Jen

Jesus is the Word . When we hear the Truth which is the Word and believe we receive spiritual birth by the Word who came to make the receiving of the Word by us have the power to accomplish the will of God through the shedding of His blood. It is through the Word that we have spiritual life. God Bless! Jen Numbers6:24-26

The promise is that if we ask for wisdom He will give it and most generously and kindly. We are only to ask for it and our gracious God will supply because He has it to supply and abundantly. The condition is that we are not to doubt. The rewards are great if we will just trust in Him. We will have a greater intimacy with Him and more confidence in this life to face greater trials with poise and a smile on our faces and our God will be glorified. We need to pray for each other!! God Bless you all! Jen Numbers 6:24-26 I prayed for wisdom on what to do with my past doubts and lack of faith and mistakes and I felt God saying put it aside so as not to let it hinder me from becoming what He wants now. "Close the book on pages sad and gray Within the future do not look But live today today "

What value have trials had in your life? the trials are what tought me of my need for Jesus in the first place and brought me to HIm. They keep me close to Him when I would otherwise stray or drift into danger. Many times I have prayed Lord keep me close and so if I have trials it might just be He is answering my prayers by allowing certain things which at the time seem so painful. Have you let Satan destroy you with those trials? It is by the grace of God that I am not destroyed because Satan wants to destroy. Or allowed God to refine you? It is by the grace of God that I am being refined. When I fall He is there to help me up. He allows the struggle so that we can be refined. Sometimes I balk and then I ask Him please don't give up on me. How have you grown? I don't always see the growth until I look back and I see growth in certain areas where I needed to grow. Right now I feel that I need to grow more in many areas. I have grown in my knowledge of my complete dependence on God and not myself but so many times I second guess myself and confusion seems to reign. I know that I am dependant on HIm but I also understand that I have responsibilities to act and be a witness for Him and that's where the confusion enters probably because I didn't pray enough first to seek His guidance and then to obey or because I didn't expect the consequences that followed. As I right this I see so many areas where I need to improve and it can be too discouraging or I can look at the growth that I see and have faith that He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it. God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26

Why do people blame God for evil. Does God tempt us with evil? Does He tempt sinful people with evil. Why does he allow people to sin? Why does he allow evil to exist at all? Adam blamed God in the garden and Eve blamed the serpent. Human nature in its fallen form looks to blame someone else and God is a popular target. If we can blame Him or someone else then we have a reason for our actions or thoughts when it is really us and we don't want to see that. The buck stops here for my own actions and choices. God does not tempt us with evil. We are tempted by our own selfish and sinful desires. People are tempted to do evil by there own sin nature. It is not of God. Jesus said "The prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me". It is of us. To those who haven't been born again of the Spirit it is what feels natural and even temporarily good to do evil. There is a satisfaction in it because it agrees with our sin nature. It satisfies the desires of the flesh and we like to be satisfied. God is God and He is good and I don't know why He allows some of the things He allows. It is mine to trust and obey and I have a ways to go in just doing that. But I do know that some of the things He has allowed are what brought me to Him and personal faith in the first place so I am thankful that He can work all things for the good even though they are not always in and of themselves "good". God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26

How do trials cure us of our doublemindedness? How do trials help us grow in faith? If we will turn our eyes on Jesus and the Word and keep focused on that it cures us of our doublemindedness. I know for myself that I can read the Word and believe God that He is able and strong but when I wake up in the morning many times I feel the fear of the trial I am going through. Then I have to turn my thoughts on Jesus and read His Word and pray. And then I have to force myself to get up and go on trusting in Him. Sometimes that is easy and sometimes it is not. And that is sweet. That's what He desires of us. That when we see no answer our trust in Him is so that we go on even when the answer doesn't seem to come for a while. When we look back and see answers to our prayers it helps our faith to grow and mature. Sometimes I have felt like I am driven and tossed by the wind and then I need to go back to the Lord and read HIs Word, start praising Him and praying. I appreciate what J Vernon McGee says in his commentary on this subject and what a struggle it had been for him. "I must have my Savior with me For my faith at best is weak He willl whisper words of comfort That no other voice can speak." God Bless! Jen Numbers6:24-26

I enjoyed the study and the thought provoking questions and I enjoyed all the posts. Thank you Pastor Ralph for all the time you put into teaching us more fully the Word of God and how to apply it to our lives. I have enjoyed all the studies and the depth of information is wonderful. God Bless you all and please pray for my 87 year old dad who is at this moment under going surgery. Jen Numbers6 :24-26

Abraham was known as the father of faith, being a friend of God and starting the Jewish nation. He was in many circumstances where he could have given up and he didn't. I guess right now that inspires me the most. Our going on is crucial to others even when things look bleak. I guess what stands out for me right now is his first step of faith in leaving the Ur of the Chaldees and all he knew and following God and His calling. God Bless you all Jen Numbers 6:24-26 And God bless Emma Kate born Dec. 5, 2004 to my daughter Beth and her husband Burton.

What were Sarah's strength's? Her weaknesses? Where did she show faith? Where did she show lack of faith? Some of Sarah's strength's 1)good mother 2)woman of faith 3) courage Her weaknesses 1)blamed others for her own misdeeds 2)lack of faith in some instances 3)didn't seek God's direction but took matters in her own hands Where did she show faith She showed faith in leaving the land with Abraham and while in different rulers harems to protect Abraham Where did she lack faith? When she was told she would be a mother in a year she laughed. I don't know if this was lack of faith or denial of pent up emotions and dashed hopes. God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26

What do you think of the servant's prayer and test of God. Did the servant find the right girl on the basis of his hasty prayer. I think the servant offered a good prayer because I don't know how many girls would want to water 10 camels. Anyway he offered the prayer and was delighted with the answer. Obviously he thought she was the right girl besides the fact that she was beautiful and he trusted God to answer his prayer. Abraham said God would send his angel before him Gen.24:7 and I believe He did just that.The perfect girl came out at the perfect time and answered in the perfect way. God promised Abraham a blessing to the world through his seed Isaac and Rebecca was the answer to the servants prayer hasty or not. God Bless! Jen Numbers6:24-26

What is the significance of Abraham's faith in God's promises at the same time as he pays dearly for this small property. What does this tell us about faith? I believe Abraham's faith was that he would be raised from this land and that earth would one day be the eternal home of Israel. I believe earth was the hope of the Israelites for eternity with the Lord their God and later on David as their regent. Ezek34:23,24. Abraham bought that land because it was the promised land for the Jews and this is where their hope was. Our hope is in the New Jerusalem with the Lord. We have a heavenly hope and they have an earthly hope. He lived according to his faith. God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26

It took 40 years for God to bring Abraham to this place. Abraham now knew God's voice and his friendship with God was more important than his love for his long awaited and beloved son. It was an act of immediate obedience in that Abraham rose early in the morning so he must have had some time to anguish during the night at what he was being asked to do. In the same way Jesus was obedient to the cross knowing that this time the hand that slays would not be stayed but He would go through this to the end. His anguish was to the point of sweating blood. In the case of Abraham and Isaac God provided a ram and in the case of Jesus He provided for us eternal salvation by paying our sin price for us. None of deserve it but we have it because God sent His one and only begotten Son to redeem us. God Bless you all!! Jen Numbers6:24-26

Have you learned to trust God to provide for you? How has He provided for you in the past? What are you facing right now that will require God to be your provider, your Jehovah-Jirah? Yes I have learned that I can always trust God but I don't always act so. And I don't always like how He answers my prayers but when I read the Word I am brought to conviction that everything He does is out of His goodness and that He is working all things out for my good and the good of others. His is a heart of love. In the past He has provided for me in many ways such as obvious wonderful answers to prayers. I know He is working now on my behalf. There are several things going on right now in which I am trusting Him to be my Jehovah Jirah. If I didn't have any problems I would never know of His faithfulness and His love for me. He is so faithful to us even when we "foul" things up. There is a book called Failure The Back Door To Success. I think its one all of His saints can relate too. God Bless!! Jen Numbers6:24-26

Can we really know God until we trust Him with our whole lives? Have you surrendered your life to Jesus? If you have what has that surender entailed for you? How has God blessed you in return? We can know God more and more as we trust Him with our lives but I think it will take all eternity to fully know Him. In other words I don't know if we will ever "know "Him fully. How can you know Him who is inscrutable? I accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior but I have a hard time with the word surrender. I think I have more to do judging by the struggle I find myself doing on a daily basis. It seems to be more intense so that what one can do I find myself wanting to do but asking is this what God would really have me doing? I confess I don't understand the struggle right now. It didn't used to be there like this. Without Him I was most miserable and with Him I am most miserable when I only surrender partially . The only way is complete surrender in all areas. I guess I am glad for the struggle because He doesn't let go of us until we do His bidding. At least I pray He doesn't. I have gained everything in Him. I now have eternal life. What more can I ask and He has truly blessed me with a desire for Him and His Word and to know more of Him but there have been costs. Dear costs, painful costs but worth the cost to know Him more fully and to know when He is pleased with me. Philippians 3:10 says "that I may know Himand the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to is death; The wind is blowing so hard outside I had to put the fire out as the smoke alarm kept going off as the wind would come down the chimney and filll the room with smoke. Hope this is understandable. These are hard questions to answer anyway. Thank you everyone for the love I see in each person on this post for the Lord and it inspires me. YOU inspire me in answer to the last question. We lost power this week and with the winds this strong I hope no more trees come down. Isn't God powerful!! God Bless! Jen Numbers6 :24-26

What effect does Satan want trials to have on our life? What effect does God want them to have? The effect really depends on how we respond to the trial. Have you ever been through a trial that strengthens and invigorates you at the end? Have any of your trials inspired others or have you been inspired by anothers trials? Satan wants our trials to humiliate and destroy us and our witness and to discredit God. God wants us to come out of a trial more refined like gold and He wants to be glorified in our lives. I have been through some trials that have greatly deepened my faith. It has depended on my attitude some times. And it is easier to see in hindsight. But we live by faith and not by sight. I am aware of one person who wanted to become (and did) a "babe in Christ" like me through some trials I was going through when I came to know the Lord. I hope there are many more. There are many who have inspired me. God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26

I would like to know what Hagar is doing in all of this. This was a time of joy and celebration for Sarah and I wonder if Hagar was doing anything to teach Ishmael respect for Isaac. I wonder if her attitude had improved in the thirteen years since Isaac was born. I think they are all reaping what they have sown as do we all today. Aren't we all in a sorry condition because of our own sin. I know I am. God Bless, Jen

Wy did Lots daughters turn to incest? What does this tell us about their values? About their faith? Why does Lot turn to intoxication? What does this tell us about his faith? His hope? His influence? Choice of residence? What lessons should we learn from this story? Lots daughters turned to incest because they wanted children and didn't trust God to supply all their needs or wants. What kind of faith would I have with a dad who was willing to send me out to a pack of wolves to do with me as they wanted. I don't think they felt valued or were taught that. I think Sodom and Lot's values affected their faith. Frankly I have a lot of sympathy for them. What they did was disgusting to me but in those days and raised in that culture what would you expect. Look at our culture with all the knowledge of the Word and we have the Holy Spirit. Doesn't seem a whole lot better to me. Why did Lot turn to intoxication? It seems Lot's relationship with the Lord was not as important as all the wordly goods he left behind plus compound that with the loss of his wife, two complaining daughters who were left with a probably nonexistant father and maybe a propensity to drink anyway. And it is the easy and temporary way out of your problems. After all I'm sure their was a lot of that going on in Sodom and that Lot had at this time become rather immersed in the culture of Sodom. Although he knew it was filled with perversion he choose to stay and raise his daughters in this environment. J Vernon McGee says "he lost everything except his own soul". I hope in all this Lot became closer to the Lord. I believe God has all our needs planned for us when we just listen. Lot should have gone to the place the angels told him to flee to. To often we don't trust God to meet our needs and we are to willing to just sweep sin under the carpet rather than confront when we need. I am just as guilty in many of these things. I am actually wondering if Lot actually pouted when he asked to go to Zoar. Can't you just see him escaping in his little velour suit. Too often I am so used to my comfort and when things go wrong instead of running to God and praising Him for His mercy and thanking Him for the privilege of worshipping Him through the gift of His Son and my eternal savation I come pouting and complaining. What lessons should we learn from this story.? LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart mind and strength for He is worthy and He is merciful and listen to Him! Live as a warrior for God for we are in a spiritual war and Satan roams as lion seeking whom He can devour. Have sympathy on those lost in sin and pray for them that God would reveal the truth to them. Be willing to suffer for the Lord instead of just turning on your color tv set. I'm sure Sodom had its equivalent of the color tv set. Live your life in a way that is pleasing to Him so you don't end up loosing it like they did. You may loose it anyway but at least you stand for Him. I have a long ways to go. I have found mysellf complaining lately about some of my circumstances. I think it is honorable to stand up under hardship and give God the sacrifice of praise of which He is so worthy. May the God of grace and mercy be with each of us and may we live live lives that shine as lights for Him. May His name be glorified in each of you by the lives you live. Lets pray for each other. We are family. God Bless! Jen Number6:24-26

After nearly being delivered why did Lot's wife stop and gaze rather that escaping. What was in her heart? Have you ever struggled with this in your heart? What lessons does Jesus draw from Lot's wife in Luke 17:31-33. Perhaps Lot's wife was reluctant to leave her home and her life. Perhaps she was thinking about friends and was wondering what was happening to them. Don't we always want to know the details of what is happening. Her heart was looking back and not ahead to something better. Her heart was not right with the Lord. I have something I am struggling with. Its not that it is wrong in and of itself but if it takes your eyes off Jesus than I think it is wrong. J Vernon McGee says "She didn't believe God would destroy that city. Therefore we are to remember Lot's wife. To believe God is the important thing for us." Matthew Henry says"Do not be unwilling to leave a place marked for destruction. Let them not look back lest they be tempted to go back. " God Bless Jen Numbers 6:24-26

I don't know why they hesitated. The Bible does not say. We can speculate but I think it better to look at what the Bible does say. It says "the men took his hand, his wife's hand and the hands of his two dughters, the Lord being merciful to him". They were saved by the complete total mercy of God the same way we are saved. To me the lesson is we live by faith and not by sight and by the complete total mercy of God. God Bless! Jen Numbers 6: 24-26

We can keep a balance on the issue of homosexuality by reading the Word and understanding what God says about it and by understanding that it also says for All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I think it is possible to be loving and compassionate toward practicing homosexuals at the same time as you condemn the sin by speaking the truth "IN LOVE". If we have the holy sprit in us by first confessing our own sin and asking God to Cleanse us and asking Him to fill us with HIs Holy Spirit we can do this. Without the Holy Spirit I find to often I am condemning and not remembering my own position in Christ and how I was and how it is I am in Christ today. The same as He did for me He wants to do for the homosexual. We can be loving toward the homosexual by silently prayng for them. I seem to love the ones I pray for. I understand them as God sees them. With a soul that He is not wanting to perish but to spend all eternity with Him who bought us with a price. If the church is silent on the isssue of homosexuality what other parts of God's Word should we ignore. His Word is to be preached in its entirety. God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26

I think if we love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind and strength, we will live a lifestyle of keeping the way of the Lord. This requires staying in is Word and prayer for we cannot even do this on our own strength even though we desire too. If we just obey Him it is easy. It seems when I don't obey it is not easy. There are many special challenges but distraction by many things seems to be a challenge to me and not living by faith but by sight. God Bless! Jen Number6:24-26

We should love honor and respect one another. The husband is there as the head and the wife as his helpmeet. Even if the husband does not believe or the wife they are to be treated with the respect and honor you yourself desire. In that way Christ is honored and that should be the desire of all who know Him. It is a great witness to the nonbelieving world- godly submission in Christ. god Bless! Jen

How can we tell if we really believe in God's present willingness to do miracles in our day? He is the same yesterday today and tomorrow. He is the God of miracles. They are throughout the Bible. I look at the change in my own heart and see one of is greatest miracles right there. Is there any indication in Scripture that God will stop doing miracles? I see none except in the temporary miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 13:8. Is there any indication that God continues to do miracles? There have been many miracles done in my life that were either just done by God who knows before we ask or done as a direct result of prayer. How can we regain an active faith in the God of miracles. Pray and ask God for help in this area to see and recognize His work in your behalf or someone elses and give thanks everyday for the miracles He provides. And pray for His glory on this earth as it is in heaven. I hope everyone prays everyday for a miracle in the life of Terri Schiavo. God Bless! Jen Number6:24-26

When God tells Abraham "Walk before me and be blameless" is he requiring moral perfection? I believe God is requiring moral perfection. If Abraham fails he will be forgiven and he can't do it under his own strength but I think at this point God has built up Abrahams character and faith to a point that He can require it. One definition of moral is 'capable of recognizing and conforming to the rules of right conduct'. I believe at this point Abraham was capable of moral perfection in not blatantly sinning. It didn't mean that Abraham was to be sinless. He couldn't be as he was born with a sin nature but we do not have to give in the the sin nature. 1 Cor. 10:13 No temptation has over taken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure. Does He expect more (or less) of Christians under the new covenant? I would hope He expects as much or more. We have the whole Word and the Holy Spirit indwelling us to help us. But we all have our growth that needs to take place to get to that point. In other words we all have to go through the same process as everyone else to grow and learn what God expects of us. God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26

What is the significance of Hagar's name for God-El Roi theGod Who Sees? What does it mean to a person who is discouraged and losing hope? What does it mean to you personally? Hagar realized that God saw her! This is so significant as to who God is and what He sees. He sees every tear and every slave woman. He sees every abuse and every sin. He sees every act of faith and compassion and He saw Hagar and He saw me. He sees all of us and meets us where we are. "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed. because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I hope in Him." Lamentations3:22-24. This was written when the seige in Jerusalem was so great women were eating their own offspring! "The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him." Lam. 3:25 I just think these verses say it all. God Bless! Jen Number6:24-26

Why does the angel ask Hagar something that the angel already knows? ("Where have you come from and where are you going")? The Lord asked Cain a question He already knew and I think He does it to get a response from us. We are either going to tell the truth or try to color the details or flatly deny are own part in the matter. God is looking for character in all of us and we don't move beyond that point until we face where we are where we have come from and where we are going? In the case of Cain Matthew Henry says " He asks him that He may draw a confession from his crime, for those who would be justified before God must accuse themselves, and the repentant will do so. In the case of Hagar he says her answer was honest and a fair confession. Why does he send her back to Sarah? Hagar was running away from a difficult situation that might have put her in more grave danger. Matthew Henry says here that God will meet those with mercy who are returning to their duty. Psalm 32:5. Have you ever reacted and gotten yourself out of the place God wanted you? Yes and the consequences have been terrible but mostly in feeling like I have let my Savior down. God Bless, Jen Numbers 6: 24-26