In James 5:7-8 we read, “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient, strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.”

There are other verses that say the same, some more directly than others. Paul tells us in I Thessalonians 5:9-11, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”

Unquestionably, the most precious words of encouragement ever spoken came directly from the mouth of Jesus. In John 14: 1-3 He says, “Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so I would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

All three passages focus on the same theme: the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. We don’t need a bunch of magical words we have to dream up in our heads. God has already given us what to say. We can best encourage others by focusing their attention on Jesus and the promise of His coming again.

…then an in-depth study of the book of Colossians may be just what the doctor ordered.

    Beginning September 7th, Word Within International will offer a new Easy-to-Learn Inductive Bible study on Paul’s letter to the believers in Colossae.  Class will meet every Tuesday night from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in Room 2821, Asbury United Methodist Church.  This 10-week study ending November 9th examines God’s plan for making every believer complete in Christ.

    Too many Christians today have strong faith yet find themselves lacking in something.  That something is often simply the knowledge of God’s will for their lives.  Paul prayed for this knowledge for the faithful believers in Colossae in order that they might live a life worthy of the devotion God had showered on them.  Near the end of his own ministry, Paul wants to be sure they fully comprehend the supremacy and suffficiency of Christ, and what it means in their life.

    This book study challenges Christians to a higher standard.  Living the life God intends is not the easiest route to take but certainly it’s the most rewarding.  There are many along the way who would teach  things that are not entirely true, but Paul has prayed for you too, that you would be filled with the knowledge of God and be protected from the deluding influences of these fine-sounding arguments.

    For information and to reserve your place in the class, call 918-492-0945.

The Greek word markarios that is read as “blessed” means to be very fortunate or well off. It is sometimes translated “happy.” So Jesus is saying in Acts 20:35 that we are better off when we give to others than when others give to us. We are happier when we give. More fortunate.

Let’s see how this plays out in the rest of Scripture.

_ Read Philippians 4:14-16. What did the church in Philippi do for Paul that no other church did?

_ Read Philippians 4:17. Was Paul looking for a gift? What was he looking for instead?

In your opinion, what did Paul mean by this statement?

[HINT: Remember what Jesus said in Acts 20:35]

_ Read Hebrew 10:32-34. Answer the following questions based on what you learn from the passage.

What kind of suffering is the author referring to in this passage?

What seems to be the attitude of the people who are standing in the face of suffering?

Specifically, how do they accept the confiscation of their property?

What does v.34 tell you about how the believers are able to accept the confiscation with such joy?

_ Now Read Philippians 4:18-19. How does Paul describe the gifts that the Philippians gave to him through Epaphroditus?

What is the benefit to you if your gifts are pleasing to God?

What is the reward Paul promised to those who gave when he was in need? How might that apply to you and your giving?

_ It is written: “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” What kind of giver are you?

He was also thankful that they had “participated in the gospel” with him. Do we even think about such things today? How thankful are we for those we know at home and abroad who are participating in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ? Are we so focused on our own lives that we don’t even think about the hard work and self-sacrifice they are enduring for the Lord?

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul rejoices in his imprisonment because he knows it’s going to turn out for his deliverance (This man knew Christ so well that he knew he was going to be delivered!) He goes on to say, “for to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Such a lofty way of thinking could only come from someone who really knew Christ.

In the third chapter of his letter, Paul expounds on the subject of knowing Christ. “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings…” Paul desired to know Christ so much that he gave up everything. But for Paul that wasn’t nearly enough. He wanted to know Him as well through the fellowship of His sufferings.

Not many of us can comprehend the single-mindedness Paul had for knowing Christ. But by studying his teachings, we soon realize that our goal should be the same as his. Only by growing in our knowledge of Christ day-by-day will we be able to love others with the love of Christ and then accomplish the good works that He created before time for us to do.

Preparation for each class involves one to two hours of outside study, which is laid out for you in your personal workbook. Classes involv interactive lectures that allow for asking questions and discussion. The aim of this course, as it is with all Word Within Easy-to-Learn Inductive Bible Studies, is to be able to apply the Word of God to our everyday lives. We believe that it doesn’t matter how much you know about the Bible, but how much you apply the Bible to your daily walk.

If you would like to join us in this exciting new study, call 918-492-0945 to tell us you plan to attend. It is helpful if we know how many participants to prepare for.

There is a powerful story in I Kings 18 about Elijah, prophet to Israel, and an event that transpired on Mount Carmel that proved Baal was nothing more than a false god. To make his point, Elijah called together the 850 prophets of Baal and challenged them to a competition. They were to build an altar to Baal, cut up an ox and lay it on the wood, then call upon their god to light the fire. Elijah, in turn, would do the same and whoever’s god was most successful would be the one true God.

The false prophets went through all sorts of gyrations trying to get Baal to ignite the wood and nothing worked. Eventually they gave up. Then it was Elijah’s turn. He built the altar, cut up the wood and ox, and arranged everything on top of the altar. When all was ready, he saturated the altar with water; then dug a trench surrounding it and filled even the trench with water. How much more “quenched” could a fire be? Then after he had everything in order, he cried out to God and said, “..today let it be known that You are God in Israel… answer me… that this people may know that YOU, O LORD, are God and that you have turned their hearts back again.” And God lit the fire!

There it is! When we feel lacking in the Spirit, all we have to do to “unquench” the Spirit is to cry out to our Lord and ask Him to light the fire. We can be confident that He will answer our cries so as to show us that He is God and to remind us that only He has the power to turn our hearts back to Him!