Welcome to this Blog!

The weekly Bible Study will be posted each week, as it becomes available.
You are welcome to attend the study group. We also encourage you to join this blog as a follower and to add comments.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Our present Help

17 October 2012

Opening Prayer/Worship

Hymn: O God Our Help in Ages Past

Theme: Be filled with the Holy Spirit  

Topic: Our present Help

Reading: Job 23:1-9, 16-17
Then Job answered: 2 ‘Today also my complaint is bitter;*
   his* hand is heavy despite my groaning.
3 O that I knew where I might find him,
   that I might come even to his dwelling!
4 I would lay my case before him,
   and fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would learn what he would answer me,
   and understand what he would say to me.
6 Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power?
   No; but he would give heed to me.
7 There an upright person could reason with him,
   and I should be acquitted for ever by my judge.

8 ‘If I go forward, he is not there;
   or backward, I cannot perceive him;
9 on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him;
   I turn* to the right, but I cannot see him.
16 God has made my heart faint;
   the Almighty* has terrified me;
17 If only I could vanish in darkness,
   and thick darkness would cover my face!*

Introduction
There are times in life when we feel the ground has fallen off under us.  We feel everyone, including God has abandoned us.  The trials seem unbearable and nobody can understand what we are passing through.  At such times we may even begin to wonder where God is.  If He is really with us, why won’t He rescue us from the trouble and pain?  The truth remains that God is with us at all times; that is why Christ is called Emmanuel- God with us.  God knows what we are passing through and will deliver us.  As humans, most times when we go through crisis, we tend to focus more on the ‘why’ instead of the God who is able to deliver.  Scripture tells us that with God nothing is impossible, even with faith as small as the mustard seed.  As we fellowship today, let us be reminded that the Almighty God is our present help in time of trouble and He has promised never to leave us nor forsake us.

Questions/Discussion
1. Why do we tend to ask ‘why’ in moments of crisis? 
Psalm 22:1-15
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
   Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
   and by night, but find no rest.

3 Yet you are holy,
   enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our ancestors trusted;
   they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried, and were saved;
   in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.

6 But I am a worm, and not human;
   scorned by others, and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock at me;
   they make mouths at me, they shake their heads;
8 ‘Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver—
   let him rescue the one in whom he delights!’

9 Yet it was you who took me from the womb;
   you kept me safe on my mother’s breast.
10 On you I was cast from my birth,
   and since my mother bore me you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me,
   for trouble is near
   and there is no one to help.

12 Many bulls encircle me,
   strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
13 they open wide their mouths at me,
   like a ravening and roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water,
   and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
   it is melted within my breast;
15 my mouth* is dried up like a potsherd,
   and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
   you lay me in the dust of death.

Matthew 27:45-49
From noon on, darkness came over the whole land* until three in the afternoon. 46And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ 47When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘This man is calling for Elijah.’ 48At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. 49But the others said, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.’*

2. What should be our attitude in challenging times? 
Job 13:1-16
‘Look, my eye has seen all this,
   my ear has heard and understood it.
2 What you know, I also know;
   I am not inferior to you.
3 But I would speak to the Almighty,*
   and I desire to argue my case with God.
4 As for you, you whitewash with lies;
   all of you are worthless physicians.
5 If you would only keep silent,
   that would be your wisdom!
6 Hear now my reasoning,
   and listen to the pleadings of my lips.
7 Will you speak falsely for God,
   and speak deceitfully for him?
8 Will you show partiality towards him,
   will you plead the case for God?
9 Will it be well with you when he searches you out?
   Or can you deceive him, as one person deceives another?
10 He will surely rebuke you
   if in secret you show partiality.
11 Will not his majesty terrify you,
   and the dread of him fall upon you?
12 Your maxims are proverbs of ashes,
   your defences are defences of clay.

13 ‘Let me have silence, and I will speak,
   and let come on me what may.
14 I will take my flesh in my teeth,
   and put my life in my hand.*
15 See, he will kill me; I have no hope;*
   but I will defend my ways to his face.
16 This will be my salvation,
   that the godless shall not come before him.

Matthew 17:14-21
When they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, 15and said, ‘Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16And I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.’ 17Jesus answered, ‘You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.’ 18And Jesus rebuked the demon,* and it* came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. 19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ 20He said to them, ‘Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a* mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there”, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Romans 8:28-39
We know that all things work together for good* for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family.* 30And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. 31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.* 35Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all day long;    we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.’ 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

3. How do we demonstrate faith, even if it’s as small as the mustard seed? 
Psalm 46:1-11 (to be read in alternate verses)
1 God is our refuge and strength,
   a very present* help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
   though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3 though its waters roar and foam,
   though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
   the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of the city;* it shall not be moved;
   God will help it when the morning dawns.
6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
   he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our refuge.*
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord;
   see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
   he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
   he burns the shields with fire.
10 ‘Be still, and know that I am God!
   I am exalted among the nations,
   I am exalted in the earth.’
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our refuge.*
Hebrews 4:12-16
Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. 14 Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested* as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 12:1-12
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,* and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of* the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners,* so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. 4In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children—
‘My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
   or lose heart when you are punished by him;
6 for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves,
   and chastises every child whom he accepts.’
7Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? 8If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. 9Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. 11Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,

Hebrews 13:5-6
Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ 6So we can say with confidence,
‘The Lord is my helper;
   I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?’

Intercession/Worship

Conclusion
In moments of trial, let us remember that God is for us and has promised never to leave nor forsake us.

Closing Prayer
Lord we thank thee for being our present help in time of trouble.  We ask thee to grant us hearts that will trust You at all times.  We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.