You were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise- Ephesians 1:¹² That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

¹³ In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

¹⁴ Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

So what is the significance of the Holy Spirit sealing you?

You were given a Helper to walk as a child of light- Ephesians 5:⁶ Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

⁷ Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

⁸ For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

⁹ (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

¹⁰ Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord

So what is the significance of the Holy Spirit as you Helper?

You were given a Comforter and Teacher-John 14:¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

¹⁷ Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

¹⁸ I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

²⁵ These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

²⁶ But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

So what is the significance of the Holy Spirit comforting and teaching you?

You were given the Holy Spirit that you might know the things God has freely given to you

-1 Corinthians 2:¹²Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

¹³Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

¹⁴But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

¹⁵But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

¹⁶For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

So what is the significance of knowing the things God has freely given to you?

As one who is redeemed with the blood of Jesus Christ, you have what Solomon, the king, the wisest man ever, longed for in Ecclesiastes 4:¹ So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

² Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.

³ Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

 

Where are you today? Are your circumstances perplexing? The Holy Spirit stands ready to guide you to all truth and to comfort you in the difficulties of living in this fallen creation. The Holy Spirit, the 3^rd Person in the Trinity, is the love gift from Jesus Christ to you. God understands!

What do these verses mean to you?

1 Corinthians 3:¹¹ For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

¹² Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

¹³ Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

¹⁴ If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

¹⁵ If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

¹⁶ Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

¹⁷ If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

¹⁸ Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

²⁰ And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

²¹ Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;

²² Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

²³ And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

Questions for Reflection

1) How can knowing the truth help with decisions you make?

2) In which situations has the Holy Spirit given you comfort?

3) In which situations has the Holy Spirit given you direction?

4) Are you consistently relying on the Holy Spirit for comfort and direction?

5) What specific truths has the Holy Spirit brought to your heart recently?

6) How can you claim your inheritance of a tabernacle for the Triune God?

Our focus = Hebrews 12:¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our challenge = Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you, has uniquely designed and created only one you, has a good  plan for your life, runs with you and will accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti

 

You and I live in a difficult world. Often you feel sadness and sorrow; and face difficulty and disappointment; obstacles to joy. We long for comfort and Someone to comfort us.

Jesus knows all about it. In love for you, He chose to limit Himself to a physical body, a geographical location and a time in history. He completely understands the difficulties of the human experience and He provides a solution.

Definitions

Comfort = relief in affliction; consolation; solace; a state of ease and satisfaction of bodily needs with freedom from pain and anxiety

Comforter = one that comforts

King Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived, wrote in the 10^th century B.C.:

Ecclesiastes 4:¹ So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

²Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.

³Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

What do King Solomon’s words mean to you?

Do you feel oppressed? What do you think is the cause?

On the night Jesus was betrayed before He was executed, He gave these promises:

John 14:¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;

¹⁷Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Jesus promises to ask your Father to send the Comforter

Jesus is confident the Father will send the Comforter

The Comforter comes from your Father

The Comforter is a gift, not deserved or earned

The Comforter is a Person

The Comforter will abide with you forever

The Comforter is the Spirit of truth

The Comforter is known to you; He is part of the Trinity

The Comforter will dwell with you and be in you

The Comforter cannot be received by the world

What do each of these statements mean to you?

That same night, Jesus explained why the world cannot receive the Comforter

John 15:²³ He that hateth me hateth my Father also.

²⁴If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.

²⁵But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

²⁶But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

The Comforter will testify of Jesus

What do you know about Jesus that relates to your current situation?

How does one receive the Comforter? Jesus gave these isntructions.

John 3:¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

¹⁵That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

¹⁷For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

¹⁸He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

¹⁹And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Salvation was bought and paid for by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are saved from the penalty of our sins. We are being saved from the pattern and habit of sin. One day we will be saved from the very presence of sin.

Paul told the church at Corinth the Comforter is the assurance of salvation, which is sealed as a done deed.

2 Corinthians 1:²¹ Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;

²²Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Paul told the church at Ephesus the sealing occurs after you believe in Jesus.

Ephesians 1:³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

⁴According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

⁵Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

⁶To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

⁷In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

⁸Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

⁹Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

¹⁰That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

¹¹ In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

¹²That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

¹³In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

¹⁴Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

The Comforter is the Spirit of promise

The Comforter is the earnest of our inheritance

Earnest = full seriousness, as of intention or purpose:

Inheritance = property passing at the owner’s death to those entitled to receive

What does the Comforter mean to you?

What prevents you from fully embracing your Comforter?

Do you know this song?

The Comforter has Come –Frank Bottome, 1890

Oh, spread the tidings ’round, wherever man is found,
Wherever human hearts and human woes abound;
Let every Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound: The Comforter has come!

refrain

The Comforter has come, The Comforter has come!
The Holy Ghost from heav’n, The Lord’s dear promise giv’n; Oh, spread the tidings ’round, Wherever man is found— The Comforter has come!

The long, long night is past, the morning breaks at last;
And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast,
As o’er the golden hills the day advances fast!  The Comforter has come!

Lo, the great King of kings, with healing in His wings,
To every captive soul a full deliv’rance brings;
And through the vacant cells the song of triumph rings: The Comforter has come!

O boundless love divine! how shall this tongue of mine
To wond’ring mortals tell the matchless grace divine—
That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine!  The Comforter has come!
Our focus = Hebrews 12:¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our challenge = Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you, has uniquely designed and created only one you, has a good plan for your life, runs with you and will accomplish His purposes for you and through  you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti

Session #14

You and I live in a fallen creation. Sin and death have entered the world. Everyone is born with a rebellious sin nature. No one can see God face-to-face as Adam and Eve did and live. Sometimes the storms of life seem overwhelming. We ask ‘where is Jesus’?  Does He really know and care about our hurts? In this study we will examine what the Bible says Jesus is doing, even when life hurts.

Next in this series we will examine how Jesus Christ is working all things for His glory. All things includes your growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus and your circumstances.

Glory = very great honor, praise, distinction, admiration, resplendent magnificence

You should be to the praise of His glory – Ephesians 1:⁸ Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

⁹ Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

¹⁰ That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

¹¹ In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

¹² That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ

What are you trusting Jesus Christ for?

You are being built by Jesus Christ -Hebrews 3:¹ Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

² Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

³ For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.

⁴ For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

⁵ And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

⁶ But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

⁷ Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith), Today if ye will hear his voice,

⁸ Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

⁹ When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

¹⁰ Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

¹¹ So I swore in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.

¹² Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

¹³ But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

¹⁴ For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;

¹⁵ While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

¹⁶ For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

¹⁷ But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness?

¹⁸ And to whom swore he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

¹⁹ So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Do you see the requirement for faith as Jesus Christ builds you?

Builder = one who constructs, one who increases effectiveness

Ponder for some time the depth of Jesus Christ’s knowledge of you and His purpose for your life

What are some of all the things Jesus Christ has built?

Creation                               Laws of nature                         Your salvation

Your biological relatives     Your physical appearance

Your conforming to the image of Christ

Your strengths                     Your limitations                       Your experiences

Your circumstances             Your special relationships        Your church family

Paul tells us in this chapter the requirement for confidence to prevent unbelief

Confidence =full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person

⁶But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope

¹⁴ For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;

Remember the confidence you had in Jesus when you first received Him as your Lord and Savior? Confidence that He is real, confidence that He is able, confidence that He loves you, confidence that He is faithful – the confidence of a child.

Do you have that child-like confidence in Him?

Are you looking at circumstances? If so, why?

Are you looking at other people? If so, why?

Are you looking at Jesus only?

Jesus Christ is worthy of glory

According to God –

Isaiah 42:⁸ I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

According to the Father –

2 Peter 1:¹⁶For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

¹⁷ For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

¹⁸ And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

According to witnesses –

John 1:¹⁴ And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John 11:³ Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

⁴ When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby

According to Jude –

Jude ²⁴ Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

²⁵ To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

According to the beasts and elders –

Revelation 4:⁸ And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

⁹ And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

¹⁰ The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

¹¹ Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Jesus Christ asks for His former glory –

John 17:⁴ I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

⁵ And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

To God be the Glory, Fanny Crosby, 1875

To God be the glory, great things He has done; So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin, And opened the life gate that all may go in.

 Refrain

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes, That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Refrain

Great things He has taught us, great things He has done,

And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

Refrain

 

Questions for reflection

• How intimate must Jesus Christ be with you in order to work in you?

• On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate your faith today? Why?

• On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate your confidence in Jesus Christ today? Why?

Our focus = Hebrews 12:¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our challenge = Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you, has uniquely designed and created only one you, has a good  plan for your life, runs with you and will accomplish His purposes for you and through  you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti

Session #11

You and I live in a fallen creation. Sin and death have entered the world. Everyone is born with a rebellious sin nature. No one can see God face-to-face as Adam and Eve did and live. Sometimes the storms of life seem overwhelming. We ask ‘where is Jesus’?  Does He really know and care about our hurts? In this study we will examine what the Bible says Jesus is doing, even when life hurts.

Next we will examine Jesus Christ refining you

11) Refining you to increase your value and make you more like Jesus

Jesus’ fire is purposeful according to Job 23:¹⁰ But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

More from 1 Peter 1: ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

⁴ To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

⁵ Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

⁶ Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

⁷ That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

⁸ Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

⁹ Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

The Refiner’s fire is uniquely yours according to Proverbs 17:³ The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts

How Jesus Christ refines you will not necessarily be the method He uses to refine me. You are unique! You have unique perspectives. You have unique experiences and unique reactions and learnings from those experiences.

The refiner’s fire differs for the unsaved according to Malachi 2:¹⁷ Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?

Malachi 3 extols the difference in the Refiner’s fire for the saved and the unsaved

¹ Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

² But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:

³ And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

⁴ Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

⁵ And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.

⁶ For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

refining is for the saved,

consuming is for the unsaved

The refiner’s fire:

melts down and purifies, separates the impurities that ruin value

burns hot -refiner must place the metal where the fire is the hottest

is controlled – forest fires destroy indiscriminately

The incinerator consumes completely

Christianity is not a play thing/never play with fire

rebellion and unbelief belong to your sin nature not to your new nature in Jesus Christ

The choice to allow Him to work or resist Him is yours (free will)

Refining silver requires holding the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames are hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The silversmith has to sit holding the silver,  keeping his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver is left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

How does the silver smith know when the silver is fully refined? When he see his image in it.

1) What does Matthew 5: mean to you? When will you see God?

⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

2) How do you focus on the Refiner not the fire?

3) How do you see this refining fire affecting you?

4) How do you see this refining fire preparing you?

5) What matters to you about the refining fire you are in right now?

6) How does this refining fire play out in your behavior?

Rejoice in the Lord by Ron Hamilton
God never moves without purpose or plan When trying His servant and molding a man.
Give thanks to the LORD though your testing seems long; In darkness He giveth a song.

I could not see through the shadows ahead; So I looked at the cross of my Savior instead.
I bowed to the will of the Master that day; Then peace came and tears fled away.

Now I can see testing comes from above; God strengthens His children and purges in love.
My Father knows best,  and I trust in His care; Through purging more fruit I will bear.

chorus

O Rejoice in the LORD-He makes no mistake,
He knoweth the end of each path that I take,
For when I am tried and purified, I shall come forth as gold.

 

God’s Refining Fire by Mac Lynch

O Lord, we pray “Thy will be done” or “Master, here am I.”
We pray You’d do a mighty work That to the flesh we’d die.
And when the answer comes to us In form of trial and test,
We fail to see Your loving hand, Refining fire is best.

That I may stand when You appear, Abide till Your return.
O place the fire perfectly That all the dross be burned.
Whether furnace of affliction, Lord, Or unfulfilled desire,
Bring forth a vessel pure and tried By Your refining fire.

God’s refining fire, God’s refining fire,
May it purge me now and  make of me what You require.
O Lord, feed the fire, Your refining fire. Now as gold and silver must be tried,
Lord, may my heart be purified. Lord, send Your great refining fire.

Our focus = Hebrews 12:¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our challenge = Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you, has uniquely designed and created only one you, has a good plan for your life, runs with you and will accomplish His purposes for you and through  you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti

Session #8

You and I live in a fallen creation. Sin and death have entered the world. Everyone is born with a rebellious sin nature. No one can see God face-to-face as Adam and Eve did and live. Sometimes the storms of life seem overwhelming. We ask ‘where is Jesus’?  Does He really know and care about our hurts? In this study we will examine what the Bible says Jesus is doing, even when life hurts.

In Section #2 we examine what Jesus is doing to you when life hurts.

Next we will examine Jesus shepherding you through the hurtful, life storm

8) Shepherding you

shepherding = herding, tending, guarding, protecting, guiding, watching over carefully

Who is your Shepherd?

Your Shepherd is personal according to Psalms 23 written in 10 cent. BC

¹ (A Psalm of David.) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Your Shepherd knows you specifically. He knows your needs, your thoughts, your dreams, how you will react to experiences and how experiences will impact you.

Your Shepherd is the One who gives joy and beauty for unlovely things according to

Isaiah 61 written 8 cent. BC:

¹ The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

² To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

³ To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Your Shepherd enables you and provides personal moments of victory according to Habakkuk 3 written 7^th cent. BC:

¹⁷ Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

¹⁸ Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

¹⁹ The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments

An example of how the Shepherd helped David according to 1 Samuel 17:³³ And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.

³⁴ And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:

³⁵ And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

³⁶ Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

³⁷ David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.

³⁸ And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.

³⁹ And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.

⁴⁰ And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

⁴¹ And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.

⁴² And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

⁴³ And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

⁴⁴ And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

⁴⁵ Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

⁴⁶ This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

⁴⁷ And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.

⁴⁸ And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

⁴⁹ And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

⁵⁰ So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

⁵¹ Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

Your Shepherd must know where you need to go, how to get you there, and where you are constantly. Your Shepherd took on human form so He could understand emotionally exactly what you feel. Your Shepherd wants to live your experience with you and help you to learn.

learning = acquiring or modifying skills, values, knowledge

Matthew 11:²⁸ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Notice there is absolutely no prerequisite. There is nothing you must do but come to your Shepherd!

Your Shepherd is good according to John 10:¹¹ I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

¹² But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

¹³ The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

¹⁴ I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

¹⁵ As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

¹⁶ And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

¹⁷ Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

¹⁸ No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Your Shepherd is great according to Hebrews 13:²⁰ Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

²¹ Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

What does your Shepherd do?

Provides guidance, care, protection, direction and correction

Psalms 23:² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

³ He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Sheep will not lay down when they are hungry.

Sheep need still water because their wool could cause drowning.

The shepherd’s staff will not work for any other creatures. It is unique to sheep. The staff is used to reach out to draw a specific sheep to Himself for intimacy and close examination. The staff is used to apply gentle pressure on the side to guide and reassure the sheep of the correct path to take. The staff is used to pluck sheep out of a thorn bush and lift them to dry ground. Jesus Christ has a staff specifically for you.

The shepherd’s rod is an instrument to discipline and correct any wayward sheep that insist on wandering away; and a means to count and examine the sheep for wounds and/or disease and is used to drive off predators and snakes as a safeguard for his flock in danger;.

What a comfort!

Questions for Reflection:

1) Why would David say Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me?

2) What are some lessons you have learned from your Shepherd in difficulty?

. 3) What is the difference between someone who knows the direction to take and a shepherd?

Our focus = Hebrews 12:¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our challenge = Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you, has uniquely designed and created only one you, has a good plan for your life, runs with you and will accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti

Section #2 – Session #7

You and I live in a fallen creation. Sin and death have entered the world. Everyone is born with a rebellious sin nature. No one can see God face-to-face as Adam and Eve did and live. Sometimes in the storms of life, it seems overwhelming. We ask ‘where is Jesus’?  Does He really know and care about our hurts? In this study we will examine what the Bible says Jesus is doing, even when life hurts

In the first section we examined these things Jesus Christ is doing for you when life hurts:

Session 01: Serving as the Captain of your salvation

Session 02: Limiting the bitterness and taking you through the storm

Session 03: Providing a refuge, place of relief or escape

Session 04: Holding you safe in His hand

Session 05: Serving as your Daysman and Your Advocate

Session 06: Enabling you to stand

Next we begin a section on what Jesus Christ is doing to you when life hurts.  First, we will examine His healing and restoring you. Sometimes the storms of life wound us, not physically, but emotionally and with heartache. O, Jesus cares about you in those times!

7) Jesus Christ is healing you, caring for your wounds, restoring your soul

According to Exodus 15, Jesus sweetens the bitterness and heals:

²² So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

²³ And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.

²⁴ And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

²⁵ And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

²⁶ And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

²⁷ And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.

How can the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ to pay your sin debt sweeten your situation?

Notice Jesus Christ declares Himself to be the LORD Who heals you.

What significance do you see in His identity as the LORD Who heals you?

Jesus knowing full well He would be the perfect sacrifice, He would die for our sins on the cross, explained His reasons for coming to earth, as a man, this way according to Luke 4:¹⁶ And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

¹⁷ And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

¹⁹ To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

A bruise is an inside trauma. The Greek word for “bruised” means, “crushed, broken in pieces, shattered through, broken by calamity”.

Sometimes the storms of life make us feel broken, don’t they?

Heal = to make healthy, whole, or sound, to free from evil; cleanse; purify, to mend

Types of wounds include: abrasions (superficial) cuts, pressure sores, punctures

What kind of wound would you say is hurting you now?

How deep would you say is your wound?

The purpose of wound care is to prevent infection, assure no associated injury, preserve function and promote healing

The depth of the wound will vary the healing time. But be assured Jesus Christ is working to heal you and will complete His healing.

Healing process

Stop the bleeding

Cleanse the wound from filth, germs, debris

Provide antiseptic

Apply a dressing (protect while healing)

Allow the process – don’t put a timeline

Where in the healing process would you say you are?

Jesus is restoring you according to Psalms 23:¹ (A Psalm of David.) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

³ He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Restore = to bring back to a former, original, or normal condition, to bring back to a state of health, soundness, or vigor

Man is a living soul, very different from every other creature.

According to Genesis 2, the soul goes on living after physical death

⁷ And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

1 Corinthians 15:⁴² So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

⁴³ It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

⁴⁴ It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

⁴⁵ And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

Another window into living after death according to Genesis 35:¹⁸ And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.

¹⁹ And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.

Another window into living after death according to Ecclesiastes 12;⁷ Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

What do these three windows mean to you?

Soul includes heart (emotions), mind (understanding) will (strength) outlined in Mark 12:³² And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

³³ And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

Questions for Reflection?

1) What are some symptoms of a soul needing restored?

2) What do you think is your responsibility when you see these symptoms in yourself?

When you see them in someone else?

2) Can you identify some ways (methods) Jesus has used to restore your soul?

3) What would you say is the difference between a wound and a scar?

4) Is it possible to have both wounds and scars in your life? Which is easier for you?

5) When you consider Jesus as the Healer, what emotions do you feel?

What thoughts do you think?

What is your understanding?

6) Which type of emotional hurt is most difficult for you?

disappointment, betrayal, uncertainty, loss, etc. Why?

7) Is there some lie from your past (some false thinking about who you are or what is expected of you) that still needs healing? Why not tell Him today and ask for His healing?

Surely Goodness And Mercy

1. A pilgrim was I and a-wand’ring, In the cold night of sin I did roam.
When Jesus, the kind Shepherd, found me, And now I am on my way home.

Chorus:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days, all the days of my life.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days, all the days of my life.
And I shall dwell in the House of the Lord forever; And I’ll feast at the table spread for me.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days, all the days of my life.

2. He restoreth my soul when I’m weary; He giveth me strength day by day.
He leads me beside the still waters; He guards me each step of the way.
Chorus

3. When I walk through the dark, lonesome valley, My Savior will walk with me there;
   And safely His great hand will lead me To the mansions He’s gone to prepare.
   Chorus:
   Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days, all the days of my life.
   Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days, all the days of my life.
   And I shall dwell in the House of the Lord forever; And I’ll feast at the table spread for me.
   Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days, all the days of my life.
   All the days, all the days of my life.

   (Lyrics: John W. Peterson and Alfred B. Smith)

Our focus = Hebrews 12:¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our challenge = Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you, has uniquely designed and created only one you, has a good plan for your life, runs with you and will accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti

 

Session #5- serving as your Daysman. Advocate, High Priest

You and I live in a fallen creation. Sin and death have entered the world. Everyone is born with a rebellious sin nature. No one can see God as Adam and Eve did and live. Some times the storms of life seem overwhelming. We ask ‘where is Jesus’?  Does He really know and care about our hurts? In this study we will examine what the Bible says Jesus is doing, even when life hurts you.

We continue Section #1 with what Jesus is doing for you when life hurts.

5) Serving as your Daysman (Jesus understands both God and you), Advocate, High Priest,

You remember the story of Job. He lost all his wealth and his children and finally his health.

In all his suffering, Job longed for a daysman, between God and man -Job 9:³² For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.

³³ Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

Someone who would understand both God and man and be able to fill in the gap between the two is what Job wanted.

Jesus is the answer to Job’s longing according to 1 Timothy 2:⁵ For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

⁶ Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

What does it mean to you that Jesus Christ gave Himself in order to understand both God and man?

Jesus serves as your Advocate according to 1 John 2:¹ My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

² And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

advocate= one to speak in favor of,  to support;

propitiation – to reconcile

What does it mean to you that Jesus Christ serves as your Advocate?

Jesus Christ responds to your accuser according to Revelation 12:¹⁰ And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Jesus Christ serves as your High Priest according to Hebrews 4:¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

¹⁵ For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

The purpose of the priest’s garments according to Exodus 28:¹ And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.

² And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.

As the accuser accuses you before God, Jesus Christ stands in glory and beauty as your Advocate!

The High Priest’s garments are special according to Leviticus 8:⁶ And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.

⁷ And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith.

⁸ And he put the breastplate upon him: also he put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim.

⁹ And he put the mitre upon his head; also upon the mitre, even upon his forefront, did he put the golden plate, the holy crown; as the LORD commanded Moses.

Let’s look more closely at these garments

The ephod according to Exodus 28:⁶ And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.

⁷ It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together.

⁸ And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

⁹ And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:

¹⁰ Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.

¹¹ With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.

¹² And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.

¹³ And thou shalt make ouches of gold;

¹⁴ And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.

The breastplate of judgment according to Exodus 28:¹⁵ And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.

¹⁶ Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof.

¹⁷ And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.

¹⁸ And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.

¹⁹ And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.

²⁰ And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.

²¹ And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.

²² And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold.

²³ And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.

²⁴ And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate.

²⁵ And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it.

²⁶ And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward.

²⁷ And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.

²⁸ And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.

²⁹ And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.

³⁰ And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually

The long robe of the ephod according to Exodus 28:³¹And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue.

³² And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.

³³ And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:

³⁴ A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.

³⁵ And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.

The gold forehead plate according to Exodus 28: ³⁶ And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

³⁷ And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.

³⁸ And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

 

Jesus Christ gives you His Holy Spirit to express what you can’t according to Romans 8:²⁶ Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

²⁷ And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Questions for reflection:

1)  When you consider your Judge is also your Advocate and the One Who suffered your       penalty, what emotions do you feel? What words come to mind?

2)  Have you ever felt Jesus Christ carrying you on His shoulder?

3) What does it mean to you for Jesus Christ to bear you on His heart?

4) In a conversation with Job what would you tell Him about the reality of your Daysman?

Our focus = Hebrews 12:¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our challenge = Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you, has uniquely designed and created only one you, has a good plan for your life, runs with you and will accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti

Session #2 Limiting the bitterness and taking you through the storm

You and I live in a fallen creation. Sin and death have entered the world. Everyone is born with a rebellious sin nature. No one can see God face-to-face as Adam and Eve did and live. Sometimes the storms of life seem overwhelming. We ask ‘where is Jesus’?  Does He really know and care about our hurts? In this study we will examine what the Bible says Jesus is doing, even when life hurts you.

We continue Section #1 with what Jesus is doing for you when life hurts.

2)  Limiting the bitterness and taking you through the storm

Bitterness = hard to bear, hostility, stinging, distressful, grievous, hard to admit or accept

According to Isaiah 59:19, Jesus Christ will raise up a standard

¹⁹ So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

LORD = Jehovah, the I AM, the covenant keeper

– You can trust and rely on the Covenant Keeper!

• How do you see bitter circumstances as coming from your enemy?
• What do you think your enemy wants to cause with the bitter circumstances?
• How well do you think Jesus Christ must know and understand you in order to limit your  bitterness?

The standard is much more than just a barrier to indicate the enemy can go no further. Remember what happened when the enemies of Jesus came to arrest Him? John 18:⁵ They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.

⁶ As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground

Bible examples of Jesus limiting the bitterness:

Jesus Christ limited the plaques: Exodus 8:²² And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.

²³ And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.

²⁴ And the LORD did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.

Exodus 9:³ Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.

⁴ And the LORD shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children’s of Israel.

⁵ And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land.

⁶ And the LORD did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.

Exodus 10:²¹ And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.

²² And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:

²³ They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

Exodus 12:¹² For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.

¹³ And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

Jesus Christ limited the Red Sea: Exodus 14:¹⁹ And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:

²⁰ And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.

²¹ And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

²² And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

²³ And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

²⁴ And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,

²⁵ And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.

²⁶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.

²⁷ And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

²⁸ And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.

²⁹ But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

³⁰ Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.

³¹ And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the RD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.

Jesus Christ limited attacks on Job:

Job 1:¹² And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

Job 2:⁶ And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

Jesus Christ limits your temptations and makes a way to escape

1 Corinthians 10:¹³ There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Jesus Christ maintains your lot – Psalms 16:⁵ The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.

Jesus Christ promises He is with you – Isaiah 43:¹ But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

² When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee

Passes through = not going to stay there

Overflow=– to run over

Burned =to be consumed, partly or wholly

Kindle=-to begin burning (consuming)

Matthew 1:²³ Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Questions for Reflection

1) When and how did you meet Jesus?

2) What 3 words best describe the bitterness of your situation?

3) What emotion(s) are you most often feeling?

4) Which of Jesus Christ’s attributes is most difficult for you to see right now?

5) When you think about resting in the LORD and waiting on Him (Psalms 37:7) what thoughts come to your mind?

⁷Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

6) In Psalms 50:15, Jesus Christ invites us to call upon Him and He will deliver us. What does this verse say to you?

¹⁵ And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

7) Why is it so difficult to believe that Jesus Christ is limiting the bitterness for you?

Nahum 1:⁷For the LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble and He knoweth them who trust in Him.

Our focus = Hebrews 12:¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our challenge = Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you, has uniquely designed and created only one you, has a good plan for your life, runs with you and will accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti

When you consider the emotion of Jesus, can you relate how He must have felt to what you feel in your situation?  Can you see how this experience of Jesus enables Him to fully understand how you In this series we examine the emotions Jesus Christ felt when He was on earth, limited to a time in history, a geographical place, and a human body that needed water, food and sleep. We will examine how He managed His emotions; and why His emotional experiences enable Him to understand everything you and I feel. He is our help in time of trouble.

Remember

Your emotions are God-given, you are entitled to them.

Your emotions are personal. No one can tell you how you should feel.

Your emotions must be managed or they will control you.

You are not responsible for someone else’s emotions.

In this session we examine Jesus feeling the emotion of compassion.

Definition

Compassion- a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

Situation #1 context

This situation happened after the 12 returned from going about two by two and Jesus took them away in a boat. Mark 6:³⁴ And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

What triggered the emotion of compassion in Jesus?

Why do you think Jesus saw the people as sheep in need of a shepherd rather than seeing them as rebellious creatures?

A shepherd gives provision, protection, direction and correction. Why do people need those things?

Your emotions are personal. What emotions do you feel from this account?

How did Jesus respond to His emotion of compassion?

What has Jesus been teaching you lately?

What does Jesus’ compassion and His response to that compassion mean to you?

Situation #2 context

This situation happened right after the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting our devils through the prince of devils.

Matthew 9:³⁵ And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

³⁶But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

³⁷Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

³⁸Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

What triggered the emotion of compassion in Jesus?

Your emotions are personal. What emotions do you feel from this account?

What connection do you see between the people’s need for a shepherd and the request to pray the Lord of the Harvest for more laborers in His harvest?

How did Jesus respond to His emotion of compassion?

What does Jesus’ compassion and His response to that compassion mean to you?

Situation #3 context

In this situation Jesus by the Sea of Galilee has just healed one who was deaf with a speech impediment and the people were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well.

Mark 8:¹In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them,

²I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:

What triggered the emotion of compassion in Jesus?

Do you think Jesus did not eat for three days?

Your emotions are personal. What emotions do you feel from this account?

How did Jesus respond to His emotion of compassion?

Why did Jesus call His disciples? Do you think He wanted their opinions? Was it testing?

Do you think the disciples noted that Jesus was concerned for the people’s hunger but did not express concern for their hunger?

Does Jesus sometimes focus your attention on someone else’s need for compassion?

What does Jesus’ compassion and His response to that compassion mean to you?

Situation #4 context

This situation occurred as Jesus left Jericho after declaring the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Matthew 20:³⁰ And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.

³¹And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.

³²And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?

³³They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.

³⁴So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

What triggered the emotion of compassion in Jesus?

Why did Jesus ask the men what they wanted?

Is it important that they asked the Son of David for mercy?

Your emotions are personal. What emotions do you feel from this account?

How did Jesus respond to His emotion of compassion?

Is it important that Jesus touched them?

Do you notice the result was sight and immediately?

What does Jesus’ compassion and His response to that compassion mean to you?

Situation #5

Mark 1:⁴⁰And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

⁴¹And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.

⁴²And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.

What triggered the emotion of compassion in Jesus?

What about Jesus feeling the emotion of compassion qualifies Him to be our great High Priest?

Let’s look at the recorded description of our High Priest in Hebrews 4:¹³Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

¹⁴Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

¹⁵For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

¹⁶Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Jesus is our great High Priest

Hebrews 4:¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

¹⁵For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

¹⁶Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Where is our great High Priest?  in Heaven, He passed to there

Who is our great High Priest? Jesus, the Son of God

What is special about our great High Priest?

He can be moved with the feeling of our infirmities

He was tempted like we are but did not sin!

Our High Priest sits on a throne of grace not judgement!

Our High Priest invites us to come boldly for grace and mercy

Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve

Mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve

Isn’t Jesus a great High Priest?

Lamentations 3:²² It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

²³They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Our focus – Hebrews 12:¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God

Our challenge – Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you with an everlasting, unconditional love; has uniquely designed and created only one you; has a good plan for your life; runs with you; and will         accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run being yoked to Emmanuel!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with your focus on His mission: to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when together you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti

 

Some 2,000 years ago our Creator put Himself in a human body and lived on the earth. Early in His ministry Jesus Christ encountered a man with leprosy. Matthew, Mark and Luke document that encounter but Mark gives the most information.

Mark 1:⁴⁰ And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

Lesson: The man believed Jesus had the power and ability to heal him. He did not say “if You can”.

How many times do we know Jesus has the power to fix something but we wonder if He will?

How can we acknowledge Jesus’ power when we ask Him for help?

⁴¹And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.

Lesson: Jesus has compassion for His creatures living in a fallen creation.

Jesus’ will is for His creation to be clean.

What does it mean to you that Jesus feels compassion for you in your situation and circumstances?

What does it mean to you that Jesus’ will is for you to be clean?

⁴²And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.

Lesson: Jesus’ commands are obeyed immediately!

⁴³And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;

⁴⁴And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

Lesson: Jesus gives explicit commands. Jesus refers to Biblical documentation.

What commands in the Bible apply to you in your current situation?

⁴⁵But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.

Lesson: Disobedience to Jesus’ commands brings chaos.

Why do you think the leper disobeyed?

Is there a command of Jesus you are struggling to obey?

Are you telling others what Jesus has done for you?

You can ask Jesus for help to obey, He has compassion, understands and has the strength to enable you.

No one understands like Jesus – John Peterson

No one understands like Jesus; He’s a Friend beyond compare.
Meet Him at the throne of mercy; He is waiting for you there.

CHORUS
No one understands like Jesus When the days are dark and grim.
No one is so near, so dear as Jesus; Cast your every care on Him.

No understands like Jesus; every woe He sees and feels.
Tenderly He whispers comfort, and the broken heart He heals.

No one understands like Jesus When the foes of life assail.
You should never be discouraged; Jesus cares and will not fail.

No one understands like Jesus When you falter on the way.
Though you fail Him, sadly fail Him, He will pardon you today.

Our focus – Hebrews 12:¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God

Our challenge – Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you with an everlasting, unconditional love; has uniquely designed and created only one you; has a good plan for your life; runs with you; and will         accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run being yoked to Emmanuel!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with your focus on His mission: to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run to obtain an incorruptible crown!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when together you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti