Sufficient Self's Bible Study Group

[Rebbetzin]

Shiloh Acres,

Your story reminds me of a time we were visiting in Jerusalem at the home of some long time friends. They are not believers. We were there for the bar/bat mitzvah of their son and daughter born a year apart that were my daycare children years earlier. Shabbat afternoon with a house full of people, one of the guests asks me "So how is what you believe different from what we believe?" The entire room went silent. And I was able to the best of my ability tell them why we believe the Messiah has come and will come again.

Talk about feeling "on the spot"

 

[Farmfresh]

And think of all of the people that heard the gospel that day! Praise the Lord.

 

[Wannabefree]

And think of all of the people that heard the gospel that day! Praise the Lord.

AMEN!

It is so nice that you got to share that Rebbetzin!

Our church started a nursing home mission last night and we began to do some organizing for it. One lady who works at the home said there is a man there who is 65 and in all his 65 years no one has shared the gospel with him until she came along The situation that brought it up...his childhood friend who was in the same room with him in the nursing home, was passing away and they allowed him to stay in the room with him at his and the other mans request. The subject of death brought forth the subject of the afterlife to this man...and I can not fathom that in 65 years, no one had cared enough about him to share the gospel with him! We are in the deep south, and for most folks that alone conotates of being the Bible Belt and religion and religious folks...yet amongst all things people think of regarding religion and the South, one man somehow has slipped through having never been witnessed to. This makes me wonder...what about the rest of the country? The rest of the world?

 

[Rebbetzin]

,
This makes me wonder...what about the rest of the country? The rest of the world?

One can never assume people, even in the Church, have a personal relationship with the Holy One. As Papa TenBoom said, "Just because the mouse likes to live in the cookie jar, it does not make him a cookie."

I have found most people believe in G_d, but many times it is a "god of their own creation" and not the Holy One of Israel.

It is important to listen to people and find out what they believe about Holy One, Who He is, how He relates to mankind, what they believe in as far as such things as Salvation, Life after death, Age to Come, etc. Only by listening, will you learn if they know the Holy One or not.

 

[Wannabefree]

,
This makes me wonder...what about the rest of the country? The rest of the world?

One can never assume people, even in the Church, have a personal relationship with the Holy One. As Papa TenBoom said, "Just because the mouse likes to live in the cookie jar, it does not make him a cookie."

I have found most people believe in G_d, but many times it is a "god of their own creation" and not the Holy One of Israel.

It is important to listen to people and find out what they believe about Holy One, Who He is, how He relates to mankind, what they believe in as far as such things as Salvation, Life after death, Age to Come, etc. Only by listening, will you learn if they know the Holy One or not.

I agree. Sometimes it's just a shock to realize the vastness of the lost people in the world. I know they are there, and everywhere, but right under our own noses tends to get forgotten at times. Mission trips are for "other" places...ya know?! It was a great reminder of what I can do RIGHT HERE!

 

[Rebbetzin]

Mission trips are for "other" places...ya know?! It was a great reminder of what I can do RIGHT HERE!

One thing my husband says when people come and say they feel "called" to be a missionary in another country is to tell them..

"Start a Bible Study in your home. Do not attempt to start it with people from this or any other congregation., Invite your neighbors, who probably do not know the Holy One." Most people balk at that idea, thinking that is too hard to do. But, if they can't begin a Bible Study with folks who speak the same language, have much the same culture and economic standing, how can they assume to go to the other side of the planet where they don't speak the language and the culture is different and be effective there?

Bloom where the Holy One has planted you. We are to be a light in a lost and dying world.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

I have to admit, the idea of explaining my faith to a room full of Jewish believers would be a little daunting! I really respect those who study the Scriptures from the Jewish standpoint. I find that I can often learn a lot from them since it it THEIR cultural heritage that is involved, not mine. Actually some of the best teachers I have ever encountered have been Jewish believers who became Christians.

My group was a couple of people who said "Yes we believe in God" but had not read the Bible, been to church, or had anyone teach them anything so their understanding was very limited. And a couple of Wiccans. A few atheists. And a few people who came at it from a Native American standpoint. At least I had some common ground with the last set, since a friend had gotten me involved years ago and I used to attend tribal events and participate in a lot of rituals, including the religious ones. The discussion became rather heated (on someone else's part, not mine) a few times, and as I said I REALLY felt on the spot, but if nothing else they all (I think) came away with a respect for my demeanor and hopefully some of my words. I really feel that I had God's help in that situation! Now I am someone who can talk to anyone, and often do (just chatty stuff) but back then I was PAINFULLY shy to the EXTREME and believe me, that was not "me" who was able to handle that scenario.

 

[Wannabefree]

I have to admit, the idea of explaining my faith to a room full of Jewish believers would be a little daunting! I really respect those who study the Scriptures from the Jewish standpoint. I find that I can often learn a lot from them since it it THEIR cultural heritage that is involved, not mine. Actually some of the best teachers I have ever encountered have been Jewish believers who became Christians.

My group was a couple of people who said "Yes we believe in God" but had not read the Bible, been to church, or had anyone teach them anything so their understanding was very limited. And a couple of Wiccans. A few atheists. And a few people who came at it from a Native American standpoint. At least I had some common ground with the last set, since a friend had gotten me involved years ago and I used to attend tribal events and participate in a lot of rituals, including the religious ones. The discussion became rather heated (on someone else's part, not mine) a few times, and as I said I REALLY felt on the spot, but if nothing else they all (I think) came away with a respect for my demeanor and hopefully some of my words. I really feel that I had God's help in that situation! Now I am someone who can talk to anyone, and often do (just chatty stuff) but back then I was PAINFULLY shy to the EXTREME and believe me, that was not "me" who was able to handle that scenario.

Which translates to....He is always with us I'ts never really us doing it anyway it is the LORD revealing Himself to others THROUGH us..so no need to be nervous or afraid to speak up really

 

[Rebbetzin]

Which translates to....He is always with us I'ts never really us doing it anyway it is the LORD revealing Himself to others THROUGH us..so no need to be nervous or afraid to speak up really

As it is written....

2.Isaiah 59:21
As for Me, says the L_RD, this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants descendants, says the L_RD, from this time and forevermore.

 

[CrimsonRose]

Mission trips are for "other" places...ya know?! It was a great reminder of what I can do RIGHT HERE!

One thing my husband says when people come and say they feel "called" to be a missionary in another country is to tell them..

"Start a Bible Study in your home. Do not attempt to start it with people from this or any other congregation., Invite your neighbors, who probably do not know the Holy One." Most people balk at that idea, thinking that is too hard to do. But, if they can't begin a Bible Study with folks who speak the same language, have much the same culture and economic standing, how can they assume to go to the other side of the planet where they don't speak the language and the culture is different and be effective there?

Bloom where the Holy One has planted you. We are to be a light in a lost and dying world.

I agree with this wholeheartedly... Think about this example...

If you are going on a trip and telling your loved ones goodbye... don't you remind them of the most important things?.. such as "remember to call, take care, Love you!"... Well as Jesus was ascending to heaven his last words to the disciples are (Matt 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And, Look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.)

So of all the things Jesus taught... the part he felt was vital to remind us of... is to preach and teach others. This is why it's such a huge part of the way i worship. Going door to door just as Jesus commanded his disciples to do (Mark 6:6-7, Luke 10:1-3) You don't need to travel very far at all to find people who have a love for God and have very little knowledge of the Bible or how to worship him. Many don't even know that God has a name Jehovah Ex 6:2, Psalms 83:18 many Bible translations take his name out entirely and replace it with the capital Letters L-O-R-D based on an old Jewish superstition...

But think about the Lord's Prayer "Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name..." to use the word hallowed means to make holy... so how can you make his NAME holy if you don't know and use it?