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To: calgal who wrote (5753)	6/1/2004 4:40:44 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 14396

13 June Following Christ John 16:7; 12:14 What is your notion of following Christ? Doesn’t it basically boil down to obeying Christ? The disciples enjoyed the company of Christ Himself for three years. They were able to converse with Him and receive an audible answer. They were able to see Him and touch Him. But we also have the benefit of His presence. The day before He was crucified, Christ promised the disciples that He would not leave them alone in this fallen world. He pledged to send them a Helper, the Holy Spirit, to guide them into all truth. The Holy Spirit indeed reveals to us the truth of Christ in any and all circumstances. He enables us to walk in the way that He reveals, and He also corrects our course when we stray. God’s way is not the world’s way. Satan controls this evil world system and attempts to camouflage circumstances to confuse people. But the Holy Spirit is our sure compass and always responds to our prayers and faith. If you are a believer attempting to walk closely with Christ, you can be sure that the Holy Spirit will place a "check" within your spirit when confronted with a situation or decision that would take you outside the will of God. What you do next will influence how well you continue to follow Christ. Because it all boils down to obedience.

To: calgal who wrote (5753)	6/1/2004 4:41:02 PM
From: calgal	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 14396

14 June Obedience: Measure of Our Love JOHN 14:15-24 People express love in many ways. Some buy gifts, while others choose acts of service. In addition, love is communicated through the words we choose—our expressions can be simple or elaborate, frequent or occasional. So how do we decide the best way to show love? We may let our financial situation dictate which gifts we give as a gesture of affection. The availability of time will impact our acts of service. How we verbally communicate love relates to our personality, our upbringing, and our culture. But if we want others to experience love, the most important factor is determining what makes them feel loved. God has told us how He recognizes that we love Him. "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15). Each time we obey God, we are saying, "I love You, Lord." When we worship Him in spirit and truth in our churches (John 4:24) or when we meditate on His Word and apply it to our lives, He sees us expressing love. Each time we wait on Him in prayer, He acknowledges it as an act of love. When we submit to those in authority over us or to our brothers and sisters in Christ (Ephesians 5:21), we are proclaiming, "I love You." When we obey even when the way is unclear, the conflict is strong, or complying means sacrificing what we want, we are shouting out, "I love You." As God's children, we want to express love repeatedly to our Father. Each act of obedience to His commandments does just that.

To: calgal who wrote (5753)	6/1/2004 4:51:36 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 14396

21 June The Believer’s Security System Matthew 7:15-23 Physical safety is on the minds of most people today, especially after 9/11. We are rightly concerned about homeland security, yet when it comes to protection, many people neglect the even more precious arena of soul and spirit. The fact is that there are spiritual terrorists on the loose. Jesus called them "wolves in sheep's clothing" and issued some stern warnings to alert us. These wolves are false teachers and false prophets who appear to be genuine spiritual guides but are instead full of schemes to advance their own agenda. They look good and they sound good, but they are consumed with lust and greed. None of this is apparent at first. Instead, they preach a fine gospel in a most compelling manner. Gradually, however, they begin to blend inaccuracy with fact. At this point, people seem to forget that truth mixed with error is no longer truth; instead it has become error. You can recognize these folks in a number of ways. Jesus said they would bear fruit that would eventually reveal their true character. At first you might detect that they are subtly questioning the Bible's authority and its relevance for the 21st century. Then you will notice little is said about living a holy life or being careful to obey the whole counsel of God. Later they will begin to equate obedience to God with living the way they want you to live. False teachers desire a following more than they care for your welfare. Here we must be very discerning, so remember: "You will know them by their fruits."

To: calgal who wrote (5753)	6/1/2004 4:51:54 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 14396

22 June The Believer’s Security System 2 Peter 2:18-21 While every child of God has a built-in "spiritual security system," some Christians are far more vulnerable than others to spiritual predators. False teachers, or "wolves in sheep's clothing," will seek out immature believers and exploit their ignorance. The wolves also hunt down people with unresolved guilt in an effort to salve their consciences with phony remedies. People who fail to confess and forsake sin according to Scripture remain highly susceptible to Satan's trickery. Another group of people at risk of seduction are those who have gained a head knowledge of Jesus and religious practices but have not followed through in genuine discipleship. They may be church members and they may even be baptized, but something is missing. They have no root in true godliness and end up entangled in a worse state than before. Fortunately, believers are equipped to avoid these potholes. We have a security system designed to protect us if we keep it well tuned. First and foremost, we have to saturate our minds continually with God's Truth. In so doing, we will eventually develop a mental grid that reacts in alarm when something false comes our way. In this manner, we become rooted and grounded in the truth. Christians must also learn to know the Holy Spirit personally and listen to Him. He enables us to have a discerning spirit, and He will educate our conscience to provide timely warnings when we start down the wrong path. We can escape the snares of the Devil and rest secure in Jesus.

To: calgal who wrote (5753)	6/1/2004 4:52:11 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 14396

23 June Failure—The First Step to Victory Romans 7:15-21 As Christians, we often encounter some unusual paradoxes. A prime example is Jesus' comment that the first shall be last and the last shall be first. (Matthew 20:16) Hard sayings like this challenge our thinking—they may seem confusing until we remember that we have been called out of this world into a new way of living. Self-effort, which works so well for the natural man, must be abandoned by the Spirit-filled believer. That is why the Lord sometimes allows us to experience failure in our pursuit of holiness. He wants to show us how totally dependent we are on Him. When seen in that light, our human failures can actually be viewed as friends to instruct us rather than enemies to be resisted. This perspective is not easily obtained. From earliest childhood, we are urged to work hard, strive for excellence, and do our very best. We are told to set goals and then pursue them with diligence and determination. These virtues are useful in their place, but when conscientiously employed, they can actually betray us by suggesting that our salvation lies in them. They whisper to the human ego, "You have all that it takes to be successful." Gradually, if we pay attention to these voices, our confidence begins to shift from trusting in the Spirit to relying upon the flesh. God will not accept our dependence upon anything or anyone beside Him. If necessary, He will engineer circumstances that will defeat our best efforts and humble us until we learn to live by the faith which He supplies.

To: calgal who wrote (5753)	6/1/2004 4:52:31 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 14396

24 June Failure—The First Step to Victory Romans 8:29-30 In yesterday's lesson, we noted how God engineers circumstances to humble us and show us how much we need Him if we are to live a victorious life. This is how He eliminates the idol of self-effort from our pursuit of holiness. It is also His way of accomplishing other purposes in our lives. Our heavenly Father has more in mind than simply exposing the weakness of our flesh—that is only a prerequisite to something else. He intends to put us on display for all eternity as examples of His grace and goodness. He wants the angels to see the body of Christ and stand in awe before this dazzling demonstration of His handiwork. What would you and I need to qualify for this purpose? Is there any way we can possibly understand the full scope of His designs for our lives? What must be done so that we may attain everything He has in mind for us? We do not have all the answers to these questions. As a result, we have difficulty understanding why God allows us to fail. If we could only see the glorious final product He has in mind, we would gladly abandon our self-effort and give way to His transforming power. But instead, we insist on doing it our way. And as long as we remain in this mode of thinking, God will insist on allowing us to fail. There is a better way. It is simply living by faith, trusting in the Holy Spirit within us moment-by-moment and day-by-day to conform us to the likeness of God's Son Jesus Christ.

To: calgal who wrote (5753)	6/1/2004 4:52:44 PM
From: calgal	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 14396

25 June Dressed for the Battle Ephesians 6:10-18 People today are overwhelmingly "dress conscious." When we wake up, we think about what we have to do that day and then dress accordingly. Thinking about the spiritual battles we will undoubtedly face each day, then, we should likewise be careful to clothe ourselves appropriately—in the full armor of God. Each morning as you get dressed, say a prayer like this: Dear Lord, today I put on the helmet of salvation. Protect my mind from attacks by the Enemy, and give me sound thinking. I put on the breastplate of righteousness. Guard my heart and emotions from assault. And let me be governed, not by my emotions, but rather by the truth of Your Word. I strap on the belt of truth. Wrap Your Word around me—around the very core of my being. Protect me from error by keeping me in Your truth. I step into the sandals of peace. Use me to take Your peace and Your hope into the world today, and let me stand firm in the face of any attack by the Enemy. By anchoring me in Your Word, enable me to keep my footing. I take up the shield of faith. Let the attack of the world, the flesh, and the Devil fall flat against this defensive gear. Finally, I take up the sword of God, Your holy Word. Put your truth in my heart and mind in a fresh way, so that it is able to pierce the hearts and minds of those I encounter. Be sure of this: you are stepping into a spiritual warzone today. Are you dressed for battle?