Day 4

Christ, Our Passover

 

In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house. ...and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. —Exodus 12:3,6,7

In 1 Corinthians 5:7, Jesus Christ is called our Passover: "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us." Passover was instituted back in the Old Testament. And if we can find out what Passover did for people back then, we can find out what Jesus, our Passover, did for us in the New Testament. The children of Israel had been slaves in Egypt for hundreds of years. God told them, "Take a lamb—one per family. Kill the lamb and put the blood on the doorpost. Roast the lamb, eat the flesh, and then get out of Egypt." So the people obeyed the Lord's instructions. The lamb was slain and the blood applied. And once the atonement was made, the people went free—not only spiritually but also physically. The Passover lamb is a picture of the new birth. You see, when Jesus, the Lamb of God, was slain on the Cross, the way was opened for us to live free from Satan's dominion. Now the moment we receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we are redeemed, saved, and set free from bondage.

Confession: Because of Jesus, the Lamb of God, I'm free from the devil's dominion. I've been removed from the kingdom of darkness and placed in the kingdom of light.

Closing Prayer:

Lord, I want to know You better. Teach me to hear Your voice and take joy in listening to Your heart. I desire to set aside time to spend with You daily. Lord, thank You for the wonderful things You're doing for me behind the scenes. You are an awesome God, who reign  from heaven above with wisdom, power, and love, and I want to experience that as I set in Your presence. Lord God, help us to be willing to heed Your instruction. We have much to give and much to learn from the Holy Spirit. Give us an opportunity each day to come into Your presence. Grant that to us all in Jesus' name. AMEN.

 

 

Weekly reading assignments: (Hebrews 5-6)

I have read my weekly reading assignment!

Week #3 Sharing Post Devotional:

Meditating on God's Word

 

Key Passage: James 1:1-4

 

Supporting Scriptures: Joshua 1:8-9 | Psalms 63:6 | Psalms 119:148 | Isaiah 9:7

 

Summary 
 
As Christians many of us read our Bibles and pray, but are we meditating on God's Word? And do we even know what this means? When the Lord called Joshua to lead Israel after Moses' death, He told him, "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it" (Josh. 1:8). The Lord wanted to fill Joshua's heart with the Word so he would know precisely what to do and 

how to lead the people according to God's standards and commands. And that's exactly what He wants to do in our lives as well. If we'll meditate on Scripture, the Lord will unfold for us His truths and instructions. 

 

Sermon Points

 

Meditation involves three activities.

 

Shut out the world. That means no television, phone calls, or other outside distractions.

Shut ourselves up to God. Meditation is not a group activity but a private time alone with the Lord.

Focus our attention on a passage of Scripture. This is not just a casual reading of God's Word before heading out the door, but a private conversation with the Lord. We 

begin by asking Him to reveal what He wants to say to us. Then we listen for His instructions and guidance while reading, thinking, and praying about the passage.

Effective meditation has four requirements.

1). Priority. The devil will try to thwart our efforts to focus on God's Word because he knows we are absorbing it into our souls. If meditation is not a priority in our lives, we probably won't do it.

2). Place. We need a private place to meet alone with God.

3). Purpose. The purpose of meditation is to hear from the Lord. When we concentrate on His Word and seek His guidance, He sometimes uses 

very specific passages of Scriptures to answer our requests. Once we've understood what He's told us, our trust in Him increases and our worries lessen.

4). Plan. We must set aside a time to meet with the Lord privately to read His Word, ask for direction, and listen for His voice. This opportunity to be alone with Him will soon become the most precious part of each day as we learn to know almighty God more intimately and hear Him speak to us personally through Scripture.

 

Meditation includes three steps.
Using James 1:1-4 as an example, we can learn how to meditate on a passage of Scripture by following three steps.

1). Observation. Begin by asking these questions: Who is the writer? To whom is he writing? What is the passage saying?

Verse 1 says the letter was written by James, who was probably Jesus' half brother. He wrote to the twelve tribes who were dispersed abroad. Although these people lived a long time ago, Scripture was written for every generation, including ours. James gave clear instructions regarding what God desires to accomplish through our trials and how we should respond to them.

2). Interpretation. What does the passage mean, and what can we learn from it? By focusing on these verses, our entire perspective regarding trials will be changed. Instead of being consumed by the hardships, we will understand what God is trying to achieve in our lives through them.

Verse 2, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials." In the midst of difficulties or suffering, we want relief from pain and a way out of hardship, but James says the solution is a change of attitude. Instead of becoming bitter or resentful, we are to count it as joy, not because we enjoy the experience but because we know 

God is sovereign over it and promises to walk through it with us. Our joy is in the Lord and His purpose, not in the situation.

Verse 3, "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." The reason we can consider trials joy is because of what we know to be true. Whatever God sends or allows in our lives is not a random event but a test of our faith. His purpose for testing is approval not defeat. This is how we become strong and are able to endure. We'll never develop this quality if life is always easy, and if we lack endurance, we may quickly yield to temptation or give up and walk away from God's will. This 

verse teaches us that God is up to something good even when our circumstances look bad.

Verse 4, "And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." If we refuse to endure our trials, we short-circuit God's purpose for allowing them. He has a perfect result in mind—that we may be perfect and complete. The word perfect does not mean sinless but complete, strong, and mature. The Lord loves us so much He doesn't want us to lack any of these qualities.

3). Application. Based on what we've just learned, how should we respond? How does God want us to think about our trials? The following are a few specific practices to help us rejoice even in trouble or suffering:

 

Continue meditating on this passage until it becomes real in our thinking and belief system. Once we truly believe this, we'll be able to confidently face whatever we're going through.

Continually affirm that God loves us unconditionally. Knowing that He always does what is best for us increases our trust in Him.

Ask the Lord to show us what specific areas of our lives He's targeted for spiritual growth. Each trial is designed to strengthen us in a particular area of weakness.  

Agree with God that the end result is worth the pain. Whatever He allows us to go through is for our benefit.

Meditation is a gratifying and rewarding experience that increases our intimacy with the Lord and our fascination with the Bible as we hear Him speak to us personally through His Word. God has also given us His indwelling Holy Spirit who enables us to interpret Scripture rightly and empowers us to apply it to our lives.

Response Personally:

If you consistently meditate on Scripture, how has it affected your relationship with the Lord?  Your trust in Him?  Your perspective on life?

Your thought patterns?

If meditation on the Word is new to you, what changes do you need to make in your life to make it a reality?

How do you think it will affect your life and your relationship with God?

How has meditation on James 1:1-4 changed your perspective regarding trials?

What have you learned about God and His purposes?

How does He specifically want you to apply this to your life?

Weekly Prayer Focus:

Speak Lord Jesus      Listening to Him:

 

In order to hear My voice, you must release all your worries into My care. Entrust to Me everything that concerns you. This  clears the way for you to seek My face unhindered. Let Me free you from fear that is hiding deep inside you. Sit quietly in My presence, allowing My light to soak into you and drive out any darkness lodged within you.

 

Accept each day just as it comes to you, remembering that I am sovereign over your life. Rejoice in this day that I have made, trusting that I am abundantly presence in it. Instead of regretting or resenting the way things are, thank Me in all circumstances. Trust Me and don't be fearful; thank Me and rest in my sovereignty.  This is obedience when we respond!

 

Read:       I Peter5:6, 7; Psalm 118:24; 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Weekly Life Principle:

Listening (Principle #13)

Listening to God is essential to walking with God:

 

A true conversation goes two ways, but all too often we spend our prayer time talking to God without listening to what He's saying. Scripture assure us that our God is not silent-He's alive and active, and is speaking to us, seeking to draw us into a deeper relationship with Him.

 

When you pray or read the Bible, open your heart to listen and be willing to respond. Allow the Holy Spirit to give you deeper understanding. Sometimes He will challenge you to change your thinking or to release certain unhealthy emotions. Other time He'll encourage you or give you a specific instruction. And often he will show you something new about Himself. You can be certain that every word  He speaks will be a blessing to hear-and will enable you to live with greater joy and strength as you mature into the person He's created you to be.

Weekly Stay Focus:

Private Time with God:

 

"Surely the righteous will praise Your name, and the upright will live in Your presence." (Psalm 140:13 NIV)

 

Have you ever gone camping in a tent? What if you had a special place, a quiet private place like that tent, where you could dwell with God?  A private place of worship? Wouldn't you want to linger inside that holy habitat, separating yourself from the outside world? Pitch your tent today, and spend time with the King of kings and Lord of lords as you meditate on His Word.

QUESTIONS/ANSWERS:

 

1).     What do meditation includes?

Meditation includes reading Scripture, thinking about it, seeking to apply what God says, asking Him questions, and surrendering any issues He brings to mind.  

2).    What drift away when we focus on God's Word?

As we focus on the Lord, worries and concerns drift away, and our minds are freed from the contamination of the things that do us no good.

3).    Name some steps to meditating on the Bible.

We meditate to focus,  we meditate to understand, we meditate to remember, we meditate to worship God, we meditate to apply what we read in God's word, and we meditate for the help of the Holy Spirit.

4).    With a few words explain how to meditate on Scripture.

I meditate on scripture by reading it slowly, and by taking every word, not hurrying, but take my time on that scripture alone. Let it get in my mind.

5).    How do we personalize a Scripture?

We put that particular scripture in the first person, then it becomes a living expression within my heart. I love to do this; "I will hold fast the profession of my faith in Christ without wavering: for He is faithful that promised me." (Hebrews 10:23).

6).    Read Joshua 1:8 (Good Scripture!)

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

7).    Give a Scripture you can illustrate personally.

Luke 1:45 is my most personal scripture; "And blessed is Claudia when she believes: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told Claudia from the Lord."

8).    How will the Scriptures greatly affect you if you mediate before you go to bed?

The thoughts that are on your mind as you go to sleep will be in your subconscious mind all through the night. I do this so I want have bad dreams too.

9).    If the Holy Spirit convict you what should you do?

If the Holy Spirit convicts you of sin in your life, confess it to the Lord and be forgiven.

10).  What do we do when meditation seems impossible, when our focus is affected by outside circumstances and our hearts feel dulled to God's Word?

We must ask God for His gracious help through the Holy Spirit as pray to Him. I have gotten like that from time to time, but I always seek God's face and He always put that zeal back in me to read and to meditate on His Word.