Month: May 2020

Week 5, Day 1

Note: Here is the entire outline for Week 5 in PDF format if you’d like to have it or print it for your reference.

Week 5 – Outline

Week 5

The Bible—A Time With The Lord

Song:  Good Morning Lord Jesus

Day 1:

I. The morning is the best time to spend personal, intimate, and affectionate time with the Lord for His satisfaction

Song of Songs 7:12 Let us rise up early for the vineyards; Let us see if the vine has budded, If the blossom is open, If the pomegranates are in bloom; There I will give you my love.

Psalm 110:3 Your people will offer themselves willingly in the day of Your warfare, In the splendor of their consecration. Your young men will be to You like the dew from the womb of the dawn.

Read over the outline points and verses above and use these for your prayer to spend time with the Lord in the Word in the morning. After your prayer time, jot down in your notebook one or two things that the Lord touched you with.

Later, listen to the following podcast sometime during the day.

Posted by Andrew Carton in Daily Portions

Lord’s Day, May 10 (last day!)

Spend some time this morning to open up to the Lord in prayer regarding what He touched you with during the previous six days. Review your notes and the outline points and verses. Ask the Lord what He would have you share with all the saints. Prepare a prophecy (1-2 minutes long) to share with the saints what you enjoyed this week.

Here is the whole outline for the week, for your reference. Or, you can download a PDF of this week’s outline here.

Here are two hymns to enjoy along with this week’s daily portions.

Hymns, #383, “Sweet Will of God” (use the original tune rather than one of the new tunes).

Hymns, #30, “What love Thou has bestowed on us” (the lyrics are here and the tune is here).

The Precious Word of God, Message Four
The Bible—God’s Will

I. God’s Will is revealed in the Bible

Ephesians 5:17  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

A. Christ came as a God-man to carry out the Father’s will

Hebrews 10:7  “Behold, I have come . . . to do Your will, O God.”

B. God’s will is for us to be men of God, God-men partaking of God’s life and nature to become one with Him and do His will on the earth

2 Timothy 3:16–17  All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, That the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

II. Satan’s Will is opposed to God’s Will and is embodied in the world and carried out by the rebellious spirit of disobedience (See Eph. 2:2 notes 21 & 23)

Romans 12:2  And do not be fashioned according to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and well pleasing and perfect.

1 John 2:17  And the world is passing away, and its lust, but he who does the will of God abides forever.

1 Timothy 6:11  But you, O man of God, flee these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, meekness.

III. God’s Word must dwell in us and be our delight

Colossians 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God.

Psalm 119:16  I will take delight in Your statutes; / I will not forget Your word.

IV. Our Will is to choose to receive and obey God’s Will revealed in His Word

Luke 11:28  But He said, Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it.

James 1:21–22  Therefore . . . receive in meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. And become doers of the word and not hearers only who delude themselves.

Psalm 119:112  I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes / Forever, to the end.

John 7:17  If anyone resolves to do His will, he will know concerning the teaching . . .

2 Corinthians 3:16  But whenever their heart turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

V. The Father’s Blessing is for those who love the Lord and keep His word

John 14:23–24  Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make an abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.

 

 

Posted by ypspadmin in Daily Portions

Week 4, Day 6

The Precious Word of God

Spring Pursuit Summary

How should we respond to the Word of God?

  • We must read the Bible
  • We must believe God’s speaking by having an open heart
  • We must receive God’s breathing by having an exercised spirit
  • We must enjoy God’s feeding by having a hungry heart and a thirsty spirit
  • We must obey God’s will by having a willing heart and an obedient spirit

Verses:

Rev. 1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things written in it, for the time is near.

Psalm 119:11   In my heart I have treasured up Your word / That I might not sin against You.

Ephesians 6:17–18   And receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word of God, By means of all prayer and petition.

James 1:21–22   Therefore . . . receive in meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. And become doers of the word and not hearers only who delude themselves.

Matt. 4:4   But He answered and said, It is written, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out through the mouth of God.”

1 Peter 2:2–3   As newborn babes, long for the guileless milk of the word in order that by it you may grow unto salvation, If you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Jeremiah 15:16   Your words were found and I ate them, / And Your word became to me / The gladness and joy of my heart, / For I am called by Your name, / O Jehovah, God of hosts.

Luke 11:28   But He said, Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it.

John 14:23–24   Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make an abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.

Read over the outline points and verses above and use these for your prayer to spend time with the Lord in the Word in the morning. After your prayer time, jot down in your notebook one or two things that the Lord touched you with.

Later, listen to the following podcast sometime during the day.

 

 

Posted by ypspadmin in Daily Portions

Week 4, Day 5

The Precious Word of God, Message Four
The Bible—God’s Will
Day 5

V. The Father’s Blessing is for those who love the Lord and keep His word

John 14:23–24   Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make an abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.

Read over the outline points and verses above and use these for your prayer to spend time with the Lord in the Word in the morning. After your prayer time, jot down in your notebook one or two things that the Lord touched you with.

Later, listen to the following podcast sometime during the day.

 

Posted by ypspadmin in Daily Portions

Week 4, Day 4

The Precious Word of God, Message Four
The Bible—God’s Will
Day 4

IV. Our Will is to choose to receive and obey God’s Will revealed in His Word

Luke 11:28   But He said, Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it.

James 1:21–22   Therefore . . . receive in meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. And become doers of the word and not hearers only who delude themselves.

Psalm 119:112   I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes / Forever, to the end.

John 7:17   If anyone resolves to do His will, he will know concerning the teaching . . .

2 Corinthians 3:16   But whenever their heart turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Read over the outline points and verses above and use these for your prayer to spend time with the Lord in the Word in the morning. After your prayer time, jot down in your notebook one or two things that the Lord touched you with.

Later, listen to the following podcast sometime during the day.

 

Posted by ypspadmin in Daily Portions

Companions Meeting Week 4 #2

With your companions, read the following portion together. Then, when you have finished, discuss the question that follows the reading.

THE THREE PARTIES IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN

At the very beginning of the Scriptures there are these three parties in the garden of Eden. Adam stood in front of two trees, which represent, or symbolize, two parties—God and Satan. The tree of life represented God, Adam was there representing man, and Satan was there as well represented by the tree of knowledge. This clear picture shows us that both God and Satan became a choice to man. God Himself was there with Satan in front of man, and God gave man a volition to allow him to make a choice. Therefore, in the garden there are three parties, three wills, three lives.

THREE WILLS IN THE UNIVERSE.

We must remember well that in this universe there are three parties—God, Satan, and man. With these three parties there are three wills—the divine will of God, the devilish will of Satan, and the human will of man. From the Scriptures it is easy to realize that the devilish will is always struggling to frustrate the divine will; Satan’s will always tries to damage and hinder God’s will. Therefore, in the universe there is a battle raging. Even science tells us that there is something contradictory in the universe, like a battle, a warfare. This is because there are two wills—the divine will and the satanic will—contradicting one another and fighting against one another.

In addition, God created a third will, that is, the human will. God created this will with the intention that this will would stand with Him. However, God did not force the human will to stand with Him; God gave man a free choice, his own volition. Therefore, this will can choose either side. If man so desires, he can choose God. However, if he likes, he can also choose to stand with Satan. If man chooses God and stands with God’s will, God can then accomplish His purpose. However, if man chooses to stand with Satan, then Satan can do something to frustrate God’s will. Therefore, there are three parties and three wills.

THE MEANING OF DOING GOD’S WILL

Accomplishing the Will of God

  1. “I do not seek My own will but the will of Him who sent Me”(John 5:30).

Doing the will of God means to not seek, follow, or accomplish our own will but to only seek, follow, and accomplish God’s will. People often say that they have prayed and that they are clear that the will of God is for them to go to a certain place or for them to do a certain thing. Some say that it is God’s will for them to run a business. Some say that it is God’s will for them to get married. But is this reliable? Is the one who thinks that he is acting according to God’s will consecrated to God, and is he living for God? Is he truly not seeking, following, or accomplishing his own will but seeking, following, and accomplishing God’s will? This is not a small matter. Many who claim to be acting according to the will of God are not truly practicing the will of God, because they have not consecrated themselves to Him to live for His will. They still hold on to themselves, keep things in their own hands, and live according to their own will.

A person who truly does the will of God does not seek his own will. He only seeks the will of God. This was the Lord Jesus’ pattern when He was on earth as a man. In all of human history, only Jesus the Nazarene sought only the will of God and not His own will. Although He was one with God and equal to God, He willingly came to earth and stood in the position of one who was sent to do the will of God. In all things He only sought the will of Him who sent Him; He did not seek His own will. This is the meaning of doing the will of God.

  1. “‘Behold, I have come (in the roll of the book it is written concerning Me) to do Your will, O God’”(Heb. 10:7).

When He came to earth, the Lord spoke the words in this verse to God. This shows that the Lord did the will of God according to what was written in the Scriptures. Consequently, we should realize that any practice of the will of God must be according to the Word of God, the Bible. The Bible reveals the entire will of God in all its aspects. Whatever He wants to complete in us, whatever He wants us to do, and how He wants us to do it are revealed, in principle, in the Bible. If we truly want to do the will of God, if we truly want to seek His will, we must know the Bible and consider what the Word of God says concerning every matter. We must find God’s will, in principle, concerning every matter from the Bible. Those who want to do the will of God and act according to God’s will cannot be sloppy with the Bible but must spend a considerable amount of time to read it carefully.

If we want to do the will of God, we cannot simply do what we think is the will of God. We cannot simply pray a few times and say with certainty that this or that is the will of God. Such a way is not reliable and is quite dangerous. We often are easily deceived by our own opinions and captured by our own thoughts and views. We must bring our opinions, thoughts, and views before the Bible and let them be judged by the Word of God. Whoever is not willing to let his “in my opinion,” “I think,” and “to my point of view” be conquered by the Word of God cannot do the will of God. We must put our own things aside in everything and see what the Word of God says and commands. In some things God tells us His will in detail; in others He reveals it only in principle. For example, the Word of God contains a great principle that believers should not be dissimilarly yoked with unbelievers. Consequently, we can know the will of God in many things related to this principle. In marriage, we know that a believing brother should not marry an unbelieving woman, and a believing sister should not be given in marriage to an unbelieving man. If we practice according to God’s Word, we will be able to practice the will of God.

 

Now, fellowship your response to the following discussion questions together.

The course of our personal life, our Christian life, God’s purpose, and even (quite literally) the fate of the universe depends on how our choice responds to God’s will and Satan’s will. And, the key to choosing and practicing God’s will is the Word of God.

  • How has this Spring Pursuit changed your view of God’s Word?
  • How has this Spring Pursuit changed your personal choices and habits related to God’s Word?
  • Is there anything in this Spring Pursuit that you would like to continue (personally or with your companions) in the coming weeks?
Posted by Jon Tafoya in Companion Meetings

Week 4, Day 3

The Precious Word of God, Message Four
The Bible—God’s Will
Day 3

III. God’s Word must dwell in us and be our delight

Colossians 3:16   Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God.

Psalm 119:16   I will take delight in Your statutes; / I will not forget Your word.

Read over the outline points and verses above and use these for your prayer to spend time with the Lord in the Word in the morning. After your prayer time, jot down in your notebook one or two things that the Lord touched you with.

Here are two hymns to enjoy along with this week’s daily portions.

Hymns, #383, “Sweet Will of God” (use the original tune rather than one of the new tunes).

Hymns, #30, “What love Thou has bestowed on us” (the lyrics are here and the tune is here).

Later, listen to the following podcast sometime during the day.

 

Posted by ypspadmin in Daily Portions