Care Group Notes
Benjamin
2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (MSG)
Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete.
In Solomon’s Temple, a spiral staircase is used to link the 3 floors of the chambers of the temple.
1 Kings 6:8
The doorway for the middle story was on the right side of the temple. They went up by stairs to the middle story, and from the middle to the third.
Cedar tree covered with gold
Each floor holds a blessing for God’s people today, from the treasures of the holy communion- access to rest and provision
Going up the spiral staircase, each chamber becomes wider the higher you go, signifying increasing blessings.
First level –
Wine grain earth blessing
Second level –
Rest inward blessing
Third level –
Treasures heavenly blessing
The spiral staircase allows a person to reach the maximum amount of height in the smallest possible space and in the shortest possible time.
The spiral staircase forces us
- to negotiate one step at a time
- It does not show us our destination all at once
- To slow
- It brings us higher
When we slow down we speed up
The story of the first and second signs respectively that Jesus did in Cana reveals that He is the Lord of Time and Space
- Time – water turn into wine in an instant (John 2)
- Space – the healing of the nobleman’s son in Capernaum, over 40 km away (John 4)
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- How does the winding staircase speak to you ok the way by which God wants to bless us in this New Year?
Life and death is in the power of tongue
He will grant to you the desire of your heart
Your very desire are not even from us. Is given to us from God
God’s way will be none of your effort.
Patience is one
God does not want us to worry. He leads us incrementally towards His blessings, one step at a time, to make it easy for us to arrive at the blessings He has prepared for us without us feeling stressed out.
God wants to lead us to our blessings in the shortest possible time and space. He is eager that we receive His blessings quickly.
He is eager. We don’t have to be eager.
Our part is patience. His part is He eager. We slow down and He speed up
Remember that the God of time and space is still working on the themes of the past, present and future years of your life. Bringing all things together for your good.
Prayer of Jabez – Enlarge his tent and territories
The vision that Jesus place in us, write it down. Make it plain so we know exactly.
God will reverse / suspend / accelerate time in our favor
God is going to widen/broaden/enlarge our space.
Street of gold when we go to heaven.
It speaks of the third heaven.
1st heaven
2nd heaven
3rd heaven
Time and Space!
Wait on the Lord. Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength like the eagles. They shall run and not be weary, walk and not faint.
Wait on the Lord, the Lord is coming for us.
Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now. Listen to His word. Hear His purpose. He has equipped you with good health, good family, good job, good understanding of His Word.
He can use anything to speak to you. He can cause circumstances to speak to you.
Matthew 6:34 (MSG)
“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
Chew on His Word. Meditate
Only the Lord can put you at the right place at the right time.
You can have a gift, a gift is different from talent. A gift can become talent when you put in effort, than you have the talent.
Effort and discripline are involved.
God will help you to deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
Take control of your time.
When the Lord prompts you, you will do it.
Wait for God’s prompting.
Hear the Lord. The Lord will give you the desire to do it.