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How do you hear from God? (Part #1 of… “Are you a winner or a loser?”)

I must base my ideas on the Bible, for it only makes sense that we must desire to contemplate God’s words if we ever hope to hear from HIM. — He won’t speak to those who don’t want to hear Him.

______I trust that before we go any further we are in agreement about what is written above._____

“Are you a winner or a loser?” – I ask you to truly think about what that means to you.

— For if you consider yourself a Christian and you live in this world feeling helpless to change the evil around you, or that personally afflicts you, then you are being deceived into a mentality of defeat.

And another deception that Satan places out there to defeat us is:

— The idea that global earthly efforts and politics can successfully save mankind from disaster.

– PLEASE READ MY DISCLAIMER BELOW…

I am not saying it is evil to join in with human efforts to help mankind.

— I am trying to separate good efforts to help alleviate distress, disease, and disaster, from the idea that these efforts will eventually eliminate all evils, and save all of mankind.

As I write this for viewing online, I now give all an opportunity to have your say in the reply form online.

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What I am asking is, “How dare we Christians entertain feelings of defeat?”

We should discuss what attitudes of defeat we might entertain:
I list 3 attitudes of defeat: (Does God hear me? – In this troubled world where is God? – I feel powerless.)

Tonight we look at Doubt #1/ I don’t know if God hears me (my prayers).

I’ve provided a Bible Quiz associated with this study… Click here to view.

— Let’s allow God’s Word to speak to us:
— Every time you are referred to a scripture verse, you must look to its context. That means you must read the surrounding verses to gain the setting to which the verse(s) apply.
— Therefore, let’s take a look at the complete Psalm 66… (Read it in your own preferred Bible version.)
Now let’s first discuss what JUMPS OUT to you as you read through this song of worship.

Psalm 66:1-20  (GNB) Praise God with shouts of joy, all people!  (2)  Sing to the glory of his name; offer him glorious praise!  (3)  Say to God, “How wonderful are the things you do! Your power is so great that your enemies bow down in fear before you.  (4)  Everyone on earth worships you; they sing praises to you, they sing praises to your name.”  (5)  Come and see what God has done, his wonderful acts among people.  (6)  He changed the sea into dry land; our ancestors crossed the river on foot. There we rejoiced because of what he did.  (7)  He rules forever by his might and keeps his eyes on the nations. Let no rebels rise against him.  (8)  Praise our God, all nations; let your praise be heard.  (9)  He has kept us alive and has not allowed us to fall.  (10)  You have put us to the test, God; as silver is purified by fire, so you have tested us.  (11)  You let us fall into a trap and placed heavy burdens on our backs.  (12)  You let our enemies trample us; we went through fire and flood, but now you have brought us to a place of safety.  (13)  I will bring burnt offerings to your house; I will offer you what I promised.  (14)  I will give you what I said I would when I was in trouble.  (15)  I will offer sheep to be burned on the altar; I will sacrifice bulls and goats, and the smoke will go up to the sky.  (16)  Come and listen, all who honor God, and I will tell you what he has done for me.  (17)  I cried to him for help; I praised him with songs.  (18)  If I had ignored my sins, the Lord would not have listened to me.  (19)  But God has indeed heard me; he has listened to my prayer.  (20)  I praise God, because he did not reject my prayer or keep back his constant love from me.

— Then we can go to how God hears our prayers from Psalms 66…

–Q1 From Vs. 1-9… What is the focus of thought here? (I suggest: Our God is worthy of praise ~ KK)

–Q2 And what do we do with the command at the end of Vs. 7? (We must guard our fellowship against entering into God-rebellious attitudes ~ KK)

–Q3 From Vs. 10-12… What is the focus here? (Trials and problems are meant to make us stronger ~ KK)
(ESV) reads in Vs.10 For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.

–Q4 Do things around you make you feel ‘crushed and burdened’ at times? (We need to confess these things to one another ~ KK)

–Q5 Can you share of some ways God has shown that He is with you, even in your day-to-day struggles? (Our God is not a God who only answers BIG needs. He is a loving Father ~ KK)

–Q6 From Vs. 13-15 Have you ever made ‘vows’ or promises to the Lord of what you would do if He helps you out of your distress? (If you make a promise, be sure to keep it, so you can be blessed ~ KK)

Psalms 66:16-20 (ESV) (16) Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. (17) I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue.  (18)  If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.  (19)  But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.  (20)  Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!

In these verses, the psalmist writes of how God heard his prayers… Surely they apply to us as well.

–Q7 From Vs.17 How does the psalmist approach God? (Are we guilty of subdued praise? ~ KK)

–Q8 From Vs.18 What is the spiritual meaning here? (Because we all know, and I quote from a romantic adventure movie we just watched, “The heart is just a pump”. ~ a little humor as we ponder our emotions KK)

–Q9 Do verses 19-20 Give you VICTORY? — WHY? (Each individual must answer this for themself ~ KK)

For a New Testament confirmation see 1^st Peter 3:8-12 (ESV) Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.  (9)  Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.  (10)  For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;  (11)  let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.  (12)  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

–Q10 From 1^st Peter 3:8 What kind of ‘heart and mind’ does God listen to? (God listens to loving, humble people ~ KK)

–Q11 From Vs. 9-11 How does this ‘heart’ show itself to humanity? (In an honest, wise, and gentle character ~ KK)

— Finally in Vs.12, Do you see God’s promise to hear your prayers? (As we seek to become wise, loving, and right living testimonies to Christ, God promises to hear our requests ~ KK)

***** My 5-star question: Does God’s promise to hear your prayers give you victory or defeat?

(Leads me to ask, Is your God greater than he that is in the world? (1st John 4:4 ~ KK)

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Doubt #2/ There is so much tragedy happening in the world, where is God?

1^st Peter 3:12-16  (GNB) For the Lord watches over the righteous and listens to their prayers; but he opposes those who do evil.”  (13)  Who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good?  (14)  But even if you should suffer for doing what is right, how happy you are! Do not be afraid of anyone, and do not worry.  (15)  But have reverence for Christ in your hearts, and honor him as Lord. Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you,  (16)  but do it with gentleness and respect. Keep your conscience clear, so that when you are insulted, those who speak evil of your good conduct as followers of Christ will become ashamed of what they say.

Romans 12:17 from the Amplified Bible tells us:
Never repay anyone evil for evil. Take thought for what is right and gracious and proper in the sight of everyone.

Q1/ Is there a call to act righteously beyond accepting the righteousness of Jesus?

Psalm 23:3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (I think it is clear we are to follow a life-path of behaving rightly, to bring praise to Jesus’ name ~ KK)

— What is righteousness – Definition – being equitable (in character or act); by implication to be innocent, holy (absolutely or relatively).

Q2/ So how do you respond when someone asks you why God allows such terrible tragedies in the world?

— We must answer… “with gentleness and respect. Keep your conscience clear, so that when you are insulted, those who speak evil of your good conduct as followers of Christ will become ashamed of what they say.”

— (We need to behave gently with people who lash out at God in times of tragedy. ~ KK)

Q3/ When you encounter a loved one who is hurting and angry with God, have you found that sometimes you just need to give them time, and let them vent?

Let’s take a look at this through some Bible verses in Proverbs…

Proverbs 15:1-3  A kind answer soothes angry feelings, but harsh words stir them up.
Q4/ Any experiences with this situation?

Vs. (2)  Words of wisdom come from the wise, but fools speak foolishness.
Q5/ Does God call us to wisdom? (Romans 12:17 ~ KK)

Vs. (3)  The LORD sees everything, whether good or bad.
Q6/ Can this help us understand why some disasters occur in the world? (If God sees all the evil done to innocent people, do you think He won’t deal with that injustice, in the NOW or in the LATER, maybe during His time of judgment ~ KK)

• Sub-questions: When a nation persecutes Christians, who are they following? As nations follow their god(s), whose protection do they dwell under? (Is Satan’s preservation really protection, or a delayed punishment ~ KK)

• See Deuteronomy 32:37-38  Then he will say, ‘Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge,  (38)  who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you; let them be your protection!

Q7/ As we use this Romans 12:17 wisdom to respond to tragedy, what good can come out of that? (How else can we truly show God’s love for lost mankind? ~ KK)

Q8/ Final question, how do we recover our trust and joy in this world filled with so many disasters? (Real JOY comes from the Holy Spirit, and it cannot be conquered. See Paul and Silas whipped and beaten in jail still praying and singing, Acts 16:16-33 ~ KK)

Psalms 42:5 (ESV) Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation.

John 16:33 (ESV) “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

We also looked at how natural calamities like the earthquake in Turkey and Syria can cause us to wonder why God allowed that to happen. Find these discussion notes in this posting… (KK)

What do we know about Turkey & Syria?

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— Doubt #3/ I am feeling empty and powerless.

— Q/1 Have you felt discouraged lately?
Sub-Q/1: What’s the best encouragement you could receive / a Christian can receive? (Any difference?)

Romans 15:8-13 (GNB) For I tell you that Christ’s life of service was on behalf of the Jews, to show that God is faithful, to make his promises to their ancestors come true,  (9)  and to enable even the Gentiles to praise God for his mercy. As the scripture says, “And so I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to you.”  (10)  Again it says, “Rejoice, Gentiles, with God’s people!”  (11)  And again, “Praise the Lord, all Gentiles; praise him, all peoples!”  (12)  And again, Isaiah says, “A descendant of Jesse will appear; he will come to rule the Gentiles, and they will put their hope in him.”  (13)  May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.

— Q/2 Do you see a common thread of Paul’s teaching in these verses?
(Praising God brings us joy and peace and this needs to be a growing action of God’s Holy Spirit in us.)
Sub-Q/2: What encouragement comes from knowing that God is faithful?

Paul gives us a way to reject the attitude of helplessness in these verses: (Something we can do)

— Q/3 First, tell me what is the repeated action from these verses.

(Vs.8-9) For I tell you that Christ’s life of service was on behalf of the Jews, to show that God is faithful, to make his promises to their ancestors come true,  (9)  and to enable even the Gentiles to praise God for his mercy.
(10)  Again it says, “Rejoice, Gentiles, with God’s people!”
(11)  And again, “Praise the Lord, all Gentiles; praise him, all peoples!”

More evidence of this command from the Bible:

Psalm 150:1-6  Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens!  (2)  Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!  (3)  Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!  (4)  Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!  (5)  Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!  (6)  Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!

— Q/4 What if one of us wanted to bring a drum along to accompany our worship songs?

— Reactions to certain worship forms, brings up a discussion of how we should deal with differences in worship, both in the form and the lyrics used.

— Q/5 Are there some ways we can gain a better result from our praise and worship?

(Sub-question: How is God’s Holy Spirit moving today in some US universities like Asbury U?)

— Q/6 Next, What is the link between these verses, and Romans 15:12? (And again, Isaiah says, “A descendant of Jesse will appear; he will come to rule the Gentiles, and they will put their hope in him.”)
Sub-Q/6: Do you gain peace by placing your hope for today’s problems in Christ?

— Q/7 Are there any struggles you are seeking a solution to?
Let’s take time to share these struggles with one another, and the lessons we’ve learned from them…
with a promise to keep these things within our group.
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Our next study will be about how to remedy discouragement about our aging process.

— As we go to prayer, I want us to follow God’s direction in approaching Him with our requests.

— First, see how Jesus taught us to approach God in prayer: “Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. (Matthew 6:9)

— Then note Paul’s vigorous encouragement: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:4-6)

— So How do we start to pray? (This requires every individual to participate in if you are going to pray.)

And with prayer and further fellowship, we will close this week’s Bible study.
Please feel free to send a comment or question using the contact forms provided on this site.
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— Doubt #3/ (Cont’d): I am feeling empty and powerless.

Our Bible discussions have centered on 3 attitudes of defeat:
(Does God hear me? – In this troubled world where is God? – I feel powerless.)

— Today, Doubt #3(Cont’d) / I am feeling empty and powerless.

As we become ‘AGED’ and our physical abilities diminish, how can we reject the attitude of helplessness? — Let’s see if we can find answers from these verses from God’s Word:

1^st Thessalonians 4:13-18 (GNB) Our friends, we want you to know the truth about those who have died, so that you will not be sad, as are those who have no hope.  (14)  We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will take back with Jesus those who have died believing in him.  (15)  What we are teaching you now is the Lord’s teaching: we who are alive on the day the Lord comes will not go ahead of those who have died.  (16)  There will be the shout of command, the archangel’s voice, the sound of God’s trumpet, and the Lord himself will come down from heaven. Those who have died believing in Christ will rise to life first;  (17)  then we who are living at that time will be gathered up along with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.  (18)  So then, encourage one another with these words.

Let’s discuss what you find here, or any questions.

I would like to talk about some positive things we find in (Vs.14)  We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will take back with Jesus those who have died believing in him.

— Q1/ We’ve discussed this before, but does this include those who lived prior to the time of Jesus? (Old Testament believers)

— Q2/ How do you react to verses 15-17? (Disbelief? – Disappointment that we have to wait? – Or Celebration?)

— Q3/ What is the correct response? (Celebration)
— Even from a sick bed we need to have a heart that holds fast to the victory that our faith in God gives us.
— Sub Q3/ How can we be victorious in suffering? (Again, by faith we hope in the Lord.)

— Q4/ Do we have to die before we gain the VICTORY?

The apostle Paul led by God’s Holy Spirit wrote in 1^st Corinthians 15:54-58 (CEV) The bodies we now have are weak and can die. But they will be changed into bodies that are eternal. Then the Scriptures will come true, “Death has lost the battle!  (55)  Where is its victory? Where is its sting?”  (56)  Sin is what gives death its sting, and the Law is the power behind sin.  (57)  But thank God for letting our Lord Jesus Christ give us the victory! (58)  My dear friends, stand firm and don’t be shaken. Always keep busy working for the Lord. You know that everything you do for him is worthwhile.

— The victory is inside us as we live a life that is more directed to where we will spend eternity,
than how we enjoy this momentary existence.
— How about the various ways we can continue to serve? (“Always keep busy working for the Lord.”)
We really need to discuss what we see others doing, and what we can do for God’s work…

— Q5/ How can we walk in victory when we are worried about unsaved loved ones?”
— This is a real anxiety-battle that must find a solution to as we place our faith in a loving God. A knowledge that He is working in their lives to draw them to Himself and to salvation.
— These words from (Vs.58) “You know that everything you do for him is worthwhile.” – Gives us a promise that if we display a God following life to our loved ones, He will use us to witness to them that there is also a blessed hope and future for them to choose.

— Q6/ Is there any room for retreat? (Returning to our old ways?)
No, definitely not! – (58)  My dear friends, stand firm and don’t be shaken. Always keep busy working for the Lord. You know that everything you do for him is worthwhile.

— This is a call to keep trusting God has an answer to your heart’s cry.

When we are praying for lost loved ones, we need to be assured that God is handling them with all His compassion and understanding. We step out in faith as we pray for them, that God will lead them to recognize the error of their ways, and give them the opportunity to return to His love and His saving grace.

Further discussion and a closing song to lead us into prayer time.

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Homework for next study: Does your worship reflect defeat or victory? (Think about it.)

Read Psalm 40:1-4  (A psalm by David for the music leader.) I patiently waited, LORD, for you to hear my prayer. You listened  (2)  and pulled me from a lonely pit full of mud and mire. You let me stand on a rock with my feet firm,  (3)  and you gave me a new song, a song of praise to you. Many will see this, and they will honor and trust you, the LORD God.  (4)  You bless all of those who trust you, LORD, and refuse to worship idols or follow false gods.