Small Group Study

A Little Known Fact About Worship.


ICEA – “Church at Study”

A Biblical Look at
One Aspect of Worship:
The Act of Bowing!

The history of biblical worship can be found in the Old Testament. The first account of the word “worship” seems to be used in Genesis 22:5. This is where God tested Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. At the base of the mountain, Abraham stated to his servants to wait while he and his son would go over to “worship”. It is interesting to note that the word worship here (as defined by Strong’s – 7812) has the meaning “to bow down”. While the word “praise” (Strong’s – 1984) in many of David’s accounts and in a number of psalms…meant to “halal” or “shine” or “boast” of the Lord’s doings. David’s influence of praise (sometimes mixed with music), along with Israel’s worship, are an example for us today! An excellent account of this is found in II Chronicles 29:29-30. Worship seems to cover many aspects — with or without music, as well as standing, sitting, or kneeling. The one aspect the author chooses to focus on is BOWING, which is found in the scriptures below. (You may also click on the following text to print this handout:)

(Click Here to Print Handout on Worship and Bowing)

Genesis 24:26-27 26 And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord. 27 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.
Genesis 24:48 48 And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter unto his son.
Genesis 24:52-53 52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he worshipped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth. 53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.
Exodus 4:31 And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
Exodus 12:27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.
Exodus 34:8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
Joshua 5:14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?
II Kings 5:18 In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing.
I Chronicles 29:20 And all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the Lord, and the king.
II Chronicles 7:3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord
II Chronicles 20:18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord.
II Chronicles 29:29 The king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshipped.
II Chronicles 29:30 And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.
Nehemiah 8:6 And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
Job 1:20-21 20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
Palsm 22:29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.
Psalms 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.
Psalms 99:5 Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.
Psalms 132:7 We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.
Isaiah 44:15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
Isaiah 44:17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
Isaiah 46:6 They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.
Daniel 2:46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
Daniel 3:5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
Daniel 3:6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
Daniel 3:7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Daniel 3:10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:
Daniel 3:11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
Daniel 3:15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well:…
Matthew 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Matthew 18:26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Matthew 28:9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.
Mark 15:19 And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.
Acts 10:25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.
I Corinthians 14:25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
Revelation 5:14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
Revelation 19:4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
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“Saved?” A Tract By PCAF Author for ICEA.


ICEA – Tract…Free for Your Use

Saved (Generic Tract)This user-friendly tract is created for PCAF members. The tract is inexpensive to have printed.  Customize this tract on the back page with your church name, address, pastor’s name, order of services, etc. You may print out the master tract, place your information on the back page (inside the blank box), and then scan into your computer. (Please do not alter any other contents in the tract.) Once you have scanned the tract into your computer, you may print out copies on your local computer or have copies made at your print shop.

Here are the following steps to print, let’s say, 100 tracts on your local printer. The master has two tracts set up on an 8.5 x 11 page, so you will print 50 tracts from page 1. Then, place your pages back into your printer the correct way in order to print an additional 50 pages on the opposite side, using page 2. Once you have the printing done, simply cut the pages in two to have a quantity of 100 tracts.

PLEASE CLICK ON THE TEXT BELOW TO
VIEW AND PRINT OUT THE TRACT:
Saved (Generic Tract II)

NOTE: The masters (page 1 and 2) have
two tracts printed on the same page.
Print them the way they are, on both sides,
then cut the 8.5 x 11 page in half
to give you double the quantity.

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Living In The Moment!


ICEA – “Church at Study”

At the heart of this article are the words: “Living In The Moment.” The author defines this statement as: “God…who suddenly makes Himself real in a moment…despite what conditions consume our thoughts — whether it concerns our past, or our uncertain future.” Nothing else matters at that time but the MOMENT when we are experiencing the “realness” of God!

 

Many of us have experienced times when God has been so real.  These are brief moments when we are impressed through revelation, meditation, prayer, or some other means when the Spirit of God overwhelms our spirit. During these times God has helped us to regain confidence and renew our faith in Him. We need moments with God —  times to reflect on what He has done for us in the past and to be assured of a successful future in Him.

In Genesis 32, Jacob experienced “a moment” with God that forever changed his life. But…before his life-changing experience, he had lived many years as a deceiver and con. It’s hard to understand how, even as an infant at birth, Jacob seemed to want to position himself for mastery (Gen. 25:22) over his twin brother Esau:

Gen. 25:24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, [there were] twins in her womb. 25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. 26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac [was] threescore years old when she bare them.

Jacob was named after this experience. His name means “holder of the heel” or “supplanter.” Supplanter means “one who wrongfully or illegally seizes and holds the place of another.”

Then…there is the account were Jacob and Esau were young men in the field. Jacob, with his cunning ways, tricked Esau out of his birthright:

29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he [was] faint:
30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red [pottage]; for I [am] faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
32 And Esau said, Behold, I [am] at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised [his] birthright.

There are other biblical accounts when Jacob tricked his uncle Laban, even though God was orchestrating these events to Jacob’s advantage.

Prior to his experience with his uncle Laban, Jacob (with his mother’s help) tricked his father, Isaac (Gen. 27). They fooled the old and dim-sighted father into thinking Jacob was Esau, thereby stealing the blessing Isaac would have given to Esau:

21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou [be] my very son Esau or not.
22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice [is] Jacob’s voice, but the hands [are] the hands of Esau.
23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him.

This experience made Esau furious and he sought to kill Jacob. Jacob’s past had finally caught up with him, so he escaped and ran for his life some 400 miles away, residing with his uncle Laban. He lived with Laban over 14 years, until Laban also sought to do him harm. Even though God told Jacob to return to his homeland, he felt Esau would certainly be waiting to take his life. Nevertheless, Jacob took all his belongings and fled from Laban to returned to meet his fate. Jacob was now on the run with no established past and his future seemed uncertain. Somewhere between where he had left and where he was going, he met “a man”. This man was shrouded in mystery, but it’s safe to say from the scriptures, the “man” had power with God! Maybe he was an angel, veiled in the form of a man. Or…maybe…this was a rare occasion when God was in the person of Jesus Christ! Without any further speculation — the real thrust of this article is JACOB EXPERIENCED THE PRESENCE OF GOD SUDDENLY, or IN A MOMENT. He knew this experience would change his life forever! Similar to Jacob’s experience…there are times we have to live in the moment: without regret for our past and no regard for an uncertain future. THIS IS THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU SENSE THE REALNESS OF GOD’S PRESENCE. This is the moment, despite conditions, God thunders in our spirit that everything will be alright! With this assurance, we get up from where we are to go forward in faith to meet a destiny led by God. And if God is for you, no one has the power to stand against you? Also…times will change our circumstances and conditions, but God will always be waiting for us to find His comforting presence and assurance when we truly reach Him “in the moment!”

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Timely Inspiration: The Fight of Your Life


I do not fight like a boxer who hits nothing but air.
(I Cor. 9:26)

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You are fighting a real opponent! It doesn’t matter if you are a teen or an adult! (In a sense, the battle starts in the womb and continues on until we become old and breathe our last breath!) Your opponent cares nothing about the fact that you may be weak, female, or elderly. Satan’s powers at work fight to destroy impoverished people as well as the rich. No one is exempt from fighting. If we don’t fight we become defeated! But, so many people are ill-prepared for spiritual war (Eph. 6:11-18)! They haven’t learned how to fight spiritually. They don’t have a working knowledge of the scriptures and they don’t have an intimate relationship with the Lord. Millions who do not pray are left defenseless! So many have not exercised themselves in spiritual warfare, and as a result, they are left vulnerable to an enemy who fights to destroy families, kill dreams, and suggests defeat, as well as suicide as a way of an escape.

We can use the apostle Paul as an example of overcoming and fighting until the end. Here are his words: “I have fought a good fight…I have kept the faith” (II Tim. 4:7).

The scriptures below can be used for spiritual warfare:

  1. “Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
  2. “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4
  3. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” 1 Pet. 5:8-9
  4. “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the Lord.” Is. 54:17
  5. “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Eph. 6:11-17
  6. “In all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Rom. 8:37
  7. So be careful. When you think you are standing firm, you might fall. You are tempted in the same way all other human beings are. God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted any more than you can take. But when you are tempted, God will give you a way out. Then you will be able to deal with it. I Cor. 10:12-13
  8. “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 15:57
  9. “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” 2 Thess. 3:3
  10. “Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.” Rom. 12:21
  11. “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” 1 Tim. 6:12
  12. “,,,On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matt. 16:18
  13. “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Is. 40:31
  14. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” Rom. 8:31
  15. “You are tempted in the same way all other human beings are. God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted any more than you can take. But when you are tempted, God will give you a way out. Then you will be able to deal with it. I Cor. 10:13.
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Start A VIRTUAL Bible Readers’ Club For Your Church (Handouts)


ICEA – “Church at Study”

STARTING A BIBLE READERS CLUB IS A UNIQUE WAY FOR
MEMBERS TO LEARN THE BIBLE & INTERACT BY ZOOM AT THE SAME TIME!

HERE IS A SAMPLE LETTER THAT WAS SENT OUT TO MEMBERS:

Praise the Lord ________________________ .
 
I want to invite you to our Bible Readers Club, where members will be reading the book of Philippians. The event will be this Sunday, from 4:15-5:30 p.m. We will have some light-hearted things to do to make the reading exciting. We will be giving out small gifts; have the audience shout out hard to pronounce words; find key verses throughout the chapters, and more!
 
The group will be reading (in rotating order) from the NIV version for better clarity. We plan to continue this study from various books on a monthly basis. For this meeting only, we will allow readers to use their King James Version, also. I have created a curriculum outline to break down and better understand Philippians.
 
We currently have over 50 members signed up! Please e-mail me and let me know if you are able to make it.
 
Look forward to your reply!.
 

(CLICK TEXT BELOW TO SEE HOW IT’S DONE AND SEE THE ATTACHED FOR A SAMPLE OF THE HANDOUT WE USED.)

bible-club-philippians-handoutDownload

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