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For Discussion: What Does a Meat Market in Biblical Times Look Like?


The scribes and Pharisees…love the…markets.
(Matt. 23:1-7)

A scripture this week found in the International Sunday School Curriculum speaks of the “market” or marketplace. The Bible markets were filled with daily activities. Here are some things that were done there:

  • Religious leaders loved to gather there
  • Selling of animals, foods, and spices
  • Bartering and trading
  • People often looked for work
  • Trials and hearings were held there
  • Legal transactions were made
  • Religious and political debates occurred there

Please click on the text below to VIEW and read more about marketplaces during Bible times.

http://bibleresources.americanbible.org/resource/at-the-market

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketplace

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#114 – A-Z Bible Teachers’ Checklist.


These “checklists” will be posted from
the PCAF – ICEA staff on an ongoing basis
to help Christian educators with
tips, ideas, and instructions. 

Order: The Key to Good
Study and Delivery

He pondered, searched out and
arranged many proverbs. (Eccl. 12:9)

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What to Do:

  • Your well-planned study and delivery (or lack thereof) usually makes the difference between being an effective teacher and one who lacks ability (II Tim. 2:14-15).
  • First, you must come away with some logical order from the results of your study, and then transfer the results of that order into your delivery (Eccl. 12:9-10). If it’s not clear in your head, chances are good, it won’t be clear to the students.
  • “Random talks” and unsystematic teaching usually show a teacher’s lack of preparing and studying scriptures in an orderly way.
  • Students who study want to hear lessons presented by the teacher in an orderly, logical, and understandable way (Acts 17:11-12).

 

 

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Fighting Our Enemies!


ICEA – “Church At Study”

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers against the
rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places

 

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Would you like to offer a seminar, training, group discussion, or panel discussion on spiritual warfare? Use our template to just fill in presenters’ names; everything else has been supplied with this simple handout.

 

Here are the topics:

Presenter #1 – Fighting to be Faithful
Presenter #2 – Fighting in Stressful Times
Presenter #3 – Fighting in Senior Years
Presenter #4 – Fighting the Enemy of Fear
Presenter #5 – Fighting for Our Children
Presenter #6 – Fighting the Enemy of Our Past
Presenter #7 – Fighting as a Man
Presenter #8 – Fighting as a Woman
Presenter #9 – Fighting and Knowing Your Enemy

CLICK BELOW FOR HANDOUT:

Fighting Our Enemies (blank form)

 

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Fear, Anxiety, Death, and an Open Grave!


And the angel of the Lord suddenly stood
before them, and the glory of the Lord shone
around them; and they were terribly frightened.

Luke 2:9 (NASB)

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ICEA – “Church at Study”

Luke 2:9 is part of an account of foretelling our Lord’s birth. It explains the fearful nature of men who came in contact with the supernatural and the unknown. Two other Bible translations state: “fear came on them” and; “they were filled with great fear”. A third translation seems to stand out: stating they were simply “terrified”. Likewise, as humans, we often can be fearful of coming in contact with the supernatural. We are earthy…but we also have the capacity to be influenced by spirit, because God has given us a spirit (Job 32:8). God is a Spirit (Jn. 4:24). Angels are spirits (Heb. 1:13-14) and demons are spirits, also. There are spirit powers in realms around us. These “messengers” (whether good or bad) have the ability to influence our thinking. When coming in contact with satanic powers, the struggle in our spirits and minds can be so intense! The Bible compares the struggle to…wrestling…not with flesh, but wrestling with spiritual foes. We read where Jesus wrestled with satanic power, as He was led by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil. We also see Jesus… (Heb. 2.9) who was made “a little lower than the angels” for the suffering of death…that He by the grace of God should experience death for every man. He not only experienced death, but (vs 14) destroyed him that had the power over death, that is the devil. And this is GOOD NEWS, because in time past (vs 15), many under the law were terrified at the thought and consequences of death but He has come and given us an understanding that death has no sting and the grave has no victory over those whose lives are preserved in Christ Jesus! So, we don’t have to live daily lives of fear. He was born, died, and rose from the grave to save us from the consequences of sin and adverse spiritual powers! Praise God that we live a life through the Spirit — springing up to eternal life!

The popular gospel artist, Cece Winans sung “but there is still a war that rages….” So…while we wait for eternal life, there are two main areas our Lord wants to preserve during every struggle: our hearts and our minds (Phil. 4:6-7). These are two main areas mankind’s enemy often attempts to attack and defeat with terror. God doesn’t want us terrified by our adversary because there is One who ever lives and we can live victorious lives through Him!

 

 

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The Changing Season!


Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant
thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun.
(Ecc. 11:7)

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Many of us enjoy seeing the last days of winter give over to the bright rays of the approaching spring sunshine. The degrees in the weather begin to climb and there is often anticipation in the air! Things become renewed and revived. All forms of life begin to emerge and grow because spring has come around again.

God has given the four seasons and we become accustomed to their changes, but God has other seasons as well. These seasons often do not normally coincide with the natural changes in the seasons that we are used to. These are the seasons in our lives. They are outlined in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and we need to learn them well! If we study them, we can better understand God’s plan and timing for our lives.

Through every season that God brings in our lives, there should be a systematic study and meditation on His word. Those who will commit to study will also be established like a tree. In contrast to a natural tree — whatever season we find ourselves in — our leaves will not die or even wither (Ps. 1:1-6). Unlike the reasonably predictable changes in the four natural seasons (Matt. 16:2-3, Gen. 8:22) — our fruit can suddenly become ripe at any time, even during times we do not anticipate. God suddenly uses us for His glory (II Tim. 2:21) during any given opportunity or season (Ps. 1:3)! We can be used by God during spring, summer, or fall. His plan for us is to still produce fruit even during the winter of our lives (Ps. 92:12-15, Ps. 71:18).

We are all familiar with the words of a famous song, “everything must change, nothing stays the same”. We should make as much preparation as we can for unexpected changes in seasons — whatever that season may bring.

The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They that are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and green: To shew that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
(Ps 92:12-15 – ERV Version)

(Holy Spirit inspired. Not Ai generated.)

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