***Note***Dec. 17th, 2010

I really wanted to do this twice a week, but I can't right now. Working too many hours. I will try to get on here Mon. but might have to wait til after Christmas peak. It usually takes me close to two hours to read, type, and post this study and that is not me putting my answers in I usually go back later and do that. So I really don't have two hours in the morning right now. God Bless, and if I don't get back on here til after Christmas I hope you all have a merry and blessed Christmas remembering His birthday! ~Judy

Farewell Dec. 13th, 2010

Prayer is a simple strategy with profound results....pray. Don't stop. My friends, pray. Next time we meet we will talk about strategy number two. What is it you might ask? Well, check back on Thursday at 10:00 for the answer to that question and God Bless.

Question #8

If Christ Himself saw prayer as a primary strategy against the schemes of the Enemy, you and I should never do less.

Ephesians 6:18 says the armor of God is completed with...

• positive self-talk
• constant prayer
• staying alert with perseverance
• praying only when you have issues
• praying for others
• isolating yourself from others

Ephesians 6:18 (New International Version, ©2010)

 ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Question #7

Knowing is part of staying alert, tuning in. Never let the Enemy be more aware of your weakness than you are. When you become alert to your temptation trouble spots, pray, pray, pray. Prayer is our best defensive and offensive weapon. My friends, speak truth to your soul, but never let it become a substitute for prayer.

What did Jesus say He did for Peter in the following verses to protect Peter from the Enemy?

Luke 22:31-32 (New International Version, ©2010)

   ³¹ “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. ³² But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
 

Question #6

Your prayer is most effective when you are spiritually alert to your own weakness and the Enemy's schemes.

Jesus could have said, "Pay attention and speak truth to your soul, lest you fall into temptation." But He didn't. Being alert to the Enemy and telling yourself the truth is imperative, but it isn't the same as "be alert and pray." Sin is tempting, and the Enemy knows it well! Do you?

Seriously, do you recognize your temptation trouble spots? 

• Yes
• No 
• Never thought about it

Take a moment to consider your response. If you said "no" or "never thought about it," then think about it!

What are your temptation trouble spots?

Question #5

So we have been trying to tell our souls to AWAKE! In the following days we'll consider three essential strategies to staying tuned in! These help protect and fortify our thought closet and provide what we need t prevail over the father of lies.

Strategy 1: PRAY
Lisa Whelchel did one of the most generous things anyone has ever done for me. She and I became friends several years ago and began to walk together with honest accountability and closeness. One day she told me how much strength she was receiving from praying warfare prayers that she read from John and Stasi Eldredge's Captivating. I sighed in interest and she said, "Let me read you some." Curled up on my couch in the living room, I remember I listened and prayed along with her, holding my cell phone to my ear. After she finished, she said, "These aren't on audio, but I want you to have them. I'm going to type these out for you so Baby Dell (my computer) can read them."
"Aren't there alot?"
"Yeah, but I'll pray as I type."
More than 1,300 words later, Lisa had tired fingers and an energized soul! She really beat up the Enemy and kept God's attention as she stood in the gap, prayed, and typed.
Two important things happened with her gift of typing. First, she prayed. That is the primary strategy for fortifying your thought closet. 

What did Jesus tell His disciples in the following verse? Why?

Matthew 26:41 (New International Version, ©2010)

⁴¹ “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Question #4

My friends, check out the useless graffiti you just wrote on your thought-closet door! Let it remind you to not just throw something in the closet because you constantly hear it. Loser. Idiot. Airhead. Worthless. Refuse these thoughts entry. Those ill-fitting thoughts don't come from within you. At least not until you give them shelf space. So don't let them in. 
You can't always control which thoughts pop up, but you can control, through God's Spirit, what you do when one knocks. Be alert and say "no entry."
Oh girls, just because the lion keeps roaring all day---just because the destructive thoughts keep assaulting your mind---doesn't mean you have to become desensitized; and it certainly doesn't mean you have to open the door! In fact, put a big smackin' X across the door! Those phrases and words are poison, unacceptable, and unwelcome!
Let the lion roar outside the door all he wants. The more he's ignored or reprimanded with truth, the sooner he will take his dumpster designs elsewhere.
Here's something I want you to prayerfully consider today: To accept lies is to reject truth. You must tell your soul to awake to sin and the Enemy. It is sin to believe lies when God equipped you to recognize and receive truth. Ponder that today.  
Formulate a prayer asking for God's help and post it here.

Question #3

For me he steals my confidence and kills my peace one word and one lying thought at a time. I'm not good enough....I can't do anything right....I'm just going to give up....Idiot!
Sometimes we assume that every thought we think is our own, but these destructive, lying thoughts don't necessarily come from within unless you've already given then shelf space in your thought closet. Snarly, ugly lies come from the roaring lion, our Enemy. They're  his primary plan for stealing your peace and killing your joy. He knows how to drop the thought off at your thought-closet door dressed up just like something you would feel or think.
The reason I still get the urge for name-calling from time to time is because Satan knows the "idiot" word used to have prominent shelf space inside my mind. He knows it feels familiar to me, and if he growls it when I'm vulnerable, I just might grab it and shove it in my closet! Do you see his scheme?
Not every thought knocking on your thought-closet door is yours. Your Enemy is crafty and if you're not alert to his voice, you may assume those familiar words and phrases are yours. If you really start embracing truth and rejecting his lies, he'll likely get mad and desperate! Don't be surprised if he uses people to help with his sinister plan. Don't be taken aback if you hear hurtful words or insinuations hurled your way by those who have no idea the Enemy is using them to try to get lies into your thought-closet. Recognize truth and recognize your real Enemy.


Post the words or phrases the Enemy most often tries to throw into your thought closet.

Question #2

When it comes to the words you speak to yourself and the thoughts on which you meditate, how does the thief implement his plan to steal and kill?

Question #1

Let's pick up where we left off when we last met, and that is with our Enemy. 

The Enemy is tricky, and we must always be alert to his voice and ways. 

What did Jesus call the Enemy in the following verse, and what are his dual intentions?

John 10:10 (New International Version, ©2010)

¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

 

Good Morning Prayer Dec. 13th, 2010

Father, Please bless the little bit of digital time I have doing this study today. May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our strength, and our redeemer. Amen.

Note Dec. 13th 2010

Okay on second thought Friday's was not a good idea! I have two mom's who don't drive and who wait for me to have an off day to do stuff with them (or shall I say for them!) So this week we will try Monday and Thursday. That might work better for me. Sorry I missed Friday completely. Feels like I haven't done this in forever!

Farewell Dec. 7th, 2010

Sometimes we can grow dull when we hear the same things over and over. Just as a sleepy teenager can tune out the blaring alarm clock in the morning, you can condition yourself to tune out the lion's roar. But to tune out his lies is to risk continually falling for them. That's why you and I still struggle from time to time with destructive self-talk.
We have heard Satan's voice for so long that we often just assume it is our voice. Stop and ask God's Spirit to counsel you with truth about this. Do you recognize the voice of the Enemy? Are you tuned in? Do you just assume the voices you hear in your head originate with you and you exclusively?

Journal your thoughts about recognizing the Enemy's voice and what God shows you about it, and Friday we will learn just how tricky our Enemy really is.

Question #7

Why do you think Peter said to be alert to a hard-to-ignore roar? Even if you're a little hard of hearing, busy, or mentally distracted, wouldn't you still notice when a lion roared?
Wouldn't his threatening snarl cut through your distraction and alert you to danger? Contemplate that.

Why do you think Peter warned us to be alert to something that should be obvious?
 

Question #6

Remember how I used to get so frustrated with myself, calling myself "idiot?" Even though I have tuned in and even replaced that lie with the truth, it still pops out from time to time. Why do those kinds of things still happen to us?
It happens because we have a lion at the door of our thought closets, and his impact can be devastating!

Who is the lion according to the following verse?

1 Peter 5:8 (New International Version, ©2010)

 ⁸ Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 

Because our Enemy is like a roaring lion, also post how Peter tells us to behave.
 

Question #5

We must have a thought closet full of truth to fight lies, avoid sin, and stay tuned in. We must also be alert to the Enemy at the door of our thought closets. He complicates everything. Let's assess his impact by considering these questions. 

Do you tend to...

• naturally speak truth to your soul, or
• find yourself grabbing lies and shoving them into your thought closet every now and then?

 If you still grab lies from time to time, what triggers you to do so?
 

Question #4

The Greek word for "confess" is "homologeo," meaning "to assent, acknowledge." The purpose of confessing our sin to God is not to inform Him of something He doesn't know!
My friend, it's to tell God and affirm in our own hearts that we think the same way about sin as God does. It doesn't belong in the thought closet of His daughter. It just makes things dirty.
First John 1:9 tells us He forgives and cleanses. So accept His Word. The next time your feelings start to condemn you for what God has already forgiven, send those mendacious (dishonest) meditations to the Island of Misfit Thoughts!
When we tell our souls to "awake," we become alert to our own grime and are amazed by God's grace. To stay spiritually alert, you can't have a dimly lit thought closet. There's too much to risk for dirt to gather, and it won't ever show if it's too dark in there. The light must be bright in your thought closet.

The following verses tell us what light we need in our thought closet. Post what they tell us about the light.

Psalm 119:105 (New International Version, ©2010) 

 ¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp for my feet,
   a light on my path. 

Psalm 119:130 (New International Version, ©2010)

¹³⁰ The unfolding of your words gives light;
   it gives understanding to the simple.

Question #3

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal if something in your thought closet doesn't belong. Do you have some sin hanging around? It could be a still-growing root of bitterness; it could be an unwillingness to embrace pure thoughts. Maybe it's self-slander. Don't post them here! Tell God, write them in a private journal, or confess them to a Bible study buddy, or accountability partner. 
Asking God to search your heart is a way to be spiritually alert. It is like telling your soul....AWAKE!
The Hebrew word translated "awake" means "wake, lift up (self), stir up (self)." I like to think of it as "tuning in." With a Spirit-controlled thought closet, the Holy Spirit alerts us to the dirt in our thought closets. He convicts us of our sins.

What is the action we are to take when we become aware of our sin (1John 1:9)?

1 John 1:9 (New International Version, ©2010)

⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

 

Question #2

Speak that truth to your soul right now. Tuck it away into your thought closet. Now pray Psalm 139:23-24. Ask the Holy Spirit to search you and show you if what you usually say to your soul about your sin is truth. 

Psalm 139:23-24 (New International Version, ©2010)

²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
   test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
   and lead me in the way everlasting. 

Post what He shows you.

Queston #1

Picking up where we left off, in the Psalms.

Psalmists all throughout the collection of poetry and wisdom talked about their sin. Post a phrase to describe what they said in these psalms: Copy and Paste the following for your answer.

Psalm 32:5-

Psalm 38:18-

Psalm 39:1-

Psalm 51:3-

Psalm 32:5 (New International Version, ©2010)

 ⁵ Then I acknowledged my sin to you
   and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
   my transgressions to the LORD.”
And you forgave
   the guilt of my sin. 

Psalm 38:18 (New International Version, ©2010)

¹⁸ I confess my iniquity;
   I am troubled by my sin. 

Psalm 39:1 (New International Version, ©2010)

Psalm 39   For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

 ¹ I said, “I will watch my ways
   and keep my tongue from sin;
I will put a muzzle on my mouth
   while in the presence of the wicked.” 

Psalm 51:3 (New International Version, ©2010)

 ³ For I know my transgressions,
   and my sin is always before me

Also, post the phrases from these verses you most need to speak to your soul when you talk to yourself about your sin.

Good Morning Prayer Dec. 7th, 2010

Good Morning Father God, We come to You in the name of Jesus asking that the words of our mouths, and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our strength, and our redeemer. Please bless our digital time together. Help us, O Lord, to take our thoughts captive and make them obedient to You and Your Spirit within us today and every day. Amen.

Good Morning Dec. 6th, 2010

Unfortunately all I have time to do today is get my answers in to Friday's lesson. I will put up a new lesson tomorrow! God Bless, Judy

Farewell Dec. 3rd. 2010

It's easy to grow dull to our own sin habits. When we aren't alert, what God made "new" can become dingy and neglected because of our sins. Sin shows up in self-loathing, negative attitudes, and accepting lies as truth, just to name a few ways. That's why we must tell our souls to be awake. When we are tuned in and alert to our sin, we can speak truth to our souls and to God about our sin. 

Have a great weekend Ladies, Next week and the following weeks until January we will only meet on Monday, and Friday because of my hours picking up immensely at UPS. On Monday we will continue our look into the Psalmists collection of poetry and the wisdom of talking about our sins to God. God Bless, Judy

Question #7

Friend, here is your lesson in ancient Hebrew for the day: a  miktam was most likely a musical notation or title for psalms of penance for sin. Do you find it interesting David told his soul to "awake" in the midst of a psalm potentially about his own sin?

Why do you think he did?

Question #6

What is the inscription at the beginning of Psalm 57?

Psalm 57 (New International Version, ©2010)

    For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam. When he had fled from Saul into the cave.

Question #5

Now, if no one is around, just go ahead and say the things you posted out loud! Talk to yourself! If people are around, just speak silently to yourself the phrases you posted. That's how we keep our thought closets new and clean.
We must tell ourselves the truth about who we are and what we have in Christ. If apathy builds up, sin can crowd in. Our shine can dull and our thought closets can get awfully cluttered. We even need to talk to ourselves about our sin like the psalmist did.

What did the psalmist say to his soul in the following verse?

Psalm 57:8 (New International Version, ©2010)

⁸ Awake, my soul!
   Awake, harp and lyre!
   I will awaken the dawn. 

Question #4

New heart, new song, new mercies---what a beautiful life wardrobe.

Do you lack or have you neglected any of the "new" belongings you posted previously? If so, post which ones in a new post. After each one you posted, type a truthful statement you can say to your soul to reinforce what God has given you.

Question #3

God declares all has become new! That means the old, grimy gunk is gone and you are clean, renewed, fresh...what a lovely way to think of your thought closet!

Scripture says that accessories come with your "newness."
What are they according to these verses? 

Psalm 40:3 (New International Version, ©2010)

³ He put a new song in my mouth,
   a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the LORD
   and put their trust in him. 

Lamentations 3:22-23 (New International Version, ©2010)

 ²² Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
   for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
   great is your faithfulness. 

Ezekiel 11:19 (New International Version, ©2010)

¹⁹ I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 

Romans 7:6 (New International Version, ©2010)

⁶ But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. 

Ephesians 4:24 (New International Version, ©2010)

²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. 

Copy and paste:

Psalm 40:3-

Lamentations 3:22-23-

Ezekiel 11:19-

Romans 7:6-

Ephesians 4:24-

Question #2

Sneak a peek into Patsy Clairmont's thought closet...

Patsy Clairmont is a beloved speaker and one of the finest authors I know. When I told her about this study, she murmured an interested...hmm. So, I asked when she discovered her self-talk was damaging. 

"So many people were saying things to me that conflicted with what I was saying to myself. One of us had to be wrong! So I had to stop and say, Everyone can't be wrong. Do I trust their judgment? Am I willing to receive what they are saying is truth? If I am, then I have to change the messages in me...the Enemy is a liar and a thief, and he comes in to set a lie in place and steal your joy."

AWAKE, MY SOUL. TUNE IN!

Here is a secret from my thought closet: I have an obsession...with the burners on my stove. I'm driven to keep them spotless. Now that I own a gas stove, this dysfunctional issue may not require therapy, but it wasn't always that way. I once hovered over the burners on my electric range---the pans, rims, and surface beneath were all targets of my compulsion. 
Before you put me on your prayer list, let me explain. For the first 13 years of marriage, we lived in homes with cook tops corroded by years of careless cooking and half-hearted cleaning. I valiantly scrubbed but to no avail. I replaced old burner pans with new ones, but I was never satisfied because under those gleaming burner pans lurked the grimy gunk from decades of apathy and neglect. Then in 1999 we moved into a 20-year old home with a 20-year old stove.
Oh girl, thoughts about those burners filled me with dread. They probably hadn't been cleaned since 1979!
I had a responsibility to my obsession---I mean, my family----so I lifted the coils to inspect. When I felt the rims, the pans, and the surface beneath, I was stunned. There was another woman as obsessed as I was! Surgery could have been performed on that stove---spotless!
So grateful, I ended every cooking excursion by lifting the coils to clean them. I removed the pans and decontaminated underneath each time, even when I only boiled water. (OK, from my former obsession, though: Keeping something clean is easier when you tend to it daily.

The same is true of our thought closets. They need daily attention to keep them in the condition Christ intended!

What does the following verse say about your status now that you are in Christ?

2 Corinthians 5:17 (New American Standard Bible)

 ¹⁷Therefore if anyone is ^(A)in Christ, he is ^(B)a new creature; ^(C)the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Question #1

Hey! We are in week 4!!! This week is called:

Guarding the Door of Your Thought Closet....and here is the verse to go with it!
(Going back to posting the verses cuz my sissy might be joining us from work!)

Matthew 26:41 (New American Standard Bible)

 ⁴¹"^(A)Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; ^(B)the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

 

Good Morning Prayer Dec. 3rd, 2010

Father, I continue to ask that you would be with Drew and his family in their time of medical needs. I ask that you would bless our digital time together. I also ask that right now you would give both my sisters divine wisdom, and discernment. Show them that you have a wonderful plan for their lives and that you are waiting patiently for them to come to you and develop their relationship with You! Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our strength, and our redeemer. Please help us to take our thoughts captive when the Holy Spirit shows us they are not His thoughts for us. Amen.

Farewell Dec. 2nd, 2010

Before you shut down the computer today, look at yesterday's notes you posted and glance back at today's notes. Ask the Holy Spirit to counsel you, remind you of truth, teach you, and lead you today. Remember, no matter how crowded your thought closet may be, there's always plenty of room for God's Spirit!

Thoughts to ponder as you go through the day...

Are you relying on your self-control or the Spirit's control in your life?

Which of the four roles of the Spirit do you need most in your life? 

Question #5

Snapshot 4: God's Spirit Reminds us of Truth.

I sat in front of a little girl and her dad. We'd been on the tarmac 45 minutes when the captain pierced our collective irritation. "Folks, we appreciate your patience. Maintenance assures me we should e ready to roll in about 15 minutes."
Fellow passengers groaned, and I agreed. For the past 45 minutes, I'd been compiling a mental list of all the things I didn't like about this particular air carrier. I'd been dwelling on all the bad experiences I'd had in airports lately. We'll just see, I thought. It'll be a miracle if this plane takes off in 15 minutes. But I really wasn't looking for miracles. From a dark corner in my thought closet I was pulling out things that were interrupted by the little girl in the seat behind me.
"Daddy" she chimed. "I spy something blue" Determined to be cheerful, the father guessed, "Is is that bug?" And so the game went. 
"Daddy, I spy something good."
Her dad laughed. I figured he laughed for the same reason I did. It was pretty hard to spy anything good in our caged predicament. 
"Is it a bag of M&M's?" he asked.
"No," his daughter giggled.
"Is it your new shoes or your sweet smile?"
A tenderness washed over me as I eavesdropped. Their words cut through my complaining and frustration and reminded me to fix my thoughts on "something good."
In that moment, I decided to "4:8" my thoughts. That's Philippians 4:8. Find it in your Bible and review the standards of our meditation. 
I began to let my thoughts dwell only on what was true, lovely, and of good report. I spy something lovely. Father, I prayed. You have provided opportunities for me. You have opened doors and made my path straight. I reminded myself delays were simply some of the bumps along the road.
Once I fixed my thoughts on truth, I was able to enjoy the rest of my journey. When I chose to place "praiseworthy" thoughts in my thought closet, the motionless airplane became a sanctuary of peace. My issues of delays and frustration were made easier as I prayed and told myself the truth. 
Who led me to that truth? Was it the sweet little girl and her daddy? No, it was God's Spirit. His role is to lead us into all truth. When I was guiding my own thoughts, I was headed for a train wreck. I was quickly derailing and leading myself down a path that would further complicate my issues.
I need a better guide than my thoughts and emotions. I need God's Spirit to lead me to truth, and so do you. 
Take part in your own "I Spy" game with Philippians 4:8. What is troubling in your thought closet today? What thoughts or situations are dealing with today? Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of truth as you fill in the following activity. 

What do you spy and why? Let me start you off. I spy something true because: I can embrace God's promise to give me strength no matter how tired I am. Copy and paste for your answers.

I spy something true because:
I spy something honorable because:
I spy something right because:
I spy something pure because:
I spy something lovely because:
I spy something of good repute because:
I spy something excellent because: 

Question #4

What actions will you take based on what you have learned about the Holy Spirit as your teacher?

Question #3

What is your response to this role of God's Spirit?

Question #2

The Holy Spirit is a mentor who teaches us to know truth God, and His ways. That means if you are relying on faulty assumptions, He will reveal the roots to you. He exposes wrong thinking and enlightens us to the truth.

Before I owned an audio Bible, I was able to recall much of its truth. Of course, I read it as a child and listened to countless sermons. but I marvel how I was and am able to know and remember so much Scripture, especially as my eyesight began to fail and Scripture intake was severely limited several years. I am convinced God's Spirit was my teacher. 

My friend, do not tell yourself you're not smart enough, young enough, or studious enough to know and remember God's truth. Stay in the Word, and the Holy Spirit will teach you and remind you of truth. I am so grateful for this role He plays in our lives. Learning from Him is the only way to deal with the issues that threaten to crowd our thought closest. We need a Teacher who stamps out the ignorance that pervades our thoughts and assumptions. We need a mentor who can offer wisdom that reaches beyond our own. 

How have you benefited from the Holy Spirit's teaching?

Question #1

We've seen that God's Spirit counsels us and represents Christ and the truth. Today we will see how He teaches and reminds us of truth. So pour your tea, grab your Bible, and settle in. 

*This will save me a little time by having you look up your Scriptures in your Bible. Or you can open another tab and keep Bible Gateway open like I do! At first I was copy and pasting because I knew, when we started out on facebook, that there were ladies doing this from their job site. But, sadly those ladies did not make the switch from facebook to blogspot with us so I will ask you and Betty to look up your Scriptures to save me some time!!! :)

Snapshot 3: God's Spirit is our Teacher
I call my husband "Dr. Phil" partly because he really is Dr. Phil---he has his Ph.D. I figure after six years of grad school and getting that dissertation done, he deserves the respect.
It's pretty cool that I have my very own Dr.Phil. (Mine isn't the famous therapist with a TV show, but he does have hair!) He's a professor; so with briefcase in hand, he playfully proclaims his motto as he leaves for campus: "Going to stamp out some ignorance."
That's what teachers do.They enlighten and instruct; they replace ignorance with knowledge. God's Spirit performs that same task in our lives. He stamps out ignorance, replacing it with wisdom and discernment light years beyond our own. 

The following verses reveal why we need a teacher. Match the verses to lessons we can learn.

Psalm 86:11
Psalm 90:12
Psalm 119:33
Psalm 119:66
Psalm 143:10

• I must be taught good judgment and knowledge.
• I must learn God's way so I can walk in His truth.
• I want to learn to do God's will.
• I need to learn the way of God's statutes.
• I must learn to number my days so I may get a heart of wisdom.

Good Morning Prayer Dec. 2nd, 2010

Father we come to You in the name of Jesus our Lord. I ask that You be healer in the Rowland and Crowely home today. We need healing for sickness and hurts. Also, I continue to lift up Drew and his family, and thank you for progress made so far. We ask for continued healing in this child and strength for his parents. Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Help us to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking truth to us today as well as when He counsels us. Amen.

Farwell Dec. 1st, 2010

Ponder those two pictures of the Holy Spirit and be sensitive to His voice in your thought closet. More tomorrow....

Finish our time today by asking God's Spirit to counsel you and reveal who Christ is. Bless you.

Question #7

Sister, if your thoughts don't concur with Scripture, they're not from the Spirit---and they don't belong in your thought closet. 

Post your response to this role of God's Spirit.

Post what actions you will take because of this truth.

 

Question #6

The Spirit is the truth and never leads us in ways that oppose Scripture. He won't; He can't, because Scripture is truth. He represents and lifts up the person of Jesus. He gives illumination to the character and ways of God. 
So when you sense the Spirit is guiding you, use this test: Does this match up with the truth of the Bible?

What is your most problematic self-talk? Ask God's Spirit if it matches Scripture's truth. Post what He tells you:

Question #5

Snapshot 2: God's Spirit Represents Christ

As a junior at Palm Beach Atlantic University, I joined the Ambassadors who represented our institution at community events. I never imagined I would end up at the exclusive Breakers Hotel in posh Palm Beach at an international gala...greeting none other than the Princess of Wales!
The contributing philanthropist asked our school to provide students to help at the gala. So in a borrowed evening gown, I arrived with my fellow starstruck coeds. My job was to welcome guests, ask them whether they were patrons or benefactors, and direct them to the proper dining room.
I knew this was important because of how our advisor coached us (OK, threatened us). We were told our actions would directly reflect on the university. Our duty was to represent the college well. I also figured out how big of a deal this was when security cordoned off the entryway---and the paparazzi crowded behind my partner, Jamie, and me.
The guests arrived ---Bob Hope, Victor Borge, Merv Griffin; Then a hush fell. There she was. The princess. 
Jamie provided colorful commentary as the much-loved royal shyly lowered her head and walked through the door to cheers and flashing cameras. Princess Diana sauntered past in her dazzling fuchsia gown, and security whisked her away.
I was mindful I represented my university. Even if I wanted to scream, "Diana, I love you! Can I borrow your dress?" or though I may have wished to foxtrot with Bob Hope in his tux and tennis shoes, I would not because my role was to represent the character of my college.
The Holy Spirit is God's representative. He mirrors God's truth because He is the third Person of the triune God.  If you sense the Spirit leading your thoughts or guiding your actions, His guidance always lines up with the truth of God's word.

What does 1 John 5:6 disclose about God's Spirit? He is:

 

1 John 5:6 (New International Version, ©2010)

 ⁶ This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

Question #4

If you aren't aware of His counsel, ask God to reveal the Holy Spirit's work in your life, and commit to listening for His voice.

What has God shown you about this role of His Spirit?

• I am fully aware of God's counsel through His Spirit.
• I need to work at chiseling out some quiet time for allowing God's Spirit to speak to me.
• I need to pay more attention to what God's Spirit says to me.
• I wasn't aware of God's counsel through the Holy Spirit and will commit to listening to Him now that I know.
• Your own answer  or comment here________________________.

Question #3

The Holy Spirit will not shout down the noise of our busy world to counsel you. He won't try to silence all the racket in your thought closet to be heard. To hear His counsel, we have to quiet ourselves and truly listen.
I know sometimes when I hear His gentle voice counsel me  I am hesitant. I can't always distinguish His voice from my own thoughts and intuition. Do you ever feel that same uncertainty? When we are walking with Christ, though, I believe God's Spirit speaks to us more than we realize. He counsels us through the words of Scripture  and the remarks of others.

Can you think of a time when you received counsel from the Holy Spirit? If so, describe it:

Question #2

God's Spirit challenges us to hear, admit, and embrace truth.

Which action do you most need in your thought closet?

• hear truth
• admit truth
• embrace truth

 Ask God's Spirit to empower you to commit to that.
 

Question #1

Snapshot 1: God's Spirit Counsels Us

As Phil and I prepared to celebrate our fifth anniversary, we concluded we didn't need celebration; we needed counseling. We fought about the same things all the time, though neither of us was ever wrong! 
We loved each other but we didn't like each other much. So with our pride pushed aside, off to counseling we went.
After months of hearing, admitting, and embracing truth, we had a stronger, happier marriage. We not only loved each other but finally liked each other again. Larry, our counselor, was wise and objective. He listened and made us think. He was safe and committed to our good, so we trusted him.
All of us need a counselor from time to time, and the Holy Spirit is the perfect Counselor. He is safe, wise, objective, and absolutely committed to your ultimate good. My friend, you can trust Him never to lead you off course.

Which of the preceding qualities of the Holy Spirit mean the most to you right now and why?

Good Morning Prayer Dec. 1st, 2010

Good Morning God, Thank You for the snow this morning. I ask that You heal me quickly from this bronchitis/laryngitis thing I've got going on. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Help us to take out thoughts captive today and please bless out digital time together. Father please be with Drew as You know he is in the hospital with swelling on his brain. Be with his parents Beth and Danny and guide the physicians in his care. Amen.