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| | From:  base301 (Original Message) | Sent: 4/16/2005 6:02 PM |
Starting week 2 of this lesson. "Oh, that You would enlarge my Territory" "Expect great things from God; Attempt great things for God." - William Carey. If your citcumstances often seem ordinary and your horizons small, you're going to love this next part of Jabez prayer. Jabez pleaded for more territory, with more influence and more responsibility, so he could make a greater mark for God. But he was stuck on a tiny patch of oportunity, so he ask for more. The more I study this lesson, I see this isn't all about getting more meterial things, and to me, not that selfish. He wasn't satisfied just going to church twice or three times a week..he wanted more opportunities to witness for God. As you enjoy more and more of God's blessings in your life, your heart will overflow, touching more and more people for Him. Most people live their lives in a passive, reactive mode; Jabez lived in a healthy, proactive mode. He stepped forward and boldly asked God to enlarge his borders and extend his influence. Do you believe that God wants you to have more and do more for Him? I do. But asking for a larger lifes goes far beyond the size of your property, as you're about to find out. (continued in next post) |
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| | | From: base301 | Sent: 4/20/2005 3:26 AM |
Sis, You may have too many things on your mind at once. I find this to be true for me too! This last card order has made me nuts at times. What I have enjoyed doing for so long, I've lost interest in. Today, I realized that its because while I'm working on it, I'm thinking in the back of my mind what I should, need, must, do in other areas of my house, and everything else except what I'm doing with the cards, distracting me, causing me to make mistakes, and have to do it over. So, I set it all aside and made a list of the things that were on my mind..and I will do one or two of the things a day, until I slowly get it taken care of, while I finish this order. So, you see, you are letting other things distract you from Meditating. So Meditate first,a few minutes a day, then do whatever else is on your mind. soon, Meditation will be the first thing on your mind. |
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| | | From: base301 | Sent: 4/20/2005 4:50 AM |
What does the Bible say about taking territory for God? The Greatest "Territory Story" ever told. Part 1 (Old Testament) The Bible is composed of two testaments (Old and New) about two poeples (Jews and Christians), but it has one overriding message: God seeks a people to worship and serve Him by bringing His salvation to the world. The Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:1-3) reveals God's missionary heart to reach all nations through his people, the jews and ultimately His Son, Jesus Christ (see Galatians 3:8). 1. Why do you thhink God wanted the whole nation to be His missionaries rather than only a select group of misnisters? Did they fulfill his wish? 2. Why didn't God just give the Israelities the Promised Land without them having to fight for it? How does that relate to our taking territory for Him today? "I have set the Land before you.." (Old Testament).. "See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to your fathers--to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob--to give to them and their desendants after them." Deuteronomy 1:8. Look around; What is the territory that would be the most challenging to take for the Lord? |
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| | | From: base301 | Sent: 4/20/2005 5:24 AM |
Goodness, these post are already archiving,,but it's too soon to start another thread. PART 2 (New Testament) In the New Testament, the focus shifts from reaching the world through the Jewish nation to reaching the world through the church---those who have come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, without regard to nation or race. "For God so loved the world.." Jesus told Nicodemus (John 3:16). Talk about expanding borders!! Jesus Christ came to die for the sins of the world (Luke 19:10). Now, instead of possing land for God's glory, our mission is to "Go..and make disciples of all nations." 3. Often when we desire to do more for God, we feel great chains holding us back from moving forward. how could you get free? 4. The New Testament equivalent of opposition from hostile tribes is percsecution. What persecution have you or your church faced, and how did you respond? "Make Disciples of all nations.." (New Testament).. "Go therefore and make discoples of all nations, baptizing the in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20. How does knowing that Jesus commands you to take territory change the way you think about this part of Jabez prayer? |
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| | | From: base301 | Sent: 4/21/2005 4:21 AM |
Am I going too fast? How could God work through Me to reach others? God has plans to help you reach across boundary lines and touch lives for Him. I call them Jabez Appointments. They occur when you respond to what seems to be a divinely arranged encounter...and you invite God to act. Often, your appointment starts with a simple question: "How may I help you?" Case Study #1....Philip - A Jabez appointment in a chariot. Read Acts 8:26-39. Directed by an angel, Philip traveled into the desert for a Jabez Appointment with an Ethiopian government offical. The offical was traveling by chariot back to Africa. Without this miraculously arranged appointment, teh Ethiopian offical, who had come to Jerusalem in serch of God, would have returned home without hearing the gospel. 1. Since timing is important in encounters, what can you learn from Philip's responce as soon as he recived the angel's message (Act 8:27)? 2. How did Philip's willingness to keep his desert appointment consequently affect the Ethiopian (V"S 37-39)? Philip's roadside opportunity. So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading? And [the Ethiopian] said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. Acts 8:30-31 |
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| | | From: base301 | Sent: 4/21/2005 4:47 AM |
Case Study #2....Peter - A Jabez Appointment on a rooftop. Read Acts 10. A Gentile soldier named Cornelius wants to know more about God. With the help of an angel and a very alarming dream, God brought Cornelius and Peter together. The results: A family came to faith in Christ, a believer expanded his boundaries (and his understanding of God's love), and the church broke through an ANCIENT boundary line of prejudice. PTL!! 3. Cornelius is a perfect example of a man seeking God. From Acts 10:1-4, 22,30-34, list his behaviors that reveal his hunger for God. 4. Sometimes we don't know what to say to a seeker like Cornelius. Peter's minimessage is user-friendly. Outline his points in Acts 10:34-43. 5. Can you find Peter's "How may I help you?" question? Peter's Big "AHa!" "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!" Romans 10:15. |
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| | | From: base301 | Sent: 4/21/2005 4:51 AM |
oops, forgot this... When have you felt most sure that you were keeping an appointment with someone for God? What did God do through you? What could you learn from it? |
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| | | From: redda | Sent: 4/21/2005 4:57 AM |
Ok it may take me a bit, but will get back ASAP. You left us 3 jam-packed pages to read and study on. hehe |
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| | | From: base301 | Sent: 4/22/2005 3:23 AM |
I know but I had to, they all three go together to make one days lesson. I type it at night so people will have all the next day to read before I have to type again Tonights message is short, just reading. What would my life look like if God enlarged my borders? There are five short letters (in my book) from people who have read this book and the empact it had on them. These are posted on the Prayer of Jabez website (www.prayerofjabez.com) if you would like to read them. That will save space here on the board. They are.."Strap yourself in!", "Unbelievable?", "Waiting for a Purpose", "I'm an Introvert", and "What will God do next?"..They are pretty powerful messages. You need a miracle today: A Jabez Appointment is a miracle. It occurs when God moves supernaturally to arrange circumstances and bring people together so that your ministry can be expanded. Miracles are not magic and don't always break the laws of nature, but they require God's intervention. For instance, when God calmed the storm, no law of nature was broken. Only the timing of the end of the storm changed. when Christ provided Peter with a huge catch of fish, no law of nature was broken, but God supernaturally brought fish and Peter's net together. Thats why we have prayer chains..so that God will intervine in the situation. Prayer changes things in a situation. Amen? God is ready to answer your prayer for a Jabez Miracle. He will... - arrange your day so you connect with the right person,
- give you words to say when you can't think of any,
- provide wisdom you didn't know you had,
- give you boldness when you feel fear,
- bring to mind key Scriptures related to the situation.
Thats all for tonight |
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| | | From: redda | Sent: 4/22/2005 3:42 AM |
arrange your day so you connect with the right person, give you words to say when you can't think of any, provide wisdom you didn't know you had, give you boldness when you feel fear, bring to mind key Scriptures related to the situation. all of the above God has done for me. Because I believe in predestination (and I follow after the Lord) I believe everyone and thing that happens to me day by day was preplanned by God. A lesson to be learned \a person to fellowship with\ and he instructs me as how not to do \or what to do. |
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| | | From: base301 | Sent: 4/22/2005 3:49 AM |
Amen Sis!! I believe that too. things don't just happen on their own, each event in our lives are all linked together for a reason. |
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| | | From: base301 | Sent: 4/23/2005 6:02 PM |
This next couple of posts will end this weeks lesson. this is a great Study, I'm learning a lot about myself, from it and hope ya'll are too. What keeps me from reaching for more territory? Borders, Limits, Comfort Zones. We all have them - invisible lines we don't want to cross. Why? Because we think the really good life is in this side of the line where everything is safe and known. But think about it: Doesn't God sometimes heap blessings on your life so that you can't wait to step across that line to tell someone about God's love? See if you recognize yourself in any of the limiting attitudes or beliefs listed below. Barbed Wire Thinking That Fences Me In. Answer 'Yes' or 'No'. 1. SHY. "I'm afraid of new people and new situations. Can I take territory for God from the safety of my couch?" 2. Ungifted. "I'm so ordinary that I'm practically invisible. And I don't have special gifts. How can God make me an influence for Him?" 3. Afraid To Fail. "I'm afraid God will take me outside my comfort zone, then I'll get in too deep and blow it. And I don't like to fail." (the book says, "And I hate to fail"..Hate will distroy you!! So I never use that word! Once I was delivered from that attitude, I always find other words I can use instead). 4. Reluctant To Surrender Control. "If I let go of control, I worry about what God will do to me - send me to the worse place on earth? Make me give away my prized possessions? Ask me to talk to my stepmom?" (Now this is a hard one for many of us). 5. Overextended. "I don't have the time or resources. In fact, I'm already too busy." (you know, most of us don't want to be bothered, or to get out of our rutine..takes too much effort on our part to make a change. I know I'm that way at times, overextended until I want to quit everything and do nothing at all. But I know if I do that, I'm not being all I can be for God. There's someone out there that God wants me to witness to). ONE JUMP; Don't be afraid to take a big step. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps. David Lloyd George. Scriptures for the above message is in next post.... |
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| | | From: base301 | Sent: 4/23/2005 6:50 PM |
If one or more of the statements above, describes how you think or feel, a lie is robbing you of the largest ife God longs to give you. Read the truth in the reference scriptures below. Then paraphrase the truth as a "New breakthrough belief for your life." (You can do this on a note pad, or post it here if you like). Wire-Cutters, Fence-Busters, & New Horizon-Makers: 1. Shy? Read.. Proverbs 29:25, Jeremiah 1:6-8, 2 timothy 1:7, & Hebrews 13:6. 2. Ungifted? Read..1 Corinthians 1:26-29, 2 Corinthains 4:7; 12:6-7, & romans 12:5-8. 3. Afraid To Fail? Read ....Psalm 18:28-36, Nahum 1:7, & Matthew 10:18-20. 4. Reluctant To Surrender Control? Read ...Romans 12:1, Proverbs 3: 5-6, Psalm 27:1, 37:3-7, 56:3-4, & Hebrews 11: 1-6. 5. Overextended? Read ....Matthew 11:28-30, Isaiah 40:29-31, Mark 10: 27, Phillippians 4:12-13, & Hebrews 10:35-38. To close this study on expanding our territory, pray the following prayer aloud. then prayer it every day in the coming week. My Prayer for Territory... Dear Lord, Thank you for making me in Your image and for preparing ne for a wonderful and important destiny. Forgive me for withdrawing into my own meager and limiting dreams. When I do this, I deny You the freedom to use me as Your mouth, hands, and heart. I want to fulfill Your world-size dream for me every day of my life. And in eternity, I want to run into Your arms hearing the words, "Well done!" Please expand my influence and impact for You beyond all I can imagine. I am Your devoted servant. Here I am, Lord, Please send me! Amen!. "Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me!" Isaiah 6:8. Next weeks Study will be posted in a "Page 3" thread. May God continue to bless this Bible Study and bring understanding to all who read it. Thank you all for hanging in with me. Love Betty |
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I am enjoying this study. I had asked you all to pray for two sisters. Janet and Lesley. Janet had a friend who has cancer. One night. I talked with Janet about God and Heaven and her friend. I tried to explain the faith she needs as big as a mustard seed. I told her if she refuse's to believe. Then I will have faith her friend will get good results back of her cancer. Two nights ago Janet emailed to tell me her friend has no signs of cancer. I wrote back. Praise the Lord. God answers prayer. Also Janet is being more open to listen to me speak of the Lord.. Once inawhile. She mentions God and sends me an angel picture. I believe because you prayed for those people. God is knocking at her heart. Please everyone. Please pray her in for salvation. I have stepped out Betty as you wrote.. Do not be afraid to take the big jump. I find on the email or msn messenger it is much easier for me to witness to people. I had asked the Lord to use me three years ago for the unsaved. He has. I know first that I always asked my christian friends to pray for the ones that I am about to witness too. I have posted on here or have writen email. Thank you and I am enjoying the bible study and just thanking the Lord for new christians that have enter in here to the site of Betty's and of course the Lords. I asked the Lord today . To let me only speak things that our kind and edfying. Rebuke everything else that comes upon my tongue that is not pleasing to my Father. I promised my Lord that site is to only give him Glory. Our Lord is not pleased to have confusion or divisions. . God is Love. Just as long as I keep my eyes on the Lord. Then Satan has no room on my tongue. I can tell him to flee from me. Tell him to go out the back door and quick as he came. . Amen. |
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Question #1>How do you think people today struggle and wrestle with God? I don't think folks realize that the prayer of a rightious man/women will move moutians. But only through humility and truth can we truly win the struggle. We don't deserve any blessings. But God's mercys through Christ makes us the rightness of God and in so gives us the right to exspect great things from God. So Men and Women today struggle and wrestle with God in the same way Jacob did.Through prayer untill they get their blessing.It is that determanation that Jacob would not let go until he and his family were blessed. Question #2>Why did Jacob wrestle with God before he asked for the blessing? Jacob had sent his family on across the river and stayed alone to pray for the safty of his family and all he had come to own after years spent working for Laban.. His mind and heart was troubled and he reasoned with God about all that the Lord had spoken to him .God himself telling him to leave the land of Laban and return to his familys homeland..And that he would deal with him well. So Jacobs struggle with God was one of humility and hope of the blessing. Then Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you': Why had God sent him and his family all this way just to be killed and his bloodline whiped out by Esau. So he was not going to stop praying until God blessed him as he said he would do.I think that Jacob was afraid and was stumbling over his flesh and the thought of Esau and his army comming to kill him and all of his family. I would have been scared! I would have prayed with every fiber of my body to get God's attention. And when the man appeared and took hold of me ....then I would have held my ground until God gave me what I had been asking for. Safe return to my homeland for me and my family. The angels of God met him, When Jacob saw them, he said, "This is God's camp." And he called the name of that place Mahanaim. It was the blessing all along he had been asking for. That is why he previeled all night in fervant prayer so that God would continue to bless him and his family in all generations to come. When the Angel told Jacob to let him go for the sun was rising and he knew that Jacob had things to deal with for the day was begining. Jacob said not until you bless me. He had stood his ground and he wanted his blessing. He got it too!
And he did>>> giving him a new name and called him Israel, a prince with God, a name greater than those of the great men of the earth. It is the fervent prayer that is the effectual prayer. Lisa Anne
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One more question about Jacob....What would you have said if you had been Jacob and the angel said to you, "I will bless you! Now what specific blessing do you want? I would have asked for God's hands to always be on our marriage and my children and my grandchildren and each genaration to come that we would always serve him in truth and obediance and be a joy to our Fathers heart. Lisa Anne |
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