Take 5!: Perfected by Mary Kane

Please take 5 minutes and go before God in prayer. Confess to Him any sin and ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit. Please read 1 Peter 5:6-10.

What does God ask us to do in verse 6?

In the original Greek, the word humble transliterates as tapeinoo, which means “to make low, to bring down one’s pride, to confess one’s spiritual littleness and need for God, to submit one’s self to the power and will of God.”

What is a sign that we have humbled ourselves to God (verse 7)?

When we have truly humbled ourselves before God, peace will result. We will no longer strive and labor to solve our own problems according to our will ( we are perfected by peace). Having cast our cares upon God, we will wait in peace for Him to act on our behalf.

According to verse 8, we are to be ______________ and ______________.

The word sober means to be calm and collected. Vigilant means to be watchful. Once we have cast our cares upon God, it is possible to calmly shift our attention to carefully watch for the attacks of Satan.

How are we to combat the attacks of the evil one (verse 9)?

We are to resist him by standing resolutely by faith; not faith in our faith, but faith in our Savior (we are perfected by faith). One of the best ways to resist Satan is the Word of God. Satan speaks lies, we speak truths.

If we stand fast, steadfast in the faith, what will be the final outcome (verse 10)?

God will use the suffering to perfect us in Christ Jesus. Suffering doesn’t destroy our faith, God uses it to perfect our faith. As we struggle and persevere, we are perfected. To God be the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Thank you for joining me today for Bible study.

By Mary Kane
all rights reserved
copyright 2015
www.onlybyprayer.com

1 Thessalonians Part 15, A Life of Faith: Operation Sanctification

Insightful … cute … smart … funny … quixotic!

Think of words you’d use to describe yourself. Would you ever consider describing yourself as a “most holy thing”? Me either, but God does. Because of the cross, we have been washed clean (sanctification) by the blood of Christ. The process of sanctification is not a quick fix. Sanctification continues as long as we continue to draw breath.

Thankfully, we are not responsible for our sanctification. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit work together to wash away every sin and stain. Our sanctification is accomplished by His word, circumstances, prayer, and discipleship. Operation Sanctification … God’s going deep!

To do 1 Thessalonians A Life of Faith, Part 15: Operation Sanctification, please click on the link below.

A Life of Faith, Part 15: Operation Sanctification

Short and Sweet: Forged by Fire by Mary Kane

Nourishment and refreshment for the soul.

29 “Is not My word like a fire?” says the LORD

“And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

Jeremiah 23:29

In Jeremiah 23:29, God compares His word to two things: fire and a hammer.

Usually when I hear the word fire, I think of destruction. In the Bible, fire is used for refining precious metals, and for consuming useless things such as hay, straw and stubble. Fire is also indicative of the Presence of God. From fiery Mount Sinai, to the burning bush, to the pillar of fire, to the tongues of fire at Pentecost, where there is fire, there is God.

Hammers on the other hand, mean construction. Interestingly, pattiysh, the Hebrew word for hammer, refers to a forge hammer; the type of hammer a blacksmith uses to pound, strengthen and shape metal after it has been heated in … fire.

God uses both of these tools to mature our faith. Destruction and construction, forge and fire, work hand in hand. With the fire of His Word, God clears our lives of hay, straw, and stubble so He can build a sure foundation. Precept and doctrines are then hammered down, board by board, as we study and apply the truth of God’s word. God continues to refine and build until we become His church, living temples filled with the glory of God.

Action Points:

Identify the hay, straw, and stubble in your life.
What can you do to cooperate with the firing process?
What is God building in your life?
How can you aid God in the building process?

Sometimes God must tear down before He can build up.

Life is sweet!

For more information on God’s refining fire, please click on the link below.

Refining Fire Bible Verses

Welcome to Only By Prayer

Please Excuse our Mess!

We are in the midst of redesigning our site, so things are in a bit of a mess! We should be much better in just a day or two!

Grab a cup of coffee or tea, get comfortable, and explore what God has for you today. At Only By Prayer, we’re all about helping you to bring the sacred into the everyday. Perhaps you’d like to read a relevant blog post, listen to a short Reflections podcast, or learn something new about prayer. If you’d like you can also participate in our Prayer Across America Journey. These and many other discoveries await you. Be sure to let us (Mary and Jane) know what you think by leaving a comment, and thanks for the visit!

Close Bible Study Podcast: Ruth by Mary Kane

Show Notes:

Close Reading is a method of reading which became popular in the United States during the New Criticism Movement of the 1930’s-1970’s. Though dating back to the Roman rhetorician Quintilion, Close Reading method is still widely used in school classrooms today. The repeated readings and systematic analysis of the text provided by the Close Reading method, greatly impact the comprehension of the reader.

When this method of study is applied to the Bible, followers of Christ will also experience greater understanding, comprehension, and application of Biblical concepts. While Close Bible Study may look a little time consuming, I cannot understate the benefits of this type of Bible study. As you dig deeper into Scripture, God will bless you as He continually unfolds His Word. After a couple of concentrated study sessions using Close Reading practices, you will develop your own modified system of Close Bible Study. The Close Bible Study markings can be used with any book of the Bible, and in conjunction with any other type of Bible study materials.

If my class of fifth graders can prosper from Close Reading, you can too! I pray you will be greatly blessed by Close Bible Study. Get your markers, highlighters and colored pencils and let’s begin our study time!

To download Close Bible Study, Ruth please click on the link below.

Jane and I have also recorded a video tutorial on how to do a close Bible study. We actually walk through a section of scripture with you, so feel free to watch if you’d like more information.

Here are the downloadable pdf instructions: Close Bible Study: Ruth. Be sure you get these to follow along through the podcast or video.

If you prefer to simply listen, click on this mp3:

1 Thessalonians A Life of Faith, Part 12: Stand Firm by Mary Kane

“Maybe I should … maybe I shouldn’t. I think I will, but then again, maybe I won’t. Nope. Yep. Final decision. I most definitely probably won’t.”

Have you ever had a conversation like the above with a friend, co-worker, family member … yourself? Have you ever had trouble making a firm decision; swinging back and forth from choice “A” to choice “B” like the pendulum of a clock? Tick-tock, tick-tock, yes-no, maybe so.

I must admit I have had trouble trying to stand firm concerning decisions. Most of my wobbliness could be traced back to one deadly sin: people pleasing. In the not so distant past, my “stand firm” decisions were quickly toppled by one opinion contrary to my own. I was as firm as Jello at a July picnic.

My lack of ability to stand firm has cost me plenty (stress, wasted time, consequences, REGRET). After much prayer, soul searching and the storing-up of God’s Word in my heart, I am learning to stand firm, but not on my own two feet. I now stand firm upon the Rock.

To learn what it means to stand firm, and continue our study in 1 Thessalonians, A Life of Faith, please click on the link below.