Spiritual Gifts part 194: By my God, I can leap over a wall

Joh 15:1-2; Jam 1:2-4; Luk 8:11-15; Psa 18:29; Heb 12:1-2

ROMANS-312-111117 - length: 59:49 - taught on Nov, 17 2011

Class Outline:


Pastor-Teacher
John Farley
Thursday,
November 17, 2011

Spiritual Gifts Part 194: By my God, I can leap over a wall.

What is discernment?

MAT 7:16
“You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?”

JOH 15:2
“Every branch [believer] in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away [discipline]; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it [suffering for blessing] so that it may bear more fruit.”

Suffering is part of the plan of God for our life.

Once the pruning happens, I can look forward to a new season of tremendous spiritual growth, productivity and fruitfulness in my life.

This EVENT of affliction in our life, suffering for blessing, is designed by God to be the catalyst for many good things.

Several N.T. passages have this string of growth by stages. Each time the growth results from some form of suffering or affliction.

Consider - take the time to change your mind.
Know - why we do what we do in Bible class.
Let - Let the Holy Spirit’s work in you continue.

Consider
Know
Let

The plan of God, as you allow it to unfold, it has its own power in residence to do all this!
The power is pre-packaged, progressive, and perfect.

The spiritual truth of this parable centers on the different ways that different people respond when the word of God meets the hurdles of life.

katecho
 
It is the PRESENT tense, active voice, indicative mood.

to continue to believe, with the implication of acting in accordance with such belief - 'to continue to believe and practice, to continue to follow.'

Emphatic:
1. "to hold fast or back," 2. "to occupy spatially," 3. "to occupy legally," "to possess." A nautical sense is "to steer toward" or "land at."

There is the step or decision point of hearing and believing the Gospel.

Then there is the step or decision point of handling affliction and persecution and exercising faith in the word of God.

Then there is the step or decision point of facing worries and riches and pleasures.

At every step, at every cross roads, there is hurdle. Sometimes it is affliction. Other times it is worry. Or riches. Or pleasure.

His great desire is that we leap over each and every one by believing His promises about what awaits on the other side of that hurdle.

PSA 18:29
For by You I can run upon a troop;
And by my God I can leap over a wall.

But slowly but surely we recognize it not to be a prize but a Person.