The very first sin, involved FOOD!

Faith and the Spies of Canaan



Faith is belief in, or a confident attitude toward God, that requires a commitment to His will in our life. Taking God at His word and acting on it.
The definition of sin is an offense especially against God; Fault a weakened state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God.

How do you think we become estranged from God? _________________________________
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It’s not God who moves away or loves us less. There have been times when I have felt so far from God, and I didn’t know why. When I finally examined myself, I found I was harboring sin. I suppose I felt guilty and blamed God for my sin. Sin makes us feel separated from God and in a way, we are. When you feel this way remember, it’s not God who has moved. He is still on the chosen path and we have strayed away.

Why do we sin? We all know intellectually that Gods path is best possible one, so why do we choose to sin?

Let’s examine some of the Ten Commandments and try to identify some of the reasons we prefer to become our own gods by choosing our own path.

• Coveting: lack of faith in God, that he wont give us what we desire
• False witness: Afraid if you tell the truth God won’t take care of it
• Stealing: lack of faith that God will provide for your needs.
• Adultery: lack of faith that God has given you the best person to share your life with, or that you are missing something.
• Taking Gods name in vain: lack of faith in his superiority and lack of respect.
• Idolatry: lack of faith in God as a provider of all your needs

Can sin can be defined as lack of faith! ______________________

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Romans 14: 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

Philippians 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

There were two times Moses sent spies to investigate the Promised Land, Canaan, let’s study the differences between the two examples
Read: Numbers chapters 13 and 14 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them."

3 So Moses sent them from the Wilderness of Paran according to the command of the LORD, all of them men who were heads of the children of Israel. 4 Now these were their names: from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur; 5 from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori; 6 from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh; 7 from the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph; 8 from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun; 9 from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu; 10 from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi; 11 from the tribe of Joseph, that is, from the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi; 12 from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli; 13 from the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael; 14 from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi; 15 from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.

16 These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua.


17 Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, "Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains, 18 and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; 19 whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; 20 whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land." Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.


21 So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, near the entrance of Hamath. 22 And they went up through the South and came to Hebron; Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 Then they came to the Valley of Eshcol, and there cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes; they carried it between two of them on a pole. They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs. 24 The place was called the Valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the men of Israel cut down there. 25 And they returned from spying out the land after forty days.

26 Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 Then they told him, and said: "We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan."

30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it."

31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we." 32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. 33 There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

Numbers Chapter 14 So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?" 4 So they said to one another, "Let us select a leader and return to Egypt."

5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: "The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, "a land which flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them."

10 And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel.

11 Then the LORD said to Moses: "How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them? 12 I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they."

13 And Moses said to the LORD: "Then the Egyptians will hear it, for by Your might You brought these people up from among them, 14 and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, LORD, are among these people; that You, LORD, are seen face to face and Your cloud stands above them, and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 Now if You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying, 16 "Because the LORD was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.' 17 And now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying, 18 "The LORD is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation. 19 Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now."

20 Then the LORD said: "I have pardoned, according to your word; 21 but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD-- 22 because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, 23 they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it. 24 But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it. 25 Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley; tomorrow turn and move out into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea."

26 And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 27 "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. 28 Say to them, "As I live,' says the LORD, "just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: 29 The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. 30 Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in. 31 But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised. 32 But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. 33 And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. 34 According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection. 35 I the LORD have spoken this. I will surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die."'


36 Now the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land, 37 those very men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the LORD. 38 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, of the men who went to spy out the land.

39 Then Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly. 40 And they rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, "Here we are, and we will go up to the place which the LORD has promised, for we have sinned!"

41 And Moses said, "Now why do you transgress the command of the LORD? For this will not succeed. 42 Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the LORD is not among you. 43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword; because you have turned away from the LORD, the LORD will not be with you."

44 But they presumed to go up to the mountaintop. Nevertheless, neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed from the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked them, and drove them back as far as Hormah.

The children of Israel wandered for forty years, a trip that should have taken about twelve days. The first time Moses sent spies into the Promised Land, they were looking at the future battle through their own strength, and because of their lack of faith in God, and God said they were rejecting Him. Now see what happened after they had been wandering and learning about God for forty years.

I ran out of room and I have to continue on the next post

Continued from previous post

40 Years Later:

Joshua Chapter Two; 1Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho."
So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there. 2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, "Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country."

3 So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country."

4 Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5 And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them." 6 (But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.) 7 Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.

8 Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, 9 and said to the men: "I know that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. 10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. 12 Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father's house, and give me a true token, 13 and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death."

14 So the men answered her, "Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the LORD has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you." 15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall; she dwelt on the wall. 16 And she said to them, "Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you. Hide there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward you may go your way."

17 So the men said to her: "We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, 18 unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father's household to your own home. 19 So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20 And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be free from your oath which you made us swear." 21 Then she said, "According to your words, so be it." And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window.

22 They departed and went to the mountain, and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but did not find them. 23 So the two men returned, descended from the mountain, and crossed over; and they came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them. 24 And they said to Joshua, "Truly the LORD has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us."

You know the rest of the story, the Hebrews marched around the walls seven times and they crumbled. God demolished that stronghold. The only thing His people had to do was praise His holy name.

In your own words, explain what you think made a difference in the two times the spies were sent out to scout out the Promised Land. ___________________________________________________________________________
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Read Numbers 13:33 again. 33There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."
Who were they depending on to win this battle, and what did the enemy look like compared to them? ___________________________________________________________________
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Now read Joshua 2:24 again; 24 And they said to Joshua, "Truly the LORD has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us."

Whom did the Israelites depend on to win this battle? _____________________________
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What did the enemy look like compared to them? __________________________________
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In both instances the enemy had already been defeated by God, the only thing that was left was to go in and possess the land by faith.

Look at Joshua 6:20; So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

Possession of the land fell simply with a shout of the people. The wall was utterly destroyed in a moment. Doesn’t this show God’s complete supremacy over all His people’s enemies? ______________

Read Hebrews 3: 16-19; and fill in the blanks. 16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 ____
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Unbelief is a sin and when we don’t believe God will give us the power to walk away from the food when we are not hungry shows a total lack of faith, just like the first set of spy’s, you limit God’s Power with your lack of faith.

Read Psalm 78:41, 42 Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel. 42 They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy.

Our battle with the refrigerator, and all the battles we face everyday, in a way parallels this battle. None of them is won by us, it’s God in you, who defeats your enemy. If we see our overeating as the enemy and our being thin as the promised land we should go in and posses the land by faith, and mean it!

I heard a story once that illustrates the battle and how our Father fights for us.

A father and his little girl were driving along in the car when suddenly a bee flew in the window. The girl panicked because she was allergic to bees and could die if stung.

Her father quickly grabbed the bee held it in his fist, he held on tight until the bee stung him, and then he let the bee fly out of his fist.

His little girl screamed in terror “Oh no Daddy you let the bee go now he is going to sting me”!

No, don’t worry he can’t hurt you anymore; he said opening his fist to show her the stinger still stuck in his palm.

Jesus took Satan’s stinger on the cross. We don’t have to be afraid of him anymore. The only power over us he has is to scare us by telling lies. The voices you hear in your head telling you “you can’t do it”! “Start later” “It’s not your fault, go ahead and overeat”; are all lies of Satan, and we need to recognize them as such, because then you can use Scripture to overcome him.

One of my favorites is, Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

It’s quick and easy and to the point. The only weapons we need are prayer, the Word of God and faith in them.

Read Joshua 6

In light of today’s study, what was the scripture or statement in today’s lesson that most spoke to your heart? __________________________________________________________
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What steps of faith does God want you to take towards Him today? ____________________
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Rephrase the scripture or statement into an expression of faith_________________________
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Memorize the following scripture this week.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Jesus in Nazareth




Why do you think Jesus was well received as a young man in Nazareth, (His hometown) but He was rejected as Messiah? ___________________________________________________
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Read Mark 6:1-6 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! 3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" So they were offended at Him.

4 But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house." 5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

Write Mark 6:5 from the above scriptures in the space below. ________________________
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__________________________________6 And He marveled because of their unbelief!!!

Think about this situation for a moment, what were the people of Nazareth feeling? They had seen Jesus grow up in grace and wisdom. The Elders had taught Him in the synagogue, He was their star pupil, and they probably congratulated themselves often for being such wise and masterful instructors. Then this same young man's knowledge and wisdom surpasses their own understanding. He begins teaching them things that they know are true, but don’t want to recognize as such.

The Pharisees were looked upon as being the final say in all matters of the law. They loved their positions, they had all gone through the proper political channels, and Jesus had not. Because of there arrogance, they wouldn’t humble themselves. They were indignant, and wouldn’t accept that Him as their superior. The religious leaders refused to see Him as their Messiah, and rejected Him.

Read Luke 4:16-30 16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.

20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." 22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?"

23 He said to them, "You will surely say this proverb to Me, "Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country. 24 Then He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. 25But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."

28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. 30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

This is the passages Jesus taught on that day.

Isaiah 61:1, 2 "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn.

By citing these words from Isaiah, Jesus was claiming His royalty and His prophetic mission. Jesus proclaimed the fulfillment of Gods plan and the promise of Himself, the Messiah. Since He was the figure described in the passage He was showing them He did all the things mentioned in Isaiah.

He did heal brokenhearted people (still does). He proclaims liberty that through Him we are set free from sin. He does heal the blind both physically and spiritually.

The congregation was angry because they were arrogant. They felt He was being presumptuous. They were offended because He had the audacity to put Himself above them by claiming His royal status when they considered Him only a carpenter.

Read Matthew 9:14-29 14When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

16"What are you arguing with them about?" he asked.

17A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."

19"O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."

20So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

21Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"
"From childhood," he answered. 22"It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

23" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

24Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

25When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."

26The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." 27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. 28After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" 29He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."

Write Matthew 9:23from the scripture versus above. _______________________________
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The disciples tried to heal a demon possessed boy and couldn’t. Then the desperate father went to Jesus and Jesus said, O faithless generation… The father of the boy said, “If you can.” Jesus said, “If you can believe.”

Sometimes believers can be nagged by doubt and even though this poor father didn’t have the faith, he took the correct course, by appealing to Jesus for help with his disbelief. The Father of the possessed boy said, “Lord I believe help my unbelief” Jesus healed the boy.

Later the disciples asked why they couldn’t heal him. Jesus said this kind could come out only with fasting and prayer. I used to read this passage, and I wondered why this demon-possessed person was harder. Why did this one require fasting and prayer? Then God showed me and we find the clue in the conversation between the father and Jesus. This family had been battling this demon for a very long time. It was deeply entrenched in their psyche. Even though the father of the boy had heard and seen all that Jesus was doing, it was still hard for him to believe, Jesus could help him.

Fasting bolsters our faith. God doesn’t need us to fast to perform the miracle but rather it’s for our benefit. The disciples could not exorcize the demon because the father didn’t have enough faith. The power was there, but they couldn’t apply it. We actually limit God’s power with our unbelief.

Read Mark 6:5, 6 again, in case you missed it the first time. Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching. Jesus was amazed at the people of His hometown, because they had so little faith.

I was amazed too when I first read Mark 6:5, 6a because I didn’t realize that our faith was so essential for performing miracles.

The passage says; Now He-could-do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief.

He couldn’t do any mighty works because they didn’t believe. I was also taken aback when I realized my lack of faith was rejection of Gods sovereignty. When we doubt God can keep us from a candy bar, or worry, we are actually rejecting God, by not believing He is able to give us the strength to resist the temptation.

Read, Psalm 78:40-42 How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert! 41 Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel. 42 They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy.

READ Hebrew 14:8-10 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. 9This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.

Before Paul could pray for this man to be healed, he had to determine weather he had enough faith. Faith is a necessary element to the healing process, and has to be present before the healing is set in motion.
Daily reading: Romans 5:1-5

In light of today’s study, what was the scripture or statement in today’s lesson that most spoke to your heart? __________________________________________________________
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What steps of faith does God want you to take towards Him today? ____________________
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Rephrase the scripture or statement into an expression of faith_________________________
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Memory Verse

Hebrews 11:6 But _________ faith it is __________ to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who _______ _______ Him.

Faith Lesson of the fig tree


If we imagine our addiction to food as a mountain and we are in the cold shadow of it. It’s easy to understand why no matter how many things we try and how many countless times, and in so many ways, we can’t get to the top. We count failure, after failure.

Have you gotten to the place were you realize the mountain is impossible to climb there is no way up or around it.

Write down some of the ways you have tried to climb the mountain of addiction and failed._____________________________________________________________________
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Mark 11:12-14 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."
And His disciples heard it.

And

Mark 11:20-24 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."

22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, "Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Picture your food addiction as that mountain. How does Jesus tell us to handle the mountain? __________________________________________________________________
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I have heard sermons on the subject of “laying it down at the cross” but no one ever told me how to leave “it” there.

I tried will power, diet pills, hypnosis. Nothing worked for me. I was at the end of my rope.

Then I remember telling God one morning “I can’t do it Satan is too strong for me. I can’t live my life without overeating. I am addicted to food and I am sorry but I can’t do it”.

I tearfully went to my Bible and read these passages about the fig tree, the words “Ask anything and believe without wavering and it’s yours,” jumped out at me.

God showed me I didn’t need to be strong and have willpower. I asked God, through faith to take the mountain away.

I wasn’t strong enough but I knew He was. To my surprise that day was easy. I didn’t have to resist the food, it just didn’t interest me. It was at this point when God started teaching me how to rely on him by faith.

Just as you are saved by faith you also grow and are made strong by faith. Every temptation that befalls you strengthens your faith.

You don’t say with your fist clenched “No I won’t have another piece of cheese cake!!”. Jesus said in Luke 22:40When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” You run to your Father and say “Lord please I want that cheesecake so bad. It smells so good and looks so good; I am powerless to resist it, by faith we can resist Satan, so I am asking you Lord to get me past this test In Jesus name Amen.” Then you walk away and believe that God will take care of Satan for you.

He has already given you the strength, you need to choose weather or not to use it. I promise this has worked for me every single time. Although the emotional battle for my own will is hard, and I must admit there were times when I was not being sincere because I was praying as I was chewing.

You don’t need to pray this exact prayer just bombard the temptation with prayer, just try it. I even pray sometimes for God to help me ask for help, because I don’t want the help, I want cheese cake!

Your overeating is like a stronghold, a mountain, and you are using a shovel to get rid of it, and all the wile having the awesome power of the one who created the mountain. If you give Him the mountain He will throw it out of your way.

Re-read Mark11:23For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, "Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

In your own words what does “believe” mean to you? _______________________________
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The definition of believe in Dictionary is: to have a religious conviction to have belief confidence trust. The Greek word for believe, literally means to place ones trust in another.

However, this battle that takes place in your mind, is never easy. There is always a test involved and it takes bombarding the temptation with prayer, and reading the Bible.
Remember this is Gods war but you are not just a passive observer you must also get in and fight. though, your position is always standing behind Christ.

Read James 2: 14-24 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?] 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

In the previous scriptures how was Abraham and Rahab proving their faith by their actions?____________________________________________________________________
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They each had to make a life or death decision. Abraham had to trust God, and give his son over to God, Rahab had to trust that the guards who came looking for the Hebrew spies in Canaan, would believe her story, if they didn’t it would mean sure death for her and her family.

Pray when you are tempted, and leave the outcome to God. God may want you to sacrifice being thin for awhile. The hard part is leaving the outcome the Him. Leaving it up to God is your mountain. You trusting God, giving Him all the aspects of the situation, is your faith in action. You can say all you want “I believe in God, but if you don’t trust Him, your faith is dead. He will heal you, in His time, when your faith has been made strong enough to believe you have been healed.

If you do walk away from the food, God will provide another delicious meal. It’s very unlikely you won’t ever get that meal or food item again. If it’s a fast food item or something from a restaurant you can’t cook your self. You can just get in the car and get it again when your hungry. Satan makes it a bigger deal than it is.

AARG, to long again, continued on next post

Continued from previous post

John 6:28-40 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
30 Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, "He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

32 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

34 Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."

35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Wow did you get that. “This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

You can believe in something with out following it. Satan believes in God. There are two different beliefs one is, head knowledge and one is faith, and faith is an action. One of my favorite Bible studies is, experiencing God by Henry T. Blackaby and Claude B. King, It’s called Experiencing God. My favorite quote from that study is, “You can’t stay here and go with God.” Faith requires action.

What does the statement “ faith requires action” mean to you? ________________________
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Believing that God will give you strength and putting that faith in action by removing yourself from the situation. Put the leftovers in the refrigerator or give them to the dog.

Abraham had to leave his family and go to a strange land. He didn’t sit around saying “God has made a bunch of promises to me and I am going to sit here until he carries me there.” No he got up, left his father and mother took his family and possessions and moved when God said move.

Genesis 12:1-4 1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." 4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.
You may think passing up a biscuit isn’t a test at all compared to some of the other test you have been through or have seen others go through. But God is concerned with every aspect of your life.

Think back to the verses about the fig tree at the first of this days study. I didn’t understand why the disciples were so astonished; they had seen Jesus perform so many miracles. Why were they surprised at this?

They had seen him heal the blind and feed five thousand with just a few fishes and loaves of bread. The passage in Matthew 21:20-22 says, And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?" 21 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, "Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. 22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

The disciples marveled? The fact that the disciples were amazed, puzzled me. Why were they amazed? They had seen Jesus perform many miracles by that time. What was there about this small event that was so amazing? Then it dawned on me, the disciples may have thought this miracle was too inconsequential, it wasn’t a life changing event.

You might think as I used to that God isn’t concerned about the way I look and I shouldn’t be concerned about it either. In His grand scheme my weight is insignificant.

We need to face it, idolatry and gluttony are sins, committing them places you out side of Gods will. We also need to have the correct attitude about our looks.

Isaiah 53:1,2 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

The Bible never gives a physical description of Jesus. The verse above hints that He was rather ordinary looking. It seems Jesus’ human form was de-emphasized on purpose. God didn’t want people to be drawn to Him because of His looks, but to His message, who He was. Your body is the least important thing about you, it’s the only part of you that’s not eternal.

James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
God delights in answering our prayers, but it has to be for the right reason. God wants you to know it is your soul that’s important. Your body is the temple of Holy of Holies, the Holy Spirit! He wants the inside to be addressed first. He desires that you trust Him, you have to step out and believe God knows best and will fulfill His promises.

John 14: 13,14 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
Think about who it will glorify when you reach your goal weight. We also need to balance this scripture with Gods sovereignty. Understanding that God knows the future and you being a millionaire may not fit into His plan for your life but you being thin is Gods will or He would never have said gluttony is a sin.

Read Galatians 2:16-21 and 3:1-9

In light of today’s study, what was the scripture or statement in today’s lesson that most spoke to your heart? __________________________________________________________
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What steps of faith does God want you to take towards Him today? ____________________
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Rephrase the scripture or statement into an expression of faith_________________________
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Fill in the blanks of our weekly memorization verse

Memory Verse

Hebrews 11:6 But _________ faith it is __________ to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who _______ _______ Him.

Week 3 Day 4
David’s faith


Read the account of the battle of David and Goliath.

I Samuel 17:1-51. Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines. 3 The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.

4 And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. 7 Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him. 8 Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, "Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us." 10 And the Philistine said, "I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together." 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of BethlehemJudah, whose name was Jesse, and who had eight sons. And the man was old, advanced in years, in the days of Saul. 13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone to follow Saul to the battle. The names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. And the three oldest followed Saul. 15 But David occasionally went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.
16 And the Philistine drew near and presented himself forty days, morning and evening.
17 Then Jesse said to his son David, "Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. 18 And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them."

19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

20 So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle. 21 For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army. 22 And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers. 23 Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them. 24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid. 25 So the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father's house exemption from taxes in Israel."


26 Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, "What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"


27 And the people answered him in this manner, saying, "So shall it be done for the man who kills him."

28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab's anger was aroused against David, and he said, "Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle."
29 And David said, "What have I done now? Is there not a cause?" 30 Then he turned from him toward another and said the same thing; and these people answered him as the first ones did

31 Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him. 32 Then David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine."


33 And Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth."

34 But David said to Saul, "Your servant used to keep his father's sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God." 37 Moreover David said, "The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."
And Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you!"

38 So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. 39 David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, "I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them." So David took them off.

40 Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. 41 So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. 42 And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. 43 So the Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"

45 Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD's, and He will give you into our hands."

48 So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

This is an amazing story, and David was a remarkable young man. He evaluated the obstacle from Gods perspective. Here was an opportunity for God to display His power. You have to think about what David was dealing with to appreciate his situation.

I am always making excuses for God as to why I don’t pray for specific problems publicly. For instance, our neighbor dogs kept getting into our trash and spreading it all over. I understand it’s not a big deal, but it was such an annoyance. God kept prompting me to make it a matter of family prayer, but I was afraid if I prayed it aloud, around my kids, and God decided not to answer this silly prayer, It may make Him look bad and stunt their faith (I know my mind works in mysterious ways). I finally did pray with my kids about it and the dogs haven’t touched the trash and its been about a year. I have been a Christian for many years and I had so little faith I couldn’t pray for my trash. Consider what David was facing.

First, there was opposition from his family (v 17:28) His brother, was probably worried about his little brother, but also I’m sure he was resentful thinking he should have been anointed king, by Samuel, since he was the oldest son and stronger. I’m sure he was ashamed that he, himself didn’t have the kind of courage his little brother did, and felt resentful that little David thought he could do something that he was so afraid to do, and no wonder lets take a second look at Goliath.

He was the biggest, the better of two armies. He was magnificent and gigantic. David was a young boy not even old enough to be in the army. Goliath was over nine feet tall. I drew a picture on butcher paper for a Sunday school class I was teaching to illustrate the size of Goliath; I was amazed at how tall it was. It put David’s situation into perspective.

He was not only extremely tall but also massive; He wore a bronze helmet that must have been tremendously heavy, the regular troops wore leather. His coat of mail alone weighed about one hundred twenty five pounds! That probably just about matched what David weighed at that time. The head of his spear weighed seventeen pounds. He filled the whole Israelite army with dread.

David’s past victories gave him faith to trust God for victory over Goliath. For David the issue was more of a spiritual crisis (the Israelites lack of faith) than a military one.

Read 1 Samuel 17:34-37 But David said to Saul, "Your servant used to keep his father's sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God." 37 Moreover David said, "The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."
And Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you!"

Why do you think David’s past victories give him the faith to face Goliath? ______________
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By relying on God to give him strength to battle these wild animals, He proved Gods faithfulness. God had always protected him and he knew He would again. David could have sat around, worrying about all the reasons he shouldn’t fight the giant, like, is it the proper thing to do. What will my family say, what if God doesn’t want me to do this and I fail and die…David had to step out in faith first. That’s the faith with works we talked about yesterday.

Temptation is always hard to fight. Step out in faith, knowing God will see you through it, by praying and asking God to give you the strength you need to resist temptation. Just as the past victories gave David faith in God, so your victories will give you faith to turn down that second piece of cheesecake. Just as choosing correctly will help you win the next battle, so will choosing incorrectly help you lose the next battle.

Satan’s total goal is that you lose faith and on of his best weapons is “there is always tomorrow” or “I’ll start later” If you choose to worship the refrigerator just one time, it will give Satan a foot hold to undermine your faith and the next time will be harder for you to resist. So rationalizing “just one time won’t hurt” is not true it does do a lot of damage to your faith and Satan knows it.

Read, Psalm 46
In light of today’s study, what was the scripture or statement in today’s lesson that most spoke to your heart? __________________________________________________________
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What steps of faith does God want you to take towards Him today? ____________________
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Rephrase the scripture or statement into an expression of faith_________________________
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Memory Verse

Hebrews 11:6 But _________ faith it is __________ to please Him, for he _____ comes to God ______ ___________ that He is, and that He is a _________ of those who _______ _______ Him.

accidentally

Once in a while I have frightening dreams, I call them my devil dreams. One in particular was even more scary than usual because all the other times I would say or think the name Jesus, and I would wake up instantly, but this time it was different. In my dream I was standing in my kitchen and Satan was sitting in a chair. He started to get up, coming towards me. I rebuked him in Jesus name. He flew back onto the chair and looked as if he had been beaten . He was shaken and weak and I could tell he was hurt, but it scared me because I didn’t wake up as I usually do.
He looked at me slyly and started to get up and come towards me again, I said “I rebuke you Satan in Jesus name” this time I said it a little louder, he fell back but not as hard and he got up faster.
He came towards me again, and I yelled “I rebuke you Satan in Jesus name!” He fell back to the chair but got right back up. This time I screamed the rebuke as loud as I could, and he just stepped back.
I was so scared because I knew I couldn’t scream any louder, I could see him crouching and could sense he was about to fly at me when I heard a still small voice in my heart, “if you have faith you can whisper.” I remember looking Satan right in the eye as I spoke softly, whispering, “I rebuke you Satan in Jesus name” and I instantly woke up.
I believe God works through dreams because there are instances in the Bible I can refer to, and this one had a profound affect on me.
I reflect on it often I think that’s why I remember it so vividly.
In my dream when I rebuked Satan I said the same things with each rebuke. What was different about the last time? ___________________________________________________
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I didn’t just say the words I used them, with the power of the Holy Spirit. Don’t be upset if you use the Word with power and it seems Satan is still harassing you. He will not usually give up after only one time. He didn’t give up after tempting Jesus. Even when Satan wasn’t successful, the Bible says “He went away until a more opportune time”.
We have access to God’s power and he gives us the authority, but you have to use that authority. Luke 9:1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
What is authority? The dictionary defines it as au·thor·i·ty–noun, plural -ties.
1. the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues or disputes; jurisdiction; the right to control, command, or determine.

2. Usually, authorities. persons having the legal power to make and enforce the law; government

3. a warrant for action; justification.

—Synonyms 1. rule, power, sway. Authority, control, influence denote a power or right to direct the actions or thoughts of others. Authority is a power or right, usually because of rank or office, to issue commands and to punish for violations: to have authority over subordinates. Control is either power or influence applied to the complete and successful direction or manipulation of persons or things: to be in control of a project. Influence is a personal and unofficial power derived from deference of others to one's character, ability, or station; it may be exerted unconsciously or may operate through persuasion: to have influence over one's friends. 3. sovereign, arbiter.

And the definition of power is: –noun

1. ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something.

2. great or marked ability to do or act; strength; might; force.

4. the possession of control or command over others; authority; ascendancy

5. legal ability, capacity, or authority: the power of attorney.
—Synonyms 1. capacity. 3. energy. Strength 4, 5. sway, rule, sovereignty.
—Antonyms 1. incapacity. 3. weakness.

6. a person or thing that possesses or exercises authority or influence.

7. to inspire; spur; sustain: A strong faith in divine goodness powers his life.
You speak for, represent and advocate Jesus

• The ability or official capacity to exercise control; authority.

Jesus gives you authority over all demons, However if you don’t use that authority, it means nothing. You have legal authority over your children, but if you don’t use that authority your authority means nothing.
It reminds me of a story I heard about at a high security prison, an error in the computer system left a female guard unarmed and locked in an area with no electricity, and thirty hardened male prisoners.
Both the guard and convicts knew that if the men decided to get violent there was no one to help her and no way anyone would ever know who did what. She knew the gravity of her situation and knew she had only one thing that could keep her from being raped, beaten or killed by these rough men, and that was her authority.
She knew that if she showed any weakness at all she was a goner. She used her authority with power she didn’t feel. She explained later that at first the prisoners tested her and she was afraid but she never let on. After a few tense minutes of testing the men backed down.
After what seemed like an intolerable amount of time the computer problem was fixed, and to her relief she was back on safer ground.
Just as these men could not read the guards mind, neither can Satan read ours. He is not omnipotent like God is.
We have the authority in Christ Name to stop Satan but unless we use our authority with power and strength he knows you don’t have real faith in the authority and therefore you don’t have it.
After God had healed me of my addiction to food I tried to manipulate my weight loss by eating such a little bit. Guess what I didn’t lose a pound for over two months. I was probably eating less than a thousand calories a day yet I didn’t lose one pound. I was trying to use my own might and my own power, instead of following the principals of this study.

Read Zechariah 4: 6 So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts.

Write in your own words what this scripture means to you ___________________________
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List the things that you have tried to fix, manipulate or have gotten upset and worried about the last week or two.__________________________________________________________
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Begin to pray about these things that bother you. I’ll remind you in about two weeks to come back to this section. In two weeks from today write the results in the next lines leave them blank until then.
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Read: II Corinthians 10:3-6

In light of today’s study, what was the scripture or statement in today’s lesson that most spoke to your heart? __________________________________________________________
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What steps of faith does God want you to take towards Him today? ____________________
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Rephrase the scripture or statement into an expression of faith_________________________
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Memory Verse

Hebrews 11:6 ______________________________________________________________
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Spiritual weapons


This battle of the bulge is truly a war, a raging war. The emotional battles are intense and we need to understand the seriousness of it. It is a difficult and arduous fight; I get tired and depressed sometimes. The enemy’s weapons come in so fast and furious and just when I think I have won the battle, he attacks from a different angle. That’s why it’s so important to learn how to use our mighty weapons. You can’t fight Satan with conventional weapons like will power. He is too strong for you. You need to fight him the way David did, with faith in the Lord of Host. David always had faith in God to protect and defend him. You can see he depended on God, not only in his battle against Goliath, but also in how he handled his relationships with Saul and Absalom.

II Corinthians 10:3-6 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Consider our divine example Jesus. He fought off Satan by the power of Gods word and faith in that word. To get the maximum results you need to bombard the temptation with prayer. Prayer that is rapid and relentless, like the persistent widow in Luke.

Luke 18:1-8 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, "Get justice for me from my adversary.' 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, "Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."'


6 Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

Pray until you don’t feel tempted any more. That could take from one minute to one hour. It’s up to God He knows these test build your spiritual muscles. He won’t allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to resist. Think about that when you are being tempted; tell yourself and Satan, this temptation is not more than I can bear. We know that this is true because, God says so in His word.

For the next few days we will be studying our spiritual armor and Weapons, and how to use them. The first article of protection a soldier wore was his clothing. If a soldier were to wear heavy armor without the soft protective garments underneath, it would have been enormously uncomfortable.

Read: I Peter 5:5-9 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

In what does this scripture say about what we need to be clothed? _____________________
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Who is your enemy or adversary? ________________________ The devil is described here as a lion. A lion will pick out those who have strayed from the flock so we need to stay close to our Shepherd and fellow Christians.

What do you think being clothed in humility has to do with fighting a war against a lion, the devil? _____________________________________________________________________
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Just as you can’t fight a lion with your bare hands, you can’t fight Satan with will power in your own strength. We have to turn the Lordship over to God; quit being your own god by deciding to sin. Stop the rationalizing. You must be humble and know your place. Even Michael the archangel didn’t presume to fight with Satan but instead he said the Lord rebuke you.

Jude 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"

You have the authority to rebuke Satan but only, and I mean only through the power of the Holy Spirit. I remember a time in my life when I was on a spiritual high. I thought I was so strong that Satan could never make me fall and in essence, I called Satan on.

I remember saying, “Hit me with your best shot Satan.” Don’t ever do that! It took about a year before God could pull me out of that deep depression.

Satan is strong, you have to humble yourself and rely on God. Satan always tries to get you to elevate yourself and become your own God. In most cults, the “you can be a god” dogma is at the foundation of their belief. Satan used it with Eve in the garden. Satan loves this scheme. It’s why he was thrown out of heaven. Every time you fall to temptation, you are in a sense becoming your own God and deciding you know what is best for yourself. Write the following scripture verses.

Proverbs 3:34 Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.

Use your own Bible and complete the following passages, James 4:6,7 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “ God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
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Finish writing I Peter 5:5-8 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “ God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” ________________________________________
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Revelation 12:11____________________________________________________________
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In your own words briefly summarize the previous scriptures. What is God’s instruction for fighting Satan? ______________________________________________________________
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The freedom from arrogance grows out of the recognition that all we have and are, comes from God. To fight Satan we need to humble ourselves and depend on God and resist Satan through faith. Use our weapons and lift God up. Spiritual warfare is not a bolstering of our strength and will power, but of humbling ourselves and letting God do the work, following His will.

The Dictionary defines Humble as: low not proud or haughty not pretensions unassuming “insignificant.” The world has always despised humility because of its implied inadequacy, lack of dignity and worthlessness. This is not the meaning of humility as defined by the Bible.

Read: Matthew 11: 29, 30 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Mark 10:45For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

John 13:4-17 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, "Lord, are You washing my feet?"
7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this."

8 Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."

9 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!"

10 Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, "You are not all clean."

12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

I exceeded the limit again, continued on next post

Continued from previous post

Philippians 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross

Jesus is the supreme example of humility and He is completely adequate, He is infinite dignity and worth.

Finish writing verse eight of the previous passage. And being found in appearance as
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What did Jesus do to become obedient to the point of death? __________________________
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He humbled Himself. What do you think being humble means? _______________________
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Biblical humility is not a belittling of oneself like the hypocrites in Matthew 6:16 "Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

It is exalting God, true humility does not produce pride, it generates gratitude. Since God is both our creator and redeemer our existence and righteousness depends on Him.

Read John 15:5-8 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

What does the previous scripture mean to you? ____________________________________
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According to the preceding scriptures, Can we do anything good outside of God? _________
Explain ____________________________________________________________________
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You have to stay in touch with God every second to be obedient.

Read I Thessalonians 5:16-18 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Acts 17:28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, "For we are also His offspring.'

Let’s read how Jesus handled attacks from Satan. Luke 4:1-13 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.

3 And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."

4 But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours."

8 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, "You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.

9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: "He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,' and, "In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

12 And Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, "You shall not tempt the LORD your God.]

13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

In the passages above, what weapon did Satan use to fight with? _______________________
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He distorted the Word of God. Just like in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:1-7 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die." 4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Satan has always used the Word of God, the Bible to deceive. That’s why you have to stay in the Word and go to church and pray so you will see his deceptions. His favorite tactic is to tell you “you will be like God”. Most of the cults have this philosophy as doctrine.

What mighty weapon did Jesus use to fight Satan? ____________________________ Jesus being tempted, not only used Scripture (Truth) but in so doing praised God and acknowledged His dependence upon Him. When we choose to follow Satan and walk our own path, we are taking control from God and making ourselves a god.

Matthew 4:11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

II Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Read Psalm 95

In light of today’s study, what was the scripture or statement in today’s lesson that most spoke to your heart? __________________________________________________________
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What steps of faith does God want you to take towards Him today? ____________________
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Rephrase the scripture or statement into an expression of faith_________________________
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Weekly Memory Verse:

Proverbs 16:3 Commit your works to the LORD, And your thoughts will be established