Open 24/7
Last year a friend invited me to a Bible study with her. On a whim I went to a Bible study at another church. My heart had been heavy and I had asked God to bring the truth to light. Be careful what you pray for. I believe it was through that Bible study that He answered my questions. If you know me, I like billboards. Maybe sometimes I know the answer but if it is not what I want to hear then I need a sign. Well, He gave me billboards!
2 Timothy 2:4 "No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the recruiter." In a world that is so divided it was nice to study about God wanting to raise us up as mighty servants that He can use all over the world with the gospel of Jesus. He wants to enable us to do what we cannot do and love who we do not love. 2 Timothy 2:23 "But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they breed quarrels."
Beth Moore said, *As society becomes less and less inclined to acknowledge the bible as truth, the natural propensity will be for the church to raise up fewer and fewer teachers. ....In a world less and less tolerant to truth, we get to pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to raise up more and more Jesus-loving, Spirit-infiltrated teachers of Scripture. Teachers who truly love people rather than platforms. Teachers who are willing to silence their phones and get off social media for hours on end in order to pray hard and study diligently. Teachers who are both humble and unapologetic in their anointing. Jesus is looking for faithful people who are competent to teach others.......Scripture is too precious, too sacred to be entrusted to human hands apart from the Holy Spirit. We may not all be called to teach but we are all called to be profoundly effective communicators of the gospel."
Romans 16: 17-18 "I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people."
It is time for that Bible study again. It is not the speaker that gets the glory, it is God and His perfect timing to fit that study to my life. I really do not want to do it because "it is summer." I am just being honest. But I think about how it was for me last year. I think about how he brought scripture to life for me. I can go study for a few hours one night a week for two months! I sure am glad when I send my prayers up I don't get an automated message saying God will be out of the office until after Labor Day! God does not take the summer off, He is open 24/7!