The name of the LORD is a strong tower....

Written by Jen Ko

I went onto Bible Gateway and looked at the commentary to this verse. I found it to be very insightful. There is so much depth in this one verse.

Also in this verse, the righteous man runs INTO the strong tower versus just running to it and being safe. I thought that was cool :)

Here is the commentary....ENJOY! It's definitely worth reading!

Here is,

1. God’s sufficiency for the saints: His name is a strong tower for them, in which they may take rest when they are weary and take sanctuary when they are pursued, where they may be lifted up above their enemies and fortified against them. There is enough in God, and in the discoveries which he has made of himself to us, to make us easy at all times. The wealth laid up in this tower is enough to enrich them, to be a continual feast and a continuing treasure to them. The strength of this tower is enough to protect them; the name of the Lord is all that whereby he has made himself known as God, and our God, not only his titles and attributes, but his covenant and all the promises of it; these make up a tower, a strong tower, impenetrable, impregnable, for all God’s people.

2. The saints’ security in God. It is a strong tower to those who know how to make use of it as such. The righteous, by faith and prayer, devotion towards God and dependence on him, run into it, as their city of refuge. Having made sure their interest in God’s name, they take the comfort and benefit of it; they go out of themselves, retire from the world, live above, dwell in God and God in them, and so they are safe, they think themselves so, and they shall find themselves so.

Holy Spirit, Please filter my thoughts!!!!!

HW:  Read Ch. 2

Memory Verse:  Psalm 119:104-105
"Through your precepts I get understanding;  therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Notes

* If someone were to ask you to describe God, what would you say?  
       Some of us answered; Creator, Love, Patient, Omnicient...
       How would YOU describe God? 

*  What are our horses and chariots?    What do you BOAST IN?

      Our horses and chariots have a lot to do with the way we process our thoughts - the thoughts that lead    to fear, anxiety and insecurity....   

     Consider this illustration:

Our hearts are like the Castle.  And we have the protective walls (Spirit's Protection)surrounding our heart. And there are these strong towers (The name of the Lord and and the knowledge of God).  But there are these thousands of messengers (intrusive thoughts - thoughts that lead to insecurity, fear, anxiety, self-centerdness...etc) trying to get through the wall.  The only way they can get through is if we let the drawbridge down.  How are we holing up our drawbridge?  Are we letting the messengers come through?
Are we letting those thoughts/emotions lead us astray... to boast in things that are not of the Lord's?

*  So then the question is.....   How do we have the Holy Spirit take over our thoughts?    How do we hold up the drawbridge so that we are not led astray?

We can ask the Holy Spirit to take over our drawbridge and start to filter our thoughts in specific circumstances. We need to learn to ask HIM... and release ourselves to Christ.

Did you know.....   that Holy Spirit is such a GENTLEMAN?  He will help us!

And what is our part in this?

Is is activly meditating on God's truth instead of keep thinking the thoughts that lead us astray.  We need something to hold on to...  -  the truth of God that relates to our circumstances which will anchor our hearts. We need to hold on to the TRUTH, hold fast to that TRUTH.      Memorize Bible verse that pertains to the situation you are in.

LORD I WANT TO KNOW YOU pg 5

*What are the Lord's promises in the Psalm 20?

God will set you securely on high
will send you help
will support
will remember all your offerings
wil accept your offerings
will grant your heart's desire
will fulfill all your counsel
will sing for joy over your victory

will fulfill all your petitions

will saves His anointed

will answer

*What do you have to do to receive these promises?

JUST ASK!!!!!   We need to pray..   pray with thanksgiving. 

Phillipians 4:6-7

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

BOAST in the name of the LORD!

"Turn your heart's desire into a prayer.  Tell your Father what you need.  Thank Him that He wants to be known by you in greater depth!"  pg 6

What does it mean to boast in the name of the Lord?

Sue's take on this....  : )

I think of my family playing Xbox Sports as I try to wrap my head around this topic...

So here's Ella, so excited and confident about being in "Team Daddy."  The game hasn't even begun yet.  But her face is beaming like she has already played and won the game.  And here's Taylor, trying not to be rude but she can't hide the dissapointment of being picked to be in "Team Mommy."  After all, the girls have seen mommy lose to daddy at least a dozen times in boxing.  See...  Taylor and Ella both know what the names of their team mean.  They KNOW the captains of the teams.   The fact that Ella is so proud about belonging to "Team Daddy" is not because she is a great player in that team, but it is because she knows that even though she doesn't play well, her daddy will rescue - She is in the winning team, she will be the winner. 

The Captain of Team Daddy

I ask my husband a question. 

    "Would you rather be the worst player in USA Basketball team or the best player in Korean Basketball team?"

    "Worst player in US Basketball team,"  answers my husband in a hearbeat.

TEAM USA....   That is a wonderful team to belong to.  That name carries so much pride, power and prestige.  Even if you are the worst player in that team, you are still proud of the fact that you belong to that team.  You can boast in the name of that team no matter how badly you play individually.

So that's what I think of when I think of boasting in the name of the Lord...

"On What basis can we set up banners of victory?"

TEAM CHRIST...    We belong to the winning team.  Christ has already won every single battle and He will continue to win.  We are fighting the battle that Christ has already one.  Boasting in the name of the Lord means having that confidence of belonging to the strongest team in the universe - belonging to the undefeated team.  It is knowing who our Captain is and being proud that even though I'm weak, I'm made strong because of His strength.   Because of who He is, I am considered a winner. 

Meeting with the King is Serious Business

We will talk about that more tomorrow but I wanted to turn your attention to Ezekiel 1:24.

When you come before the Lord you need to "Shut Up already and Just sit there."  - aka Get Quiet.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/peterenns/2011/12/just-sit-there/

In Ezekiel we see the angels whirling whirling whirling......LOUD LOUD LOUD...

But as soon as the Lord is about to speak, the angels do 2 things.
1.  Let their wings down (stop flying around - they stop)
2.  They Stand Still (no more flapping, no more noise)

When we come before our King it is serious business.  As I shared in our emails, back in the day, no one allowed to enter the King's throne room.  In the book of Esther, when Mordecai asks Esther to go before the King, she is afraid for her life.  But in her famous words, in order to save the people of God, she says, "If I perish, I perish."  Then she asks Mordecai to have the people fast and pray.  When she enters into the room and she can easily be killed, King Xerxes holds up his scepter and allows her to enter in.

From Sunday's Sermon, our King tells us to COME!  The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come."  Wow.  Isn't that amazing.  It is a serious thing to come before the King and yet we know from Him already what the outcome will be.  We don't have to fear death because we know He says COME!

But don't let it become casual that you can enter in.  Let us enter with boldness but also with trembling knowing that we are coming before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  We are coming before a King who created the heavens and the earth.  We are coming before a King who has all power and authority.  He's able to do all things.  He is so strong and so mighty that there is nothing my God can not do.  This is our God.  The God who in order to save such wretches that he gave up his life for us.  How amazing!  We CAN NOT let this knowledge be casual.

Oh yeah...by the way...thanks for saving my life.  Doesn't that sound strange.  Even though I was your enemy...yeah you saved me and all but so what?  Doesn't that seem so messed up.

Center in on who God is when you come into His presence each day.  Focus!  Focus on HIS NAMES!

Hebrews 4:16
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne ofgrace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

January 19th

Homework:

JOURNAL: Remember a time when you felt terribly afraid, insecure, out of control...  what did you do to relieve it?  What is your go to? ex. ) escape, protection..

Do you think some things are bigger than God?

Memorize Proverbs 18:10 - The name of the LORD is a strong tower; 
   the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

Read intro and chapter 1 - do the questions.

Notes: 

Why did God write "The name of the Lord"  and not just "Lord"

-God comes to us to reveal Himself.  That He would be made known by us.

Names of the Lord are VERY IMPORTANT!!! 

Quotes: 

C H Spurgeon- .. "By knowing His Name is also meant an experimental acquaintance with the attributes of God, which are every one of them anchors to hold the soul from drifting in seasons of peril.

Matthew Henry- "The better God is known the more He is trusted.  Those who know Him to be God of infinite wisdom will trust Him further than they can see Him (Job 35:14); those who know Him to be a God of Almighty power will trust Him when creature- confidences fail and they have nothing else to trust to (2 chr 20:12); and those who know Him to be a God of infinite grace and goodness will trust Him though he slay them, (job 13:15). 

- The more GOd is trusted the more He is sought unto.  If we trust God we shall seek Him by faithful and fervent prayer, and by a constant care to approve ourselves to Him in the whole course of our conversation.

James Montgomery Boice- " The names of God are windows through which His character is seen.  

"new awareness of God's sufficiency for daily living."

"names are important because they area method of self-revelation"

"As we grow to understand the very nature and character of God we will find ourselves running to His name to find safety and strength.  His name is like a strong tower!  God's name stands for the manifestation of His presence in His  revelation and His relation to His people." k. hemphil Names of God.

Snack Rotation Schdule

1/20     Allie McGinley

1/27     Amy Acobacey

2/2       Lydia Oh

2/9       Jen Ko

2/16     Esther Kim

2/23     Jenny Shin

3/1      Sarah Kim

3/8      Jessica Hong

3/15    Christine Pahng

3/22    Anna Kim

3/29     Andrea Fishel

Women's Group/Discipleship 2012 Info

Women's Bible Study - 8:30pm-9:45pm

All women are welcome and are encouraged to attend each week.  Women are also encouraged to participate during the week through email and other activities

Discipleship Group - 7:15pm-8:30pm

• Committed to attend on time for 3 months!
• Must do all assigned homework each week.
• Must reply to emails each week.
• Must pray for the people in your group each week.
• Will be required to serve in some manner.

If you are interested in participating in the discipleship group, please talk to Wonmin.  You must sign the contract to affirm that you are committing yourself to the bullet points above.  Please pray so that there will be no one who does not persevere for the full 3 months commitment.  This discipleship commitment will run from now until the end of April 2012.

Intro to Lord I Want to Know You by Kay Arthur

"I am so tired....."   seems to be what most of us have been saying and hearing a lot these days.
"I am so tired of serving,"  " I am so tired of doing things,"  " I am so tired of NOT serving,"  "I am so tired of NOT doing things," "I am so tired of being tired......"     Whatever we may be doing or not doing, we are often TIRED..... 

Have you been feeling tired lately.....   

But what about those who never grow weary but are always joyful and thankful despite the unthinkably challenging circumstances that they may face?    

See, the CURE for chronic spiritual fatigue....  is available...
What is the CURE?

The only cure is

 KNOWING GOD....

"...when we know God as He really is, there's a power in our lives- the ability to stand firm.  We aren't left in the state of inertia where so many are today simply because they do not know and confidently understand the character and ways of their God...."    - introduction  from Lord, I Want to Know You

ABOUT THIS STUDY:

• The more you put in, the more you'll get out. 
• This book will keep point you to the BIBLE.
• This book will CHALLENGE you to work and think.

HW:
Please read the introduction and Chapter 1 as well as the questions that go along with Chapter 1.  ix-pp8

Please pray about applying to the discipleship group.