What to do when you don't understand

First, doubt enters in because we fail to understand that God is working our circumstances together for our favor.  Then, fear enters in because we abandon our faith in God's ability to save us.  Finally, we experience God's Discipline... Our blessings are put off for another day.   

1. Doubt- The battle of Gideon- Judges 6:13- "If the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us?

2. Fear  - "Fear is the abandonment of our faith in God's abilities".

Numbers 13:28- "However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large and besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there"

3. God's Discipline - Israel wandered in the desert for 40 more years.

We miss experiencing God's presence and miracles.

We miss God's blessing...Israel did not enter the land.

(by Earl Seals, President of N2 Publising)

What to do when it doesn't make sense

Here's how we get side tracked from obeying God.  


1. We trust in ourselves (abilities, resources, talents, or ideas)

Numbers 13:17 - Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan and said to them, "Go up into the Negev and go up into the hill country and see what the land is, and whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, whether they are strong or weak, few or many, poor or bad."


• 2. We focus on the logical- God says that My ways are not your ways. Here are some wrong questions that we try to reason around God's will. 

  What would be wrong with      everything being planned out?"




• Wouldn't God want us to be happy?


• Wouldn't God want us to be safe?


• Wouldn't God want us to be secure?


• Wouldn't God want us to be successful?

3. We listen to the wrong people. Numbers 13:31 - Then the men who had gone up with him said, "we are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are".

4.  We forget what the Lord has done in the past. Numbers 14:11 "...and how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? Joel 2:21 Fear not, O land: Be glad and rejoice, For the Lord has done marvelous things!...

5.  We forget who God is. Rev. 4:11 "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." Luke 1:37 "For nothing will be impossible with God."

Numbers 13 (by Earl Seals, N2 Publishing)

Promises to Ponder

A Study of Psalm 91.

1. What did Psalm 91:1 mean when it describes God as both the Most High & the Almighty? How do these two names interlock together? (Genesis 14:18, 17:1) 

2. What is the shelter of the Most High, and how do we dwell in it? (verses 1, 14) 

3. What does Psalm 91:1 say about God’s sovereignty in relationship to man’s free will? (verse 1) 

4. How is God like a shadow? (verse 1) 

5. What types of problems does Psalm 91 discuss? How can we relate them to our everyday lives?

{The sun (verse 1), opposing armies (verse 2) Being trapped (verse 3) plague (verses 3, 6, 10) , terrors of the night (verse 5), arrows (verse 5), pestilence (verse 6), mass death (verse 7), foot injuries (verse 12), lions, cobras, serpents (verse 13)} 

6. Psalm 91:2 describes God as both a refuge and a fortress. How is God like those? Do you suppose that Psalm 91:2 might be drawing upon a real place? If so, where? Why there? (Genesis 13:18, Joshua 21:13, 2 Samuel 2:1, Genesis 17:1) 

7. Who do you suppose is the hunter in Psalm 91:3? Is anyone hunting you? Who? How? 

8. How is God like a bird, and how does that explain God’s behavior toward me? What kind of bird? (verse 4) 

9. What is the terror of the night, and how can you escape it? (verse 5) 

10. Psalm 91:5-10 ties premature death with both war and disease. How can you escape death if others cannot? 

11. Psalm 91:10 says that no harm can come upon me. Is this arrogant? How is faith similar to boasting? How does it differ? 

12. Explain the ministry of angels in our lives. Who orders them? (verses 11-13) 

13. What are the implications of knowing or not knowing God’s name? How does God’s name protect us? (verse 14) 

14. When will God deliver us, and how will he do it? (verse 15) 

15. When God delivers us, what is the side benefit? (15-16) 

16. Who wrote Psalm 91? What was its purpose?

A study on the role of the Holy Spirit

John 16:7 (Amplified Bible) However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you]. 

Question 1: How are we better off without Jesus actually being here in human form? 

John 4:6 - Jesus was restricted by His Human body. He got tired. 

John 11:6 - He couldn't be in more than one place at a time. 

Luke 8:19 - He could only listen to one person at a time. 

John 6:26 - People with insincere motives wasted His time. 

John 16:8-9 (Amplified Bible) And when He comes, He will convict and convince the world and bring demonstration to it about sin and about righteousness (uprightness of heart and right standing with God) and about judgment: 9About sin, because they do not believe in Me [trust in, rely on, and adhere to Me]; 10About righteousness (uprightness of heart and right standing with God), because I go to My Father, and you will see Me no longer; 11 About judgment, because the ruler (evil genius, prince) of this world [Satan] is judged and condemned and sentence already is passed upon him. 

John 16:8-11 (Voice) "When He arrives, He will uncover the sins of the world, expose unbelief as a sin, and allow all to see their sins in the light of righteousness for the first time. This new awareness of righteousness is important because I am going to the Father and will no longer be present with you. The Spirit will also carry my judgment because the one who rules in this world has already been defeated." 

Question 2: How are sin and unbelief interlinked? 

John 3:19-20 - People choose not to believe because it convicts them of their sin. 

Question 3: How does Jesus being gone reveal righteousness? 

Romans 10:5 - The person who has never sinned who is Jesus will be identified by His indestructible life. 

Question 4: How does the Spirit prove to us that the ruler of this world has been judged (defeated). 

Romans 6:18,22 - We are now ruled by righteousness and not by Satan, but we are in Christ. 

John 16:12 (Amplified Bible) I have still many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them or to take them upon you or to grasp them now. 

Question 5: Why were Jesus' words unbearable to His disciples right then? What would make them unbearable? 

John 16:22-23 - After the resurrection, the Scriptures would open up to the disciples. BBE 

Matthew 6:34 - Then have no care for tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Take the trouble of the day as it comes. 

Question 6: Why does Jesus teach in stages? 

Matthew 11:29-30 - Jesus customizes His teaching for every believer at a pace that is right for them. 

John 7:6 - Jesus timed His teaching. 

John 16:13 (Amplified Bible) But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. 

Question 7: How is the Spirit like a guide? How does He guide us into "all" the truth? 

2 Corinthians 5:7 - We progress by every step of obedience that we take (in faith). 

Question 8: How does the Spirit teach us future events? What future events? Who's future? Does He still do it? 

John 16:14 (Amplified Bible) 14He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you. 15Everything that the Father has is Mine. That is what I meant when I said that He [the Spirit] will take the things that are Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you. 

Question 9: How does the Holy Spirit taking what belongs to Jesus and disclosing it to His disciples glorify Jesus? What things is He talking about? 

Matthew 12:28 - The Holy Spirit was the source of Jesus' power on earth; therefore, by doing miracles through Jesus, He brought glory to Jesus. 

Acts 1:8 - The Holy Spirit continues to bring glory to Jesus by working through the followers of Jesus. 

Acts 2:33 - Jesus is the funnel that God uses to pour His Spirit upon Jesus' followers. 

Romans 5:5 - The Holy Spirit creates love for God Himself and all that belongs to God. 

Romans 8:11 - The Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead, and He will do the same for all of Christ's followers. 

Romans 8:13 - Through the Spirit, we overcome sin. Romans 8:16 - The Spirit confirms with our spirit that we are God's children. 

Romans 8:27 - The Holy Spirit prays to God for us in accordance with God's will.

A study on the work of the Holy Spirit

Amplified John 14:23-24 23Jesus answered, If a person [really] loves Me, he will keep My word [obey My teaching]; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him. 24 Anyone who does not [really] love Me does not observe and obey My teaching. And the teaching which you hear and heed is not Mine, but [comes] from the Father Who sent Me. 

Question 1: Why did Jesus say "keep My word (singular)" instead of "keep My words (plural)"? 

Matthew 5:19 - God expects for us to obey everything that He said. God's Word teaches us to obey His word, but also how to obey His word. 

John 14:10 - God works in our lives to obey Him as we yeild to Him. 

Amplified John 14:25-26 25I have told you these things while I am still with you. 26But 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. 

Question 2: What does Jesus mean when He said that the Helper, the Holy Spirit, will be sent by the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ? 

The Holy Spirit is here to act on behalf of Jesus' interests. He works from Jesus' agenda not ours or his own. 

Question 3: What did Jesus mean when He said that the Helper will teach us all things? What, when, how, where, and why? 

The Holy Spirit teaches us truth one step of obedience at a time. The Holy Spirit teaches us to look at life from Jesus' point of view, because the Holy Spirit works on Jesus' behalf. The thoughts that we have that are pointed toward Jesus' interests are the thoughts that originate from the Holy Spirit. 

Question 4: How does the Helper use our memories to teach us? How can we use our memories to learn from the Helper? 

When we are alone, we are commanded to fill our minds with the word of God. When we are in public, the Holy Spirit will direct us by recalling what we have stored in our hearts while we were alone with God. (see Romans 12:2)

More questions answered about the Holy Spirit

Amplified John 14:18 I will not leave you as orphans [comfortless, desolate, bereaved, forlorn, helpless]; I will come [back] to you. 

Question 1: How are we like orphans without Christ? How are we not like orphans with Him? To please our heavenly Father, we must have the help of the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not leave us alone, but sent the Holy Spirit to take care of us as Jesus had been doing for His disciples while here in His earthly body. 

Amplified John 14:19-20 19Just a little while now, and the world will not see Me any more, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20At that time [when that day comes] you will know [for yourselves] that I am in My Father, and you [are] in Me, and I [am] in you. 

Question 2: What did Jesus mean when He said that He is in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you? (How can Jesus be both inside us, and outside us at the same time? How is it that Jesus is both inside His Father and us at the same time?) 

1 John 3:24 - In Jesus, means in His protection or shelter. As we obey Him, He takes care of us. Doing what Jesus said is how He protects us. (see also Psalm 91:1) John 14:10- Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus actually works in us to obey Him. Jesus is yielded to God the Father; therefore, Jesus is in God's protection. 

At the same time, Jesus is in us through the person of the Holy Spirit, giving us the power in us to do God's will. Therefore, Jesus is both inside His Father and us at the same time. 

Amplified John 14:21-22 21 The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.] 22Judas, not Iscariot, asked Him, Lord, how is it that You will reveal Yourself [make Yourself real] to us and not to the world? 

Question 3: How does Jesus disclose Himself to us as we obey Him? Jesus' activity is revealed through the Holy Spirit's inner nudges, and as we yield to Him for protection. Jesus guides us in and out of life's problems (read Psalm 23). 

Mark 4:24-25 Truth accumulates. 

Luke 8:15 Truth must be clung too.

 Matthew 12:33-37 Truth spills over into our words and actions.

A Study on the Role of the Holy Spirit

Amplified John 14:15 If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands. 

Question 1: Should we be more focused on loving Christ or obeying Him? Why? How? If we focus on who Jesus is, how he loved us, and what he did for us, we will want to obey him out of love and gratitude. We should love HIM the person. We should obey HIM the person. It's personal. 

Amplified 1 John 4:19 We love Him, because He first loved us. 

Question 2: Can we really obey Christ? What are His expectations toward us in obedience? As we surrender to Jesus' ownership, He empowers us to do His will. (Philippians 2:13) 

Amplified 1 John 2:3-6 3And this is how we may discern [daily, by experience] that we are coming to know Him [to perceive, recognize, understand, and become better acquainted with Him]: if we keep (bear in mind, observe, practice) His teachings (precepts, commandments). 4Whoever says, I know Him [I perceive, recognize, understand, and am acquainted with Him] but fails to keep and obey His commandments (teachings) is a liar, and the Truth [of the Gospel] is not in him. 5But he who keeps (treasures) His Word [who bears in mind His precepts, who observes His message in its entirety], truly in him has the love of and for God been perfected (completed, reached maturity). By this we may perceive (know, recognize, and be sure) that we are in Him: 6Whoever says he abides in Him ought [as [ personal debt] to walk and conduct himself in the same way in which He walked and conducted Himself. 

Amplified John 14:16-17 16And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever-- 17The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you. 

Matthew 16:13-17, 20-23 We must learn to discern between God's voice, Satan's voice, and our own thoughts. 

Romans 8:14-16 If the Holy Spirit speaks with our born again human spirit about our belonging to God, then the Holy Spirit speaks about other things in the same way. 

Romans 9:1 The Holy Spirit speaks with and through our consciences to us. 

I Corinthians 2:10-16 The Holy Spirit speaks with our born again human spirit, and then it comes up from our human spirit to our conscience minds. His voice is so natural that we sometimes mistake it as our own thoughts, but those thoughts are actually coming from the Holy Spirit. 

Romans 2: 14-16 Our reason will sometimes argue and resist the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to our conscience minds. 

I John 4:4-6 The Holy Spirit always speaks in agreement with scripture. 

Question 3: What does Jesus mean by saying that we would receive another Helper (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby)? Are we not God's helper, and not the other way around? Jesus was the first helper, and we can better understand how the second helper, the Holy Spirit, helps us by studying how the first helper, Jesus, helped His disciples. The Holy Spirit helps us to practice Jesus' commands as we yeild to Him. It's a moment by moment decision to yeild to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to help us. 

Question 4: What does Jesus mean by saying that we would receive "another" Helper (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby)? How is Jesus like the second Helper, and how is He different? How does this statement reveal how Jesus saw Himself? Jesus and the Holy Spirit are alike in helping us, but are different in how they help us. Jesus was limited by His human body, and had only 3 plus years to help His disciples. The Holy Spirit is here is stay, and He helps us from within. 

Question 5: How does Christ's disciples see the second Helper? Why does the world not see Him? We can only see (or perceive) the Holy Spirit's activity by training ourselves to discern His voice within our hearts. We can also discern the activity of the Holy Spirit by what He does. (John 3:8) 

Question 6: How can Jesus' disciples actually know the second Helper? How is it the world can't know Christ? When we acknowledge His activity throughout the day, we can begin to know Him like anyone else that we spend the day.

People on Pedestals?

Don’t believe someone simply because they are a great speaker, and can attract a lot of people. Even Paul by his own admission was an unskilled speaker as compared to others; however, Paul did have an amazing grasp of scriptures, and was good in communicating Biblical truths in writing.

2 Corinthians 11:5-6 (NET) For I consider myself not at all inferior to those “super-apostles.” And even if I am unskilled in speaking, yet I am certainly not so in knowledge. Indeed, we have made this plain to you in everything in every way.

2 Timothy 4:3 (NET) For there will be a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead, following their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves, because they have an insatiable curiosity to hear new things.

With the explosion of the media, believers can now hear some of the most amazing Biblical teaching of all time. However, check out everything with Scripture. Just because it's new doesn't mean that it's of God.

2 Corinthians 13:1 (NET) This is the third time I am coming to visit you. By the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter will be established.

For something to be considered Scriptural, it has to be found somewhere in the Bible, and be supported in more than just one place. 

Paul quoted Moses in Deuteronomy 19:15 by stating everything must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses so....

1. Read the verses in context to make sure the interpretation is accurate.
2. Ask does this interpretation contradict other Scriptures if yes throw out the interpretation?
3. Interpretations must be consistent with other passages in the Bible.
4. Do NOT accept a teaching based upon someone's amazing speaking ability or personal achievements.

Matthew 4:1-4 (NET) Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After he fasted forty days and forty nights he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”When Jesus was tempted, he countered with Scripture.

Above Jesus quoted Moses from Deuteronomy 8:3. In this quote, the secret to fighting all error is found, and that is to check things out with EVERY Word of God.

Matthew 4: 5-7 (NET) Then the devil took him to the holy city, had him stand on the highest point of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ and ‘with their hands they will lift you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Once again it is written: ‘You are not to put the Lord your God to the test.’”

After Satan’s first defeat, Satan countered was a Scripture himself from Psalm 91:11-12. However, the quote didn’t match up in context with another Scripture, so Jesus pointed out that conflict with Deuteronomy 6:16.

Matthew 4:8-11 (NET) Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their grandeur. And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you throw yourself to the ground and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and began ministering to his needs.

Finally, Jesus quoted Moses from Deuteronomy 6:13 for the final blow, proving Jesus had a balanced knowledge of God’s pure Word by matching up tests with EVERYTHING God had said and NOTHING else. When we put ANYONE or ANYTHING up on a pedestal in addition to God and His Word , this is idolatry, and is a grievous sin!

Romans 1:16-17 (NET) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith, just as it is written, “The righteous by faith will live.”

Paul, too, taught with Scripture. In the first three chapters of Romans alone, Paul quoted Habakkuk 2:4, Psalm 62:12, Isaiah 52:5, Psalm 51:4, Psalm 14: 1-3, Psalm 5:9, Psalm 140:3, Psalm 10:7, Isaiah 50-7-8, and Psalm 36:1.2

Timothy 3: 16 (NET) Every scripture is inspired by God, and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.

Don’t replace your own personal Bible Study by listening too or reading great teachers! You may listen to them in addition to your Bible Study habit. However, don't get out of balance, and spend more time listening too or reading others. Remember to check out everything with Scripture. I don’t care who they are.

REMEMBER FOR SOMETHING TO BE SCRIPTURAL. YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE SCRIPTURES.

Psalm 119:93-104 (NET) O how I love your law! All day long I meditate on it. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for I am always aware of them. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your rules. I am more discerning than those older than I, for I observe your precepts. I stay away from the evil path, so that I might keep your instructions. I do not turn aside from your regulations, for you teach me. Your words are sweeter in my mouth than honey! Your precepts give me discernment. Therefore I hate all deceitful actions.

DON'T BE TEACHER SMART, BUT BIBLE IGNORANT!