Topic: Wednesday Evening Bible Study
Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime
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Strategy – a plan, method or series of maneuvers for obtaining a specific goal or result
The Word of God gives us two things to help us win in life:
- Warnings
- Strategies
Warnings from the Bible are usually pretty obvious:
These are promises from God’s Word that we often don’t like to claim but they will happen anyway.
1 Peter 5:8-9 NKJV Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (9) Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
Mark 4:14-17 NKJV The sower sows the word. (15) And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. (16) These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; (17) and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, WHEN tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.
Matthew 5:11 NKJV “Blessed are you WHEN they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
James 1:2 NKJV My brethren, count it all joy WHEN you fall into various trials,
James 1:13 NKJV Let no one say WHEN he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
Ephesians 6:10-11 NKJV Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. (11) Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
So, knowing these things will happen in our lives, we are not left to our devices to figure out how to navigate through them.
I believe the Bible gives us strategies, plans, methods, and series of maneuvers to help us win in life.
One of the most powerful tools we have to use as a strategy is the power of remembering.
Psalms 136:23 NKJV (23) Who remembered us in our lowly state, For His mercy endures forever;
Psalms 136:23 BBE (23) Who kept us in mind when we were in trouble: for his mercy is unchanging for ever.
Psalms 136:23 MSG (23) God remembered us when we were down, His love never quits.
The ability to remember is a powerful thing and the scripture says that even when we are down, God still remembers us because His mercy endures forever.
(What we should do is remember. We need to confess over our lives that our memory will remain strong because our youth is renewed like the eagles.)
The problem is, we as believers have what we are to remember backwards. We forget the wrong thing and remember the wrong thing.
Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. (19) See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
What are we supposed to forget?
Philippians 3:3-7 NKJV For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, (4) though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: (5) circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; (6) concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (7) But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
Philippians 3:12-14 NKJV Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. (13) Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, (14) I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12-14 TPT I admit that I haven’t yet acquired the absolute fullness that I’m pursuing, but I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose that Jesus Christ has called me to fulfill and wants me to discover. (13) I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. (14) I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus.
Paul said that we are to forget those things which are behind us that we are ashamed of yet have been forgiven.
What then are we to remember?
One of the aspects of the power of faith in the Lord is the power of remembering the good things that He has done for us in the past.
Psalms 20:7 NKJV (7) Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
Psalms 42:6 NKJV (6) O my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, And from the heights of Hermon, From the Hill Mizar.
Matthew 16:8-10 NKJV (8) But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? (9) Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? (10) Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?
If God has ALWAYS come through for us, then He ALWAYS WILL come through for us.
Remember David and how he told Saul (and reminded himself) of the great things God had done for him while he was tending sheep.
1 Samuel 17:34-37 NKJV But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, (35) I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. (36) Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” (37) Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!”
God has established covenants in the earth not for His own benefit but as a point of remembrance for us.
Psalms 106:45 NKJV (45) And for their sake He remembered His covenant, And relented according to the multitude of His mercies.
Genesis 8:1 NKJV (1) Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided.
Genesis 9:15-16 NKJV (15) and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. (16) The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”
Genesis 19:29 NKJV (29) And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.
It is impossible for God to forget so when He says, “…I will remember,” He is actually inferring that He wants us to remember.
God said He remembered Noah, He remembered the covenant that He made with Noah that the earth would not be flooded again, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham and delivered Lot and his family from Sodom and Gomorrah.
The next time that the word “remember” is used in the Bible refers to man failing to remember something and that is because the butler was focused only on himself and he forgot Joseph.
Genesis 40:14 NKJV (14) But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house.
Genesis 40:23 NKJV (23) Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
What is a priority in your life, you do not forget!
Things that can help us to remember:
Psalms 103:1-2 NKJV (1) A Psalm Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! (2) Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
Psalms 103:2 BBE (2) Give praise to the Lord, O my soul; let not all his blessings go from your memory.
Psalms 103:2 NLT (2) Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things He does for me.
- Take time every day to remember the good things that God has done for you.
Remember how He saved you, remember how He filled you with the Holy Spirit, how He has healed you, blessed your family, met your needs, etc.
Psalms 77:11-12 NKJV (11) I will remember the works of the LORD; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. (12) I will also meditate on all Your work, And talk of Your deeds.
Psalms 105:1-5 NKJV (1) Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! (2) Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! (3) Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD! (4) Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore! (5) Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
Psalms 59:16 NKJV (16) But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble.
Psalms 92:1-2 NKJV (1) A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath Day. It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; (2) To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night,
Psalms 63:6-7 NKJV (6) When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. (7) Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
- Let the memories of God’s goodness come out of your mouth.
Psalms 145:6-7 NKJV (6) Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness. (7) They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness.
Let these things not just be in your mind but in your mouth.
An easy way that you can do this is but learning songs that keep these things before you.
Music and songs can stir up memories.
There are things we can do in the natural to help us remember.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 NKJV (2) We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, (3) remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,
- Prayer helps your memory because it enables you to draw on the supernatural power and help of the Holy Spirit to remember the things that God has done for you.
John 14:26 NKJV (26) But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
John 14:26 AMP (26) But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.
John 2:22 NKJV (22) Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
John 12:16 NKJV (16) His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.
Acts 11:15-16 NKJV (15) And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. (16) Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
The days that you have gotten despondent, are the days that you have forgotten the goodness of God.