Ready....Set.....Go!! Feel free to start posting your comments for Lesson 1 anytime. You can post 1 comment...or several comments.....or no comments at all.
FYI...if there is something you would like to share that is too personal for you to post on the blog, feel free to do so via email.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at livingtopraisehim@hotmail.com or call me at 703-801-9110 anytime.
Melanie
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I am really going to enjoy this study!! I like what I have read so far in the book and know that I will truly be blessed from it. I know that it will bring me closer to God, and Satan doesn't want that because he is already giving me excuses not to read the book or check the blog. When I finally put everything else aside and sat down to read, I quickly became distracted by the TV in the other room. My boyfriend was watching a show, that he watches every week and I have NEVER watched or became interested in. Last night however, it seemed like the most intriguing show ever!!! I found myself saying that I should go watch, just for a minute, and see what it was about. I could always read later.... but I already had a full day today, with family coming over and everything that goes with that. I asked God to block it out so I could read and there was immediate results. Even as I sat down to write this, my brain was saying, "the bathroom really needs attention and you still need to run the vaccuum and this and this and this needs done." So I had to make a choice...and I choose this. I remember something that my great-grandmother used to say.. she said that if you are met with obstacles, that is a good thing. She said that if Satan already has you, then he doesn't need to hinder you,but when you have stumbling blocks and obstacles, that means he is trying to get you on his side. So I hope he knows that I mean business. He can throw what he wants at me, but my God is stronger, and therefore I am stronger to fight. I hope this makes sense. Can't wait to read other's posts and I know I didn't really type anything about the chapters per se, but freedom is freedom, however small the struggle. And this post is a battle won.
ReplyDeleteChelsa, I love that you were so aware that Satan was trying to destract you and you defeated him!! That is what it's all about. And I agree, freedom is freedom.
ReplyDeleteSo, I have completed 1 other Beth Moore study before and it blew my mind! I have a feeling this one is going to as well. Beth's quote in the Preface really caught my attention...“I want the process described here to grab your heart. I want it to pull at your life so powerfully that the bondage of mediocre discipleship will never again be acceptable.” Why NOT mediocre discipleship? To me, it is b/c we can't live in the type of freedom God want's us too if we are not giving ALL we have to Him.
In the Introduction, Beth talks about who is living in bondage and captivity and that it's not just the "spriritualy lost" but also Christians. I love that...and it's so true. Yes, a Christian is saved and has the Holy Spirit living on the inside of them, but they are still messed up!! But it's realizing we are messed up and that we need to CRY OUT to the Lord to help us, fix us, guide us.
I loved the story about Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, and how things can be passed from one generation to the next as a result of sin. What an amazing illustration of how it can happen! And how pride and idolatry can lead to captivity. I find myself in a place from time to time where I am putting things/people before God. Being a stay at home Mom and Wife, it is very easy to let my world revolve around my 3 children, my husband, and my home. It is a daily chore for me to get in God's Word. And if I don't...well, I'm not the best Mom and Wife that I know God made me to be. God tells us to meditate on His Word daily. I guess it's b/c He knows w/out it, we are a mess. And yes, I said chore!!! It's not like I wake up in the morning and am like, "OOOO, let me go get my Bible...YIPEE!" Don't get me wrong, once I'm there, I'm so blessed. But like Chelsa said, there is always a distraction.
From Lesson 1, the thing that spoke to most to me was from chapter 1 when Beth was talking about how God healed Hezekiah and added 15 years to his life, and did so w/ medicinal treatment. I will type from the book, “God's decision to spare one of his own has NOTHING to do with Him loving one person more than the other. God cannot love us any more or less than He does at this exact moment! He chooses to heal or not to heal for His own reasons. All His decisions come from His love, but whether He chooses to heal or take us home, His love remains constant.”
What a freeing statement for anyone who has dealt with needing and/or believing for a healing in thier body! My oldest son, Isaac 4 years old, has Crohn's Disease. A disease with no cure. My husband and I pray everyday for his healing. However, we believe Isaac was made perfect just as he is and if he has Crohn's disease for the rest of his life it is b/c that's what God wants for him and us. But that doesn't mean we will stop praying and believing for his healing. And in the mean time, we will praise God for giving us the wisdom and tools He has given us to help keep Isaac as healthy as possible while he is on this earth, so that we can help other's to know that you don't have to be "sick" and living a mediocre life with Crohn's. The fact that God is not good to us BECAUSE of the good we have done...He is good to us because He loves us....regardless if we have done good or bad...if we are sick or healthy...if we are captive or free. BUT He loves us SO much that He does want what is best for us...just like we want the best for our children....and He loves us even more than we love our own!
I did the reading and it was good. I was blessed by the title Isaiah gave to his wife and called her "prophetess" how cool is that? I totally get the whole pride thing. As a teacher it is very easy to fall into feeling prideful. There were a few things that came to mind while I was preparing my classroom last week for the school year. I repented and I will continue to ask God to protect me from being prideful. My He grant me wisdom and help me to be more humble.
ReplyDeleteBeth Moore can soooooooooooooo get you into the Bible! I love the way she gives scripture after scripture, from both the Old & New Testaments. I am looking forward to being challenged to memorize scripture.
ReplyDeleteMelanie, I, too, found it interesting to look at the 4 kings & how the sins of the fathers & grandfathers were passed along to other generations. I am anxious to see what Beth has to say later on in the book about this.
One sentence that really jumped out at me is on page 19 where she is elaborationg on "God hears the cry of the oppressed". She says, "We must never cease believing that God cares about those in physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual prisons." I think it can be easy to feel like people put themselves in horrible situations by making choices they do & we do not then have the love & empathy for them that God intends us to have. As Beth was illustrating at the end of chapter 2, she was not prepared for all the kinds of bondage she read about from those women she knew.
I want to pray that God will show me where pride, idolarty, unbelief & legalism are holding ME in bondage as I go through this study.
Just wanted to share something my Pastor wrote on the church blog today. Thought it went along so well with this lesson.
ReplyDeleteCrazy Pride
By Brett Fuller on September 7, 2009
Posted in “Character Development”
Dan 4:37 says, “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”
King Nebuchadnezzar was speaking from experience. He recently came off a seven year “sabbatical” in which he lost everything. He wandered the forest eating grass. He became unkempt with fingernails resembling claws and hair so clumped it looked like feathers. In short, he lost his mind. Yet none of it needed to happen. Daniel had given Nebuchadnezzar the interpretation of a dream that foretold his aforementioned demise. Still, with the interpretation came hope that if he repented of his pride, God might spare him the predicted humiliation.
God, being merciful, gave him one year from the dream’s explanation to repent of the pride which exalted himself and ignored God. With no response, the Lord brought upon him what was foretold.
There are two ways of arriving at the realization of who we are: (1) we can humble ourselves by acknowledging and crediting Gods greatness or (2) have God show us the weakness of our strength by humiliating us. Please live right and choose well…
Mel,
ReplyDeleteHow long do we have to post on each lesson? I am getting my book tonight, so me and the 3 other ladies, will just be a few days behind! Sounds like an awesome book, just from the few post I read! Have a Great day in the Lord!
I finally received my book in the mail yesterday and just finished reading the first 2 chapters. What a gift God has given Beth Moore.
ReplyDeleteThis is going to be so good for me and so humbling. Which I am not too excited about, b/c as it said in Ch. 1 'humility involves discomfort'. I need this though. It has been far too long and if I don't get my act together soon, God is going to show me 'the weakness of my strength by humiliating me". Thanks Mel for sharing your pastors insite.
I too found satan to be there while I read as well. So many other things were invading my mind as I tried to read. I had to start reading out loud to make myself consintrate(sp?)more. This is definatley going to take a lot to keep me motivated. So far so good.
I look forward to reading more.
I have been praying for your group...as we read and learn and share together. That God would remove any and all distractions to keep us from getting our books, reading our books, and sharing. And that we would all be vulnerable before the Lord so that He can work in and through us. And I've been reminding satan that he is under our feet and rebuking his attacks to keep us from breaking free in Christ!!
ReplyDeleteChantel, no worries. You and the 3 others have as long as you need to post on Lesson 1....and if we need to adjust the schedule, we can. If you need more time, just let us know.
One thing I do NOT like about posting our comments is that it doesn't have spell check....gggrrr...and I'm not a good speller. Oh well.
WOW! It has been too long since I have done a Bible Study:( God has GREAT plans in store for each of us I am sure:) I read through Lesson one twice and was just astounded by what He has already shown me. Pride,idolatry,unbelief,legalism are all areas that are going to be tough to confront. However if we allow His Spirit to lead and guide us, we too can be free in Him! I am so excited to start on this wonderful study with each of you ladies! I pray God will use this to strengthen me as an individual,wife,mother,church leader,and co-worker. God Bless and have a Wonderful Day in Christ!
ReplyDeletehmmm--i typed a nice long posting but i cant find it so i will start again!!!
ReplyDeletei hope that you all dont mind but i am a slang typer~~~so i hope that i dont offend anyone!!!
i tooooo have had a difficult time getting started--my mind has seemed fogged with so many other things--however--i won the battle!!!
i love the voice that i get from beth moores book--i feel as if i could sit down with this woman and have a detailed conversation about the bible and not feel intimidated--thats nice
oh--i also hate that we dont have spell check--ugh!!!
in chp. 1 i related most to the section that tells me that HE loves us no matter if he heals or not--he has a reason and his love remains constant---this is a hard one for me and i am sure for a lot of people---however--i will continue to pray that the i will be guided along the path that GOD has for me!!!
what touched me most in chapter 2 was the bondage of a critical and judgmental heart toward people:-( if i continue to seek the spirit of GOD i can break this bondage:-) i am so critical and judgmental (you cant be a biggs with out this because its in your blood) i am praying each day that i will learn skills to help me with this issue in my life--so that i can pass it on to my son--even tough he is 16 i feel that i can be an example to him--i hope to find this guidance while doing this bible study!!
remember--your GREATEST wealth is HEALTH!!!!
I want to thank those of you who posted before me. You encouraged me to make the time to finish my reading and sit down and post.
ReplyDeleteAgain Melanie this is such a good idea. It has been way to long since I have been in a Bible Study. This is going to be Wonderful! Currently my time is spent preparing and organizing lessons for pre-schoolers at our church.
The first thing that really hit me from the reading was how I am passing along sins to my children. We all want to do whatever we can for our children. That phrase made me stop! I will also be interested to hear what else Beth Moore has to say on that.
And then Isaiah 38:17 "Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back." I know Hezekiah needed to get over himself when he was making these statements, but the last one really spoke to me. "You have put all my sins behind your back." That is true. If God has then why should we worry about them anymore. Repent and move forward.
cindy~~~i was also hit smack in the face with the section on how we pass sins on to our children!!! i feel as if i have passed way toooo many on---matthew is now 16--and that just makes my heart hurt thinking that i have done this to my son!!! i am going to pray that i can change some of those sins that i have passed on--
ReplyDeleteIt is a revelation to think that you have things under control and then to realize that you have nothing under control. I’m truly understanding what it means to Let go and Let GOD. I got my book in plenty of time to read and prepare for last week’s lesson thinking I’ve got things together and then nothing went the way I expected all week. I got home late, was tired etc. etc. I never truly understood the battle I was going to be facing from the enemy when I decided that it was time to live the life that the Father had designed for me. Thank you ladies for telling of your struggles while preparing to go through this lesson. I realized that if one of you can do it then HE will also help me to prepare, read and learn.
ReplyDeleteThings at work are going nuts and some life altering decisions may need to be made…so what do I do..I start planning what steps need to be taken to protect myself, how to save X amount of money in preparation for whatever decision come down. I realize today that I was building that ‘shelter” that Beth spoke about in the introduction for chapter 2. I was stressing about the situation and not going to the source. Friday night I was driving home and a peace just came over me and I just heard “It is well” and from that point it was. Today at church it was just a confirmation. We were singing ‘the presence of the Lord is here’ and when I thought the song was over the whole church just took it to another level and started singing these words
Step in, step in and be blessed; it’s time for God’s favor; it’s time to be blessed
What was significant about this was that it was not on the praise and worship program for today. Not only was God saying, it is well BUT that it is time to step in and be blessed.
Beth states in chapter 2 that God hears the cry of the oppressed and just in general that HE hears the prayers of his people. Hezekiah would not have been given the 15 more years if GOD had not heard his prayer.
In Mark 11:24 Jesus says:
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Therefore Ladies, I pray that we will all achieve the desire that we set out to do in this Bible study: Break free and live the life that GOD has created for us.
Sorry my post is so long but this was what was on my heart after reading the chapters, attending church and the experiences this week. I have been blessed by this book and cannot wait to continue. Thanks again Melanie for doing this.
WOW...Jo, this is amazing. I'm at a loss for words, other than Wow!! God blows my mind!!
ReplyDelete