal prayer time?
What has God called you to do as you lead others closer to
Him?
How have you responded to His request?
Who can you share this study with?
Is
your cry to the Lord, “Holy, holy, holy are You Lord God Almighty?”
Let’s pray…
Heavenly Father:
How awesome You truly are. Father, I ask You to
forgive me for the many times that I have not approached You in reverential fear
and awesome wonder. Forgive me for not placing You in the position of perfect
holiness where Your glory dwells. Forgive me for the many unclean things I have
thought, said or done. Father, as Your blood bought child, I thank You that we
can confess our sins and be instantly forgiven. Lord, I do want to be a leader
to Your people – leading them straight to Your heart as You direct me. Show me
the path You have for me to take from this day on. Lord, with Your help, I will
listen and obey. Like Isaiah, I say, “Here I am Lord – send me!” Thank You in
advance for cleansing me and changing me so I can look more and more like my
Master - Jesus. In Jesus’ awesome and powerful name, I pray. Amen.
And God Said… You fill in the blanks.
Luke 10:21-24
21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said,
I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid
these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even
so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.
22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and
no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the
Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.
23 And he turned him unto his disciples, and said
privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye
see:
24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have
desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear
those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
