Tag: Guidance

Living in the Image of God

Receiving God Guidance and Directive

Living in the Image of God M05S05

The bible provides understanding that God can communicate with an individual using several methods and chooses the method that is effective for a person and circumstance. In one example, he sent an angel to Philip to deliver a directive regarding interaction with an Ethiopian and, later, provided a second instruction directly to Philip through the Holy Spirit. In a second example regarding the Peter-Cornelius meeting; God sent an angel to Cornelius in a vision to deliver a directive that he should invite Peter to his home; interacted with Peter in a vision to convey a message that Gentiles are entitled to receive the Gospel; and later informed Peter through the Holy Spirit to accept an invitation from three men that had arrived to see him. In the interactions, God used two different methods to communicate two messages of different complexity to the same person. The study includes Paul’s letter to the Corinthians: that every person can receive the Holy Spirit; who connects directly to the Spirit of God, receives instructions from God, and interprets the instructions to provide God guidance and directives.

Receiving God Guidance and Directive 27:01

In this bible study, we discuss several examples to understand that God communicates with individuals using several methods. He chooses the method of communication that is effective for a person and circumstance.

We discuss an example regarding interactions between the apostle Philip and the Ethiopian Minister of the Treasury, when Philip received God guidance and directive to meet and interact with the minister, for the purpose of delivering the Gospel to him. God provided the instructions to Philip using two methods of communication, for the same person in different circumstances. First, he sent an angel to Philip to deliver the initial directive. Second, he delivered an instruction to Philip directly through the Holy Spirit.

In a second example, we discuss interactions regarding a meeting between Peter and Cornelius, when God sent Peter to deliver the Gospel to Cornelius. To prepare Cornelius for the meeting, God sent an angel to him in a vision to deliver a directive that he should invite Peter to his home. Thereafter, God used two encounters to prepare Peter. First, he interacted with Peter in a vision to convey a philosophical message that Gentiles (i.e., non-Jews) are entitled to receive the Gospel. Second, he informed Peter through the Holy Spirit that three men had arrived to deliver an invitation to him, the invitation was of God, and he should accept. In the interactions with Peter, God used two different methods to communicate two messages of different complexity to the same person.

The study concludes with information from Paul’s letter to Corinthians, regarding communication with God through the Holy Spirit. He informed the Corinthians, and us today, that every person can receive the Holy Spirit. Further, the Holy Spirit connects directly to the Spirit of God, receives instructions from God, and interprets the instructions to provide God guidance and directives to the person. Thus, every person can receive and follow God guidance and directives. Please watch the video discussion for more information regarding communicating with God through the Holy Spirit.

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The King and the People

Equality Under the Law—Saul Terminated as King

Saul Violates Basic Civil Rights Principle

Saul was terminated as king of Israel for discriminatory execution of God’s judgment against the Amalekites. He was commanded to destroy all. Instead, he spared the “good” for special treatment while selecting the “despised and worthless” for total destruction. Thus, he applied personal criteria to modify the judgment. Based on the termination of his kingship for the violation, we understand that equality under the law is important to God as a fundamental principle of people versus government relationships.

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We discuss interactions between Prophet Samuel and King Saul regarding God’s judgment of the Amalekites for total destruction. Saul was commanded to execute the judgment. However, instead of applying the judgment equally to all as commanded, he introduced personal criteria to distinguish between the “good” and the “despised and worthless.” He spared the first but utterly destroyed the other [1 Samuel 15:9]: “But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.”

Samuel rebukes Saul [1 Sam 15:23]
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Equal execution of the judgment, i.e., equality under the law, required destruction of all Amalekites and their livestock irrespective of any differences or similarities among them. Saul violated the principle by discriminating between the “good” and “despised and worthless.” God terminated his kingship over Israel for the violation: “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments” [1 Samuel 15:11].

Recall that Saul’s kingdom was terminated earlier for violating the principle of separation of state and worship. But he was allowed to remain king. Termination of his kingdom meant his offspring will not succeed him as king. But he would have continued to be king and served out his tenure if not for his violation of the principle of equality under the law. God intended his kingdom to last forever, as we discuss in Punishment of Saul Conveys God’s Promise. However, both the kingdom and his tenure as king ended much sooner because he violated fundamental principles of people versus government relationships.

For the execution of the judgment against Amalekites, equality under the law implied equal application of punishment. However, the principle has broader implications: such as equal protection under the law, which Apostle Paul used in his defense during trials in Jerusalem and Caesarea (Civil Rights and Responsibilities); and equal access to facilities of society, which David enunciated to settle a developing dispute among his followers regarding sharing of battle proceeds (David Proclaims Civil Rights Principle). In this study, we discuss interactions between Samuel and Saul regarding Saul’s execution of judgment against the Amalekites and his termination as king of Israel.

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Year End Message

Human Relationship with God Regarding Work

Guidance Faith Work and Miracle

Would you end 2018 understanding that God defines work for every person, divides the work into task increments, initiates each task, and provides the person guidance to proceed and complete the task on time? Christ explains and illustrates this relationship through interactions with a man born blind. Each task, if completed, leads to a miracle and ushers in the next task. To receive and complete your tasks, you need to stay connected to God: by praying continually, interacting with other believers in fellowship, and living in the image of God. You will receive his guidance, follow with faith, and complete each task on time to receive your miracle and guidance for the next task.

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Jesus teaching
Jesus teaching
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We invite you to end 2018 learning from Christ’s teaching on human relationship with God regarding work, through interactions with a man born blind. Christ uses the interactions to lead us step by step through an illustration of the relationship. Apostle John provides an account of the teaching and illustration in the first 39 verses of chapter 9 [John 9:1–39]. In the teaching, Christ explains that God defines a work mission for every person, divides the work into task increments with a performance time for each, initiates each task, and provides guidance for the person to continue and complete the task on time. Each task completed on time results in a miracle and ushers the person onto the next task.

The mission for the man born blind appears to be to start proclaiming the gospel message to all, using his life experience as physical evidence that Jesus is the Messiah and to illustrate the work aspects of human relationship with God. He performed the mission in task increments as God guided him. The biblical account describes the first three tasks and the beginning of the fourth. We describe the three tasks using a sketch format to emphasize the relationship they illustrate.

Each task description identifies an objective, initiation, instruction, outcome, and miracle.

Task Objective represents the purpose to be accomplished through the task. The objective of a task could be identified at the end of the task but is usually not obvious at the beginning. For example, when Christ told the blind man to “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” [John 9:7], he did not tell the man the objective was to gain sight.

Go to pool of Siloam and wash
Go to pool of Siloam and wash
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Task Initiation represents something that God does to get the task started. For example, Christ anointed the man’s eyes with moist clay before giving him the instruction to go and wash in the pool: “He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay” [John 9:6]. We encountered an example in a previous bible study under Peter Escapes from Herod’s Prison, when an angel released Peter from prison and left him outside the prison gates to complete his escape from King Herod. God’s initiation of a task is at times contained in the miracle of a previous task. Anointing the man’s eyes with moist clay appears symbolic to illustrate task initiation by God. If all he wanted was to heal the man, he could have accomplished that just by touching him and pronouncing the healing.

Task Instruction represents a specific command to do something. God gives the recipient an instruction to do something: either a clear and direct instruction as in Task 1 or an instruction that becomes evident with the unfolding events as in Tasks 2 and 3.

Task Outcome describes the result of a task and includes a miracle.

Task Miracle Every task includes a miracle with the outcome. The miracle is an aspect of the task outcome that could not have happened through human effort alone.

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The Apostles

Responding to Rejection

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© Stuartmiles | Dreamstime.com
© Stuartmiles | Dreamstime.com

How do you respond to a rejection of your offer of service? What determines the offer has been rejected or you need another attempt at getting it accepted? The service could be delivering the gospel, training a subordinate business associate that presents himself or herself as untrainable, parental training of a child that has proved to be non malleable, or other examples. As these examples indicate, responding to rejection requires first a decision, maybe often a difficult decision, that one’s effort at performing the service has been rejected. The bible provides clear instruction on how to respond, having determined that rejection has occurred. It also provides guidance on what needs to be done before declaring a rejection. However, a decision to declare rejection will likely always be difficult, because accepting rejection is equivalent to accepting failure of an effort. We discuss examples of declaring and accepting rejection by the apostle Paul, Christ’s teaching on responding to rejection, and God’s guidance through Prophet Ezekiel on what one needs to do before declaring a rejection.

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