Inductive Bible Studies from Word Within

When you’re completely honest with yourself, you probably can find something from your past that you are not at all proud of. I know I can. Much too easily!

There was a kid in our neighborhood that for no reason at all was not included in our play. In fact, whenever possible we tended to pick on her.

One day she left a little doll dressed in a kimono in my yard so the rest of us gathered in the club house and began dismantling the doll and bidding for the parts. I’m quite sure that I was the leader of this despicable act! I distinctly remember saying to the others, “It serves her right for leaving her doll in MY yard!” I know I took my fair share of the doll’s parts and got lots of goodies from the others too!

Later that same evening, the little girl’s mother came over to talk with my mom. I hid in my room. But kept an ear to the door to see if I was in trouble!

I was. Big trouble! The little girl was devastated and her mother quite concerned. Apparently, this doll had been sent to her by her father from Japan and it held a special place in the little girl’s heart.

That kimono-wrapped doll was the last contact she had from her father before he was killed by a sniper’s bullet immediately after the War. In fact, it wasn’t even delivered until after the news of his death.

My heart froze as I heard the story from our neighbor. I felt even worse when I overheard my mother assuring her that she would check with me to see if I’d seen it but she was quite certain that I hadn’t or I would have returned it already! I just knew God was going to send me directly to hell—I wouldn’t even be allowed to pass “Go”! Only 5 or 6 years old and already doomed to an eternity of fire and brimstone!

I was about as scared as a kid could get.

There’s no happy ending to this story. At least not way back then. For most of my life, I had to live with the fear of my condemnation to hell until I finally accepted Jesus as my Lord at the age of 44.

But here’s the good part. Jesus loves us just where we are—warts and all! My selfishness, my greed, my total insensitivity to others, none of this was big enough to keep God away from me. He wanted me as one of His. No matter what! And He pursued me until He got me.

If I were forced to say what the one quality I love most in our Lord God is, I guess I’d have to say His forgiving heart. It blows my mind that He can, does and will forgive anything we do.

I don’t ever want to put myself in a position requiring His forgiveness again—not after that ordeal way back then. But unfortunately, I sin today in spite of my myself. And you know what? He continues to forgive. He knows my heart. He knows I want more than anything to please Him. I just need help.

And when He forgives me, I find it easier to forgive others. If I become angry with someone, I remember how I grieve God every time I sin and how He always welcomes my repentant heart back into His arms.

The threat that false teaching brings to the Christian community is always cause for serious concern. Paul knew it and did all that he could from the limitations of his arrest in Rome. He wrote letters—one of them to the believers in Colossae—-assuring believers of who they were in Christ and who Christ was in them. These prison epistles have survived down through the ages as four of the sixty-six books of the Bible.

Colossians is believed to be the first of the letters Paul wrote from prison. In it he offers encouragement to a small band of believers who were still young in Christ, yet growing spiritually. Although pleased with their progress, he was concerned about the direction they might take in the future. He wrote to warn them of the false teaching that had infiltrated their community and to reinforce their faith so they would be able to stand against all the lies.

Paul was not, however, concerned solely with their relationship with Christ. He knew that believers live in a web of relationships and that these have an impact on their relationship with God. This becomes evident in his letter to the Colossian believers as we examine the list of instructions he includes in his letter.

Most of the instructions deal with the believer’s relationship with God, but a fair share address the believer’s relationship with other believers as well. Paul was well aware of the importance of community in the life of the believer.

We learn many important truths in Paul’s letters. But in the end, it’s not his teaching that matters; it’s the application of that teaching to life. The last twelve verses of Colossians consist of Paul’s greetings from those who are with him in Rome. At first glance, this seems like nothing more than a list of relatively unimportant people. However, the list has a huge application to our lives today.

Its relevance is best seen in Charles Colson’s “Ordinary People,” (Moody Monthly, May 1987.) As founder and president of Prison Fellowship, Chuck Colson visited Washington, D.C., to speak at a gathering of inmates. He was accompanied by internationally recognized gospel singer Wintley Phipp and an ex-felon. Chuck relates the comment of one inmate that was given at the closing ceremony:

“I really appreciated Chuck Colson’s message, and I was stirred by Wintley Phipp’s singing. Herman’s testimony reached me right where I was at. But frankly, those things really didn’t impress me so much as did the ladies among the volunteers who, after the crowd and TV cameras left, went into the dining hall, with all the noise and confusion, and sat at the table to have a meal with us. That’s what really got to me.”

That’s what it is all about—ordinary people doing ordinary tasks that result in extraordinary results for the Lord. These were the people Paul tells us about at the end of Colossians. Without them, Paul would never have been able to accomplish all that he did. We tend to feel we’re not good enough, or worthy enough, to do God’s work. That simply is not true. As He did in the days of the Apostle Paul, He continues to do today: He uses ordinary people to do ordinary jobs and from them He creates extraordinary results. Paul was surrounded by ordinary people who helped in ordinary ways. As a result, even while he was in prison, the gospel was spread and believers were encouraged.

There is no reason why we cannot be used in the same way.

In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus tells a parable about salvation, using the illustration of seeds planted in different types of soil and whether or not any fruit is produced from them. In the parable, there are four seeds that are planted but only one actually produces fruit. That 4th seed parallels the people who are truly saved. As with all scripture, though, God teaches other truths within the context of this passage that are applicable to our lives as well.

Verse 22 says “And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word and it becomes unfruitful.” This worry of the world has always been one of Satan’s greatest tools against believers. He will use it to keep seekers from coming to salvation and he will use it to take believers’ focus off Jesus.

Jesus elaborates on the subject of worry in Matthew 6:25-34. He points out that we are not to worry about food, drink or clothes because God knows we have need of all these things. We were never meant to worry about the necessities but only to seek first His kingdom. If we would only do that, God promises He will make sure our needs are met.

Jesus goes on to say that we are not to worry about tomorrow for it will take care of itself; that each day has enough trouble of its own. He acknowledges that we will have trouble in this life, but that this still doesn’t justify our worrying. In His vast wisdom and grace, God has given us only one responsibility, and that is to seek His kingdom. He wants us to trust Him to take care of the worries of the world.

So the next time you are overwhelmed with the worries of this life, no matter how noble they may seem, remember that He is the one who takes care of those details— that’s His responsibility. Ours is to seek His kingdom. And if we can manage to do that one thing, we will be free from worry and free to grow in our trust in God.

    Today’s economy is impacting the work of non-profits world-wide, such as the one Word Within International serves in Southeast Asia.  Recently, we heard from Philip that he lost a large portion of the support he usually receives for his Bible school when a major contributor was hit hard and had to cut back on its giving.  Word Within International had already agreed to sponsor 16 students in order to help the school reach its goal of 50 new students and so Philip had proceeded with bringing the students in from the remote areas to attend the Bible school.

    With the cut-back by a major contributor, however, sponsorships fell short by 9 students, even with our extra support.  Unfortunately, the school had already committed to the students and their parents; and classes had even started when news of the shortfall was received. 

    Philip says he considered closing the school or turning away some of the students as there simply were not enough funds to keep the school operating for the entire term.  It occurred to him that the shortfall might be God’s way of telling him that He wanted the school to be shut down.  In Philip’s words:  “But then I recalled the outreach trips made by the students and teachers and the results that come from them…” 

    Philip was convinced he needed to trust God for the funds.

    Part of Philip’s new plans to feed the students and provide an emergency fund for medical needs, etc.,  is to purchase a rice paddy that the students can work.  Rice is the mainstay of their diet and any rice that is not needed for consumption will be sold and the proceeds used for emergencies.

    “The  Father has His plan and agenda and I am waiting to see just how He moves,” Philip continues.  “God is our ever-present help and He will take care of His work.” 

    Anyone wishing to help may do so through Word Within International, Inc. at PO Box 33178, Tulsa, OK  74153.  Contributions are tax-deductible.