Continuing to Prayerfully Read Scripture

Continuing to Prayerfully Read Scripture

By Dwight Cunkle

Read, Listen/meditate, Contemplate God, Obey

In John 13 Jesus washes their feet, predicts his betrayal and the denial of Peter. 

In John 14-16 He prepares his followers to seek for and receive the Promised Holy Spirit. 

Just as Jesus washed their feet, He washes ours. 

Just as they deserted Him, so we have denied and betrayed him by our sins. 

Jesus told them to love one another like Him but that we would not be able love without living in and with Him by the fullness of Holy Spirit.

He says they will be able to work miracles even greater than he did because the Father would also work in them by His Spirit. 

He told them that whoever obeys his commands will be loved by him and his Father and they will come and make their home in him.

He further says that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin but bring things from Jesus and make them known to his followers, leading them into truth and oneness with Him and God. 

He told them Holy Spirit will make them powerful witnesses for him.

But He warns them that because of the things Holy Spirit will do in them the world will hate them.

Clearly, Jesus wants them to see their need for and have both faith and desire to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit. 

Clearly, we have a choice: we cannot be full of the world and full of Holy Spirit.
We cannot be filling ourselves with ourselves and have the fullness of God’s Spirit working in us.

What was the transformation that took place during the 40 days of Christ appearing to them, and the ten days of their preparation for Pentecost? Through sorrow and desolation they became more detached form the world, their agenda’s and themselves. They became hungry and thirsty for more of Him-which could only happen by obeying and asking for, seeking, knocking and receiving the fullness of Holy Spirit.

 Choose a passage from John 13-16, or from Acts 1-4, and read it several times, allowing Holy Spirit to highlight some phrase to you. Meditate and listen to God as you think and pray. Contemplate God just as the disciples were contemplating Jesus as He spoke these words to them, and as they waited in the upper room. What is God asking of you? Do you need to detach from the world and yourself or others and seek to be more filled with Holy Spirit, so you can love and obey him?

John 15:16, 26; 16:13-15, 35

Be filled with Holy Spirit.

APPROACHES TO SHARING THE GOSPEL IN THE BIBLE BELT

APPROACHES TO SHARING THE GOSPEL IN THE BIBLE BELT

By Ted Sandquist

Find some scriptures that ‘attach’ to these contexts...think on them...pray for those you are building relationally with by name and prepare to talk to them in November or during the Holiday Season.

1—Building prayer for healing or a need.

2—What God did in sending Jesus calls for a response from us...have you ever made a response to God for the gift of Jesus? This is an opening to talk personally about your own story.

3—Are you a believer in Christ...a follower? Especially here in the Bible-belt this distinction is quite clear to those raised in the church.

Romans 1:10… so that you might believe and obey

Matthew 11:33… take my yoke upon you and learn

4—What do you/we/they need to awaken to? Sometimes a “wake up call” is what God uses to get people’s attention...sometimes He uses a “now” word because it is full of the Holy Spirit...ie. Advertisers are using awakening and wake-up right now...very interesting.

5—I’d like to tell you my story,

6—Can we have a discussion about spiritual life with no need for a debate or a ‘winner’ or ‘loser’?

7—Did you know it is possible to know God? He is the one who said, “Now this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)

8—Sometimes we can start with a scripture the Lord gives us that is either very alive to us or that He has given to us specifically for the person we are to talk to...the Scriptures are very powerful in and of themselves. Let’s think about being His voice to this person.