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EnglishRose says Lord Jesus, thank you for this lovely family you have given us at cfw. May we continue to be blessed by each other as we learn and share.
Guide us in our thoughts and words tonight as we come together to get to know our heavenly father.
I thank you for preparing us to hear your words. May we receive them with a joyful heart.In Jesus' nameAmen.
EnglishRose says We have been talking about the Sower in Mark 4 and the effects of hardness of heart. How sometimes we are not willing to change, in order to receive what the Lord has promised us in His word. We have focused on the effects of doubt and how this can make our hearts hard in an area.
Are you seeking God because you need something? Are you believing God for something but don't understand why it is not happening for you?
Do you know that doubt can affect you receiving from God? The scripture in James 1 says:4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do . EnglishRose says Last week we talked about conceiving doubt and how sin is conceived in the mind before we act on it. It is so important we check our thought life for our heart motives and rebuke doubt
Your homework was to consider Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
did the Lord share anything with u?
oatker proverbs ch 29 verse 1
EnglishRose To understand fully the meaning of this verse we need to read the passages Mat 6:24-34
24No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in).
25Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?
26Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life?
EnglishRose 28And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin.
EnglishRose 29Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his magnificence (excellence, dignity, and grace) was not arrayed like one of these. [I Kings 10:4-7.]
30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith?
31Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear? 32For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.
33But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. 34So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.
EnglishRose says Do you remember what we discussed in Mark 4 about not allowing the thorns to choke the seed?
God knows what you need before you ask. This scripture is usually preached in the context of prosperity, but the context here is actually in having ALL of your needs met, ALL the promises of God. That means healing, delivery, salvation, prosperity, grace, forgiveness everything!
Are seeking the Lord for something, are you thinking you have a lack? Are you focusing on your need?
Phil 4:19 And my God will liberally supply ([i]fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. This means ALL of your needs met
WE HAVE NO LACK
oatker says psalm 21
oatker the lord is my shepard so nothing will i lack
EnglishRose says amen
EnglishRose says The word seek in Matthew 6:33 in greek is zeteo pronounced (dzay-teh'-o)
It means to literally seek God, to worship and desire Him, enquire and require.
EnglishRose says What is worship?
Worship is an act of love, it is an adoring reverence. Not because we know God has got something we need, but because God is who He is. Committing your life to the Lord is not just about stopping sinning, going to church and acting in a Godly manner.
oatker says singing songs playing instruments
EnglishRose says You can do all of those things and still have a hard heart. Worship is a focus on the relationship you have with Him. Purely because you love Him and you want to know Him better.
but with out love it is like a clanging symbol or an empty sound
When you get to this place in your relationship then that is when all things will be added unto you. Blessings are a benefit of a good relationship, not the focus of it. If you're asking and asking the Lord and not getting anywhere, check your heart motive. Are you seeking Him because you love Him
Or are you seeking because you need something?
If we need healing, praise God whether you get healed or not. Praise God if you get the new car you need or not. Praise God if you're hungry, tired or ill.
Do you ever do something just because u know it will bless the Lord?
The word does say ‘ask and it will be given unto you’ if you ask with a right heart motive. Of course it is okay to ask for things for ourselves, but the balance has to be right. You need to ask, leave it with Him and then build on your relationship. Otherwise the enemy will come and tempt you with
with plan B and make you doubt that the Lord will come through for you. This is what being tossed like the waves in the sea is about. Don't be double minded, focus on the Lord and let Him take care of the rest.
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.* This scripture means study His word. Know what the promises of God are, & you won’t be ashamed, i.e. fall short in any area or have lack.
God will continue to love us whether we read His word or not. But the word cannot be effective if we haven’t sown it in our own heart. That would be like buying a packet of seeds, leaving it in the shed all winter & expecting to have a crop next summer!!!
!!! It is not enough to rely on what someone else says. You need to check out the word for yourself.- plant it in your heart and regularly feed it with more word, then you can confidently expect a harvest.
so your homework this week is to seek the Lord
and ask Him about your relationship with Him and your heart
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