Studies
Over the past 25 years, Michele has taught numerous courses covering many books of the Bible as well as stand-alone topics. A great number of those studies are now available for free below and on our resources page and our “IN THE WORD with Michele Telfer” podcast hosted on all the major platforms. There are several study books available on Amazon as well.
Now available for free below, and on our RESOURCE page
Ephesians
Saved by Grace, Living in Power
The people of the church at ancient Ephesus were very much like us today, and the letter the Apostle Paul wrote to them is just as relevant to our lives as to theirs. Ephesians reveals the transforming power of Christ, making ones who were once darkness into light in the Lord. This brief but potent epistle teaches us who we truly are in Christ and how we can live worthy of our calling in all our relationships and circumstances.
Individual lessons & Bible Study Guide
Hebrews
Draw Near… Hold Firm… Run with Perseverance
Hebrews is a foundational book of Scripture, one that every Christian should understand. It reveals that Jesus is unsurpassed! All of the Old Testament worship practices pointed to Him, the one born to die as our guiltless substitute. In Hebrews we see the bridge formed between the Old and New Testaments as we discover how the Old Testament shadows are fulfilled and brought to life in Jesus, the Lamb of God. Hebrews also introduces Jesus as our Great High Priest and helps us learn about how to draw near to Him, hold firm in faith, and run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Individual lessons & Bible Study Guide
John 3:1-18; Numbers 21:4-9; John 7:45-52 and John 19:38-42. Nicodemus’ encounter with Christ teaches us that God isn’t put off by our tentative questioning in the middle of the night. If we seek Him, He will never turn us away but will receive us just as we are. He will speak to us in ways that we can understand, but He will also lead us to the real issues we need to face.
John 4:1-42 For the first time in His ministry, Jesus directly claimed to be the Messiah and in doing so He entrusted the Gospel message to a woman that no one else would have even spoken to! The good news for you and for me is that God’s choice of unlikely messengers hasn’t changed, so there’s room for us to be used in His Kingdom even today!
Luke 1:5-25; Mark 1:4-8; John 1:29-37 and Mark 6:20-29 The life of John the Baptist teaches us that the grace of God sets us apart even before we are born and unfolds God’s plan to us as we walk in obedience to His call. Grace encourages us and gives us the strength to hold on even when we doubt so that we finish our race well.
Luke 10:38-42 and John 11:1-12:6. Mary, Martha and Lazarus were close friends of Jesus and I’m sure that when Lazarus fell sick and died the two sisters were left with many questions about Christ’s love for them. However, from their story we learn that grace is at work even when our world is shattered and when it seems as if God doesn’t care.
Luke 5:1-11; Matthew 16:13-18; Luke 22:14:34 and John 21:1-19. Peter followed Jesus imperfectly, in fits and starts, sometimes getting the point, sometimes not — responding to Christ’s gentle and not-so-gentle rebukes, receiving His forgiveness and redirection more times than we can count. Through the grace shown to Peter we learn that even in our worst moments, we are not alone and that God is the God of second chances!
We concluded our study with Paul, whose life was completely transformed by his encounters with the grace of Jesus Christ. A grace so powerful that it was able to change the Pharisee Saul — enemy and persecutor of the Church — into the Apostle Paul — protector of the faith and preacher to the Gentiles.
Selected Scriptures and Genesis 22:1-14. Abraham didn’t always look like the hero of the faith we see mentioned in Hebrews 11. His poor decisions sometimes got him into trouble; and yet God continued to refine Abraham, bringing him to the point of being able to trust Him completely.
Exodus 17:8-16, Joshua 1:6,7 & 9 and Joshua 3:2-4:7. Joshua was able to act in faith because he had come to know God as the One who keeps His promises. Strengthened by God’s Word, Joshua knew the Lord remains faithful from generation to generation in the face of battles, loss and unexpected challenges. God longs for us to see that same glimpse of His grace too!
Joshua 2:1-24 and Joshua 6:1-25. Rahab’s story proves that it doesn’t matter where we’ve come from or what we’ve done. Nothing disqualifies us from salvation except unbelief.
1 Kings 17—19. Elijah was a human being with strengths and weaknesses just like us. But he shows us that God hears His people — those who have been made righteous by trusting in Him for salvation — and He is faithful to supply our needs in every circumstance.
2 Chronicles 17:1-13; 18:1-19:2 & 20:1-30. Jehoshaphat is one of the good kings in Israel’s history and yet he was not perfect. He made mistakes and wandered from God’s path, but in times of distress Jehoshaphat cried out to God and the Lord answered in the most remarkable ways.
Daniel 1; 2 & 6. Daniel’s life shows us that God is in control; and even when our world is turned upside down, He is working to fulfill His purposes. He reveals Himself to those who seek Him. He gives wisdom to those who ask and He is fully able to protect us as we serve Him.
Acts 19-20 and Acts 10. We look at two different characters of the New Testament who followed God's lead through their own unique times of transition and learn how obedience to His Word is key. Following the Lord can be costly and it almost certainly will involve an element of risk as we choose to put obedience to Him above our own comfort.
Acts 19-20 and Acts 10. We look at two different characters of the New Testament who followed God's lead through their own unique times of transition and learn how obedience to His Word is key. Following the Lord can be costly and it almost certainly will involve an element of risk as we choose to put obedience to Him above our own comfort.
Acts 1:1-26. Jesus commanded His disciples in Acts 1 to wait for the promised infilling of the Holy Spirit to empower them to become His witnesses to the ends of the earth. One of the most amazing and uplifting observations about the early church is that a small band of ordinary people, who likely had never travelled outside of Judea before, somehow evangelized the whole world in the power of the Holy Spirit!
Acts 2:1-47. As Acts 2 opens Christ’s followers waited to be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus had instructed them. Luke records the miraculous events of Pentecost and how the believers’ effectiveness changed so radically as a result!
Acts 3:1-4:22. God uses Peter and John to heal a man who had been lame since birth. What a remarkable miracle that was! It was extraordinary because the man was given the ability to do something he had never done before! The crowd marveled at what they saw, but surprisingly the religious leaders could not find it in their hearts to praise God for what had occurred!
Acts 4:23-5:42. The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem became jealous of the church’s growing popularity. They resented the fact that God’s power was at work through the followers of Jesus rather than through them and so they threw the Apostles into prison and eventually had them publicly beaten in an attempt to put them off their work. However, the Christ-followers rejoiced in the fact “that they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace” for Christ's sake!
Acts 6:1-8:3. Stephen boldly preached the word of God to the Sanhedrin. Though he had the 'face of an angel' all they could think to do was silence his message. He was the first martyr of the early church and his death led to a great persecution of the believers in Jerusalem. As a result many were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, but what was meant for evil, God used for great good!
Acts 8:1-40. No matter where they went the disciples shared the Gospel with everyone they met and the church began to grow. However, in Acts 8 we become keenly aware that it was the Holy Spirit who guided the spread of the Gospel and who opened hearts to the truth about Jesus Christ!
Acts 9:1-31. Saul's life was transformed when Christ met him on the road to Damascus. This man who had been such an enemy of Christ became His follower and the greatest Apostle and teacher of the New Testament church. God used different people at different moments in Paul’s life as His agents of grace. We need to remember that we are agents of God’s grace too as we interact with those around us in our day-to-day lives.
Acts 9:32-10:48. Peter was used in exceptional ways by God; and in our lesson this week we see how he was also used to bring the Gentiles in to God's Kingdom. Without showing any discrimination, Peter took the risk of accompanying Cornelius' servants to Caesarea where he preached the good news of Jesus Christ to the Roman official's friends and family.
Acts 11:1-12:24. As the church grew to include the Gentiles, despite the hesitant response of some, they went into a time of persecution. At the beginning of Acts 12 Herod had been in command, James had been killed, Peter arrested, and it seemed as if the Church was “on the run”; but verse 24 of that same chapter told a different tale! Herod was dead but however “the word of God continued to increase and spread”. God's purposes had prevailed — not man’s — and the work of God continued!
Acts 13:1-14:8. The Holy Spirit dispatched Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey traveling via Cyprus to the Roman provinces of Lycia and Galatia. There is much we can learn from their example. Relying heavily on prayer and upon the Holy Spirit, we are to lovingly spread the Good News of Jesus, even when it comes at great cost to ourselves!
Acts 14:8—15:35. After Paul and Barnabas returned from a very eventful first missionary journey, it was not long before false teachers began to disrupt the church in Antioch with their doctrine of circumcision teaching that salvation was only for the Jews. This caused such distress Paul and Barnabas were sent to Jerusalem to speak with the Apostles. The Council of Jerusalem as it came to be known, issued a firm decree confirming that salvation is for both Jew and Gentile alike and that it is given by grace, not by the Law.
Acts 15:36-16:40. After several unsuccessful attempts at journeying into Asia, Paul and Silas ended up traveling to Philippi to take the gospel to the Macedonians. Their ministry there probably looked very different to what they had expected, as after delivering a slave girl from demonic possession they ended up beaten and thrown into prison!
Acts 17:1-18:11. Paul was never ashamed of the gospel of Christ and nothing deterred him from fulfilling the call of God on his life. Though he faced hardships frequently, God urged Paul to continue to speak and to not be silent, for He promised to be with him no matter what. You and I would do well to remember that He has promised to be with us as well!
Acts 18:12-19:41. Paul faced opposition wherever he went. Whether in Corinth or in Ephesus. The silversmiths of Ephesus were angry because of his preaching. For as people turned to Christ, they lost their fascination with the goddess Artemis and the silversmiths' business suffered because of it! Yet even when they rioted Paul, courageous as always, was willing to speak to the crowd about Jesus!.
Acts 20:1-21:30. Many who feared for his safety begged Paul not to go up to Jerusalem; but his mind was already made up! It broke his heart to see how distressed they were, and yet he was unwilling to alter his course.
Acts 21:31-23:30. Just as the Prophet Agabus had predicted, upon arriving in Jerusalem Paul was seized by the Jewish authorities and handed over to the Romans. Things did not appear to be going well for Paul and it would have been easy for him to give in to discouragement; but in the middle of the night "... the Lord stood near Paul". He told him to “take courage" and promised that just as he had testified in Jerusalem, so he would also testify in Rome! God's plan for His Apostle was not yet complete!
Acts 23:30-25:27. Having entrusted himself to God, Paul spent two years in Roman custody at Caesarea, rather than pay Governor Felix the bribe he was hoping for. When a more honorable man by the name of Festus was appointed as Governor of Judea, the Jews tried to take advantage of his lack of local knowledge by insisting he return Paul to Jerusalem. Festus tried to placate them; but when Paul appealed to Caesar, the Governor could do nothing more but send him to Rome for trial.
Acts 26:1-27:12. Fetus realized that he had little understanding of the Jewish religion and culture, so he brought Paul before Herod Agrippa in the hope that he would help him formulate charges against Paul that would interest the Emperor. After hearing his defense, the bewildered leaders lamented the fact that Paul had appealed to Caesar, as they deemed him innocent of the charges. However, Paul had made no error for now he was on his way to Rome to share the Gospel with even the Emperor himself!
Acts 27:13-28:16. As the storm raged, Paul kept his focus on the promise of God that he "must" see Rome and testify to Christ in that city. Certainly there were times when that seemed an impossible promise. After enduring the tempest and the shipwreck, when gathering wood for their much-needed fire, Paul was bitten by a viper! Even that did not discourage him! Rather he shook off the serpent and continued to serve - which is a wonderful testimony of how actions can, at times, speak louder than our words!
Acts 28:17-31. This book has been focused on the acts the Holy Spirit! Jesus promised His people would “receive power” to make them witnesses for Him and the Holy Spirit did work through the early believers in amazing ways. In a sense though, the book of Acts is still being written through us as we continue to serve the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit even today!
Romans 1:1-17 Paul was speaking at a very evil time in history it was not easy for Christians and yet he revealed in Romans 1 that he was “not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” God’s offer of salvation that comes by faith in Christ’s sacrifice has the power to truly transform our lives!
Romans 1:18-32. Creation reveals there is an order to the universe, a set of “rules” by which things operate that we ignore at our own loss or peril. For example, disregard the law of gravity and see how quickly you fall. There is a moral order built into the universe as well, which God made known through His dealings with Israel and through His messengers, the prophets. Living according to God’s moral order results in peace and blessing; but ignoring it will ultimately lead to shame, degradation and spiritual ruin.
Romans 2:1-3:8. Paul’s hope was that coming face to face with their great need and their sinfulness, would push the Jews toward Christ and repentance as their only hope for salvation. It was his greatest desire for them…and also mine for you today!
Romans 3:9-4:25 Paul proves that the way to God is not through being part of a particular nation, it is not through having a particular physical mark on your body, it is not through the works of the Law of Moses! Rather it is by faith – a faith that takes God at His Word and trusts in Him for salvation by grace alone! When we believe God and trust Him as Abraham obedience to His commands becomes a way of life!
Romans 5:1-6:7. Adam’s choice led to mankind's death and separation from God, but Christ’s decision to obey opened up the way for our reconciliation with the Father and eternal life in His presence!
Romans 6:8-8:3a. No matter how a person might desire to serve God and even make all sorts of plans to do so, unless they have taken refuge in Christ as Savior they are bound to a Law they cannot keep – and as consequence they are destined to endure a cycle of sin and death they cannot escape. But the outcome for those who are in Christ is far different. Jesus did not come to condemn us but to set us free from the old covenant and the cycle of sin and death.
Romans 1:18-32. Creation reveals there is an order to the universe, a set of “rules” by which things operate that we ignore at our own loss or peril. For example, disregard the law of gravity and see how quickly you fall. There is a moral order built into the universe as well, which God made known through His dealings with Israel and through His messengers, the prophets. Living according to God’s moral order results in peace and blessing; but ignoring it will ultimately lead to shame, degradation and spiritual ruin.
Romans 9:25-11:15. Those who would belong to God must be willing to confess that Jesus Christ is their Lord. The Greek word for Lord is “KURIOS” and it was filled with great significance! It was the title given to all Roman Emperors and the Greeks also used this word before each of their gods’ names. Thus, to give the title to Christ meant He was not only above all other gods that mankind had chosen to worship, He was also above Caesar himself! A powerful statement seeing as Paul was writing to those in Rome! But that’s not all – it was also the title used for God Himself in the Greek translation of the Old Testament.
Romans 11:13-12:8. Paul is asking for here is an intentional change in the way that we live! God does not want us to “conform any longer to the pattern of this world”. In other words, we are no longer to match our lives to the fashion of the world around us – we cannot live as we once did. We cannot live as chameleons either — going back and forth between the two worlds, trying to blend in in each one. Rather, Paul calls us to a different life which is the natural outworking of a renewed mind.
Romans 12:9-13:7. Paul began to address the practical side of faith and how believers are to live, not only within the church, but within their community as well. The Christian’s main desire should be to keep a clear conscience before God – and so they are to obey the law of the land in order to please God and to be a good ambassador for Christ. Paul urged them to be law abiding citizens despite the fact that the Roman government they lived under was pagan, immoral and oppressive. The question arises: are there any circumstances when a Christian is not to obey the authorities over them?
Romans 13:8-14:23. Unity within the body of Christ is not the same as uniformity. We can hold to the key tenants of our faith while still holding different opinions about the way in which we are to worship God and live for him. This does not mean that we should ever compromise on the key principles of Christianity, or that we are to disregard matters of sin, but we should not allow differing opinions about lesser things to divide us.
Romans 15:1-33. There really are no hopeless situations in life, only perhaps men and women who have grown hopeless about them! No matter what happens in the world the Christian is not to despair! Though we may not know what will happen one moment to the next – we can rest assured that our hope in God is never misplaced and as we place our trust in Him we can experience a joy and peace that cannot easily be explained.
Romans 16:1-27. As we summarize all that Paul has taught in the pages of this wonderful book, we conclude with the final chapter of Romans. Though it may seem like a long list of names and greetings; there is much that we can learn from Paul’s last words to these people.
God uncovers His plan for the future, but just because God intends to reveal something does not necessarily mean that we will find it easy to understand! The book of Revelation is made up of 404 verses, and 278 of those verses refer to things mentioned in the Old Testament! It’s also filled with symbolism which we will need to interpret if we are to understand it! However, Revelation is the only book of Scripture in which God promises a blessing just for reading it and putting it in to practice! For more about Michele or to support this international ministry please visit: https://intheword.com
As we cover the first two of the seven churches Christ addressed in Revelation we learn that He is indeed the God who sees. He is with us, He loves us and He understands all that we face! But He wants us to trust Him and hold to the promises in His Word even unto death, if need be, for in Him we have strength for the present and the assurance of a future where we will see Him face to face! For more about Michele or to support this international ministry please visit: https:://intheword.com
In this lesson Jesus speaks to the churches in Pergamum, Thyatira and Sardis. Two were struggling with false teachers and compromise, but Sardis suffered from none of these things! They had no accusers, no struggles, no persecution, no false apostles! This was not because they were doing everything right! Far from it! Satan didn't have to bother with them because the church in Sardis was fast asleep! Jesus urged them to wake up!
As we study the last two churches of Revelation we see that there was such a contrast between the Faithful Church in Philadelphia and the Lukewarm Church of Laodicea. Those who were faithful had "little strength" of their own, whereas those of Laodicea were so self-sufficient they didn't even know how much they needed Jesus! For more about Michele or to support this international ministry please visit: https://intheword.com
John wept at the thought that there was no one in heaven to open the scroll - God's final will for the earth. The glimpse of heaven had changed his heart from one filled with fear to one overflowing with eager expectation! He was told that the Lion of Judah was able to open the scroll and to look inside but when he turned John didn't see a lion, but rather a lamb looking as though violently slain. As the Lion of Judah, Christ the Messiah is ruler of all! But He is also the Lamb of God, who was slain so that we could be freed from the power of sin to stand clothed in purity before the throne of God in Heaven. For more about Michele or to support this international ministry please visit: https://intheword.com
As Jesus opened the scroll in heaven different events happened upon the earth. One of the truths made plain to us from the text is that God often holds back His full judgement, thus proving His great mercy. He does not want any to perish but all to come to repentance. Sadly, at the breaking of the sixth seal the people of the earth (those who reject God) hid from Him and rather than call out for mercy, they hoped for death! For more about Michele or to support this international ministry please visit: https://intheword.com
Prior to the judgements of Revelation all those who belong to God, both Jew and Gentile alike, are marked as His servants with the seal of the Living God, helping us to realize that even in the midst of terrible calamity God knows who are His! For more about Michele or to support this international ministry please visit: https://intheword.com
In the first two woes of the Tribulation God shows John all of Hell let loose on the earth. Though the suffering is great He reveals that the opportunity to repent and be saved still exists, even then. However, the people of the earth choose not to take hold of the forgiveness that could so easily be theirs and so finally God declares: "There shall be no delay!" Grace will no longer be extended and judgment is about to begin! For more about Michele or to support this international ministry please visit: https://intheword.com
God uncovers His plan for the future, but just because God intends to reveal something does not necessarily mean that we will find it easy to understand! The book of Revelation is made up of 404 verses, and 278 of those verses refer to things mentioned in the Old Testament! It’s also filled with symbolism which we will need to interpret if we are to understand it! However, Revelation is the only book of Scripture in which God promises a blessing just for reading it and putting it in to practice! For more about Michele or to support this international ministry please visit: https://intheword.com
As we study Revelation 12:1-17 we learn that from the beginning Satan’s mission has always been to destroy the Anointed One, the Christ of God, in order to prevent the Redemption of mankind and consequently he has tried on numerous occasions to destroy the Jewish people from whom the Messiah would come. For more information about Michele or to support this international ministry please visit: https://intheword.com
Having been cast out of heaven, Satan knows that his time is short; and so, determined to do as much damage as he can he delegates his power to the two beasts who are the main figures in chapter 13. The Beast from the Sea represents the Antichrist — the political leader through whom Satan works during that time, while the Beast from the Earth represents “the False Prophet” who will work alongside the Antichrist, not only promoting him but also heading up the world’s false religion of the time and causing those who follow the Antichrist to take the Mark of the Beast upon them. For more about Michele or to support this international ministry please visit: https://intheword.com
As we cover Revelation 14 and 15, John sees the holy ones of God standing in heaven praising the Lamb as they sing their song of deliverance just before the bowls of God's wrath are poured out on those who have rejected Him. The wicked vine of Babylon that intoxicates and poisons the people of the earth will be cut down and the so-called “fruit” associated with it will be thrown into the wine press of God’s wrath to be crushed. For more about Michele or to support this international ministry please visit: https://intheword.com
The bowls of God's wrath are quickly poured out upon the Beast's Empire and upon those who follow him. We noticed these are much like God's Judgements that fell upon the Egyptians just before the Exodus of His people from bondage! As bowl after bowl falls, Heaven confirms that God is just in these judgments for all He does is to avenge the deaths of His holy people! We also meet the woman that belongs to the Antichrist and to the Dragon and though we still have many questions about her one thing is sure - she will be judged most severely!
Revelation 18:1-19:10. With Mystery Babylon and all she stood for destroyed those who dwell on the earth express their woe - not for her destruction as much as what that will mean for their lives and their businesses! The picture in Heaven is much different as praises ring out and the long-anticipated wedding supper of the Lamb begins! Not only is the Bride (the Church) in attendance, but at the banquet table are seated all of those who have trusted God and looked forward to His provision over the ages!
As we study Revelation 19:11-20:15 we realize the first time Christ came to earth He arrived riding a donkey, which in those days was a sign of a king who came in peace. This time it is very different as He arrives riding a white horse as a picture of a conquering King coming in victory. John notices the blood on Christ’s robe; and though we normally associate Jesus with the blood of His redemptive sacrifice, this time, the blood on His garments is the blood of His enemies as well! For He has come to make war with justice and righteousness against all that is evil. For more about Michele or to support this international ministry please visit https://intheword.com
Paul declared in 1 Corinthians 2:9 “No eye has seen, no ear has heard,No mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him” and here in Revelation 21:1-27 we see John attempt to describe that which is indescribable! No words can do Heaven justice!
Revelation 22:1-21. As this beautiful book of Revelation concludes John speaks of this glorious city of God where the River of the Water of Life, clear as crystal, flows from God's throne and where mankind is able to eat of the Tree of Life once more. A place where we will see Him face to face and enjoy Him forever! For more about Michele or to support this international ministry please visit https://intheword.com
Final thoughts on our study. Revelation has taught us that we can have confidence in Jesus Christ for He is utterly trustworthy! We can face all kinds of trials with courage knowing that He shall have complete victory! Until He returns, we are called to stand with courage in the face of evil. We are to obey Christ until the very end, resisting social pressure to turn away from Him. For more about Michele or to support this international ministry please visit https://intheword.com
Daniel was faithful to God despite his difficult circumstances! While living in Babylon he not only prophesied concerning times that are yet to come, he also showed us how to live a life faithful to God even in an unreceptive and often intolerant culture. In this lesson we look at Daniel's arrival in Babylon in chapter 1 of his book.
No matter what Daniel faced, he seemed to meet it with a quiet assurance that God was in control and could be trusted. God involves Himself in the affairs of the world. He is not distant or uncaring. He governs among the nations and yet is quick to hear the least of us when we call upon Him in faith. For more about Michele or to support this ministry go to: https://intheword.com
Daniel's three friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah became known by the Babylonian names of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. When commanded to worship the golden image Nebuchadnezzar had set up they refused to obey. They knew the risks, but they believed it was more important to obey God's Word than the command of a mere man. Irrespective of the eventual cost, they were willing to stand for the Lord. For more about Michele or to support this ministry go to: https://intheword.com
About 35 years had passed since the golden image on the plain of Dura and by now Daniel had genuine concern for this man that he had served for so long. When Nebuchadnezzar had a second troubling dream Daniel was asked to interpret it. Knowing the message would not be an easy one for the King to hear, Daniel was greatly concerned but he knew that to honor God he must speak the truth in love no matter how difficult! For more about Michele or to support this ministry go to: https://intheword.com
God's word to arrogant king Belshazzar was immediately fulfilled under rather remarkable circumstances! The city of Babylon's defenses were thought to be impenetrable but when God acts who can reverse it? Judgment fell on the king that every night! God is on His throne and His promises shall be fulfilled irrespective of what the world believes - this should give us great confidence in facing the times in which we live! Daniel maintained his courage and his integrity through all the changes in his lifetime. He shows us that faithfulness to God is possible; and that we, too, can remain true to God regardless of the situations we face. For more about Michele or to support this ministry go to https://intheword.com
God did not spare Daniel from the lions' den and He may also call us to a place in life that we would far rather not go! But no matter what we face, no matter what may lie ahead, we need to remember that we are in the Lord’s care! He will work out His purposes in our lives just as He did in Daniel's! Daniel looked to the Lord in times of difficulty, and we should too for He is able to make us prosper even in the most unlikely circumstances, if only we will keep our eyes fixed on Him! For more about Michele or to support this ministry go to https://intheword.com
Daniel remained useful to the Lord well into his 80's, in fact the Lord only gave him his first vision in his mid-sixties! Daniel’s vision of the four beasts warned Israel that there would be a procession of enemies and world rulers holding authority over them; however, they should not lose heart. And nor should we! In the end, as it has been from the beginning, God is in control. Jesus will come to defeat the kingdoms of this world and He will establish His throne forever! For more about Michele or to support this ministry go to: https://intheword.com
Daniel's second vision was just as detailed as his first. When we studied the truth of Scripture compared to historical fact, we realized that much Daniel's vision has already been fulfilled with incredible accuracy. However, a part of the prophecy will only be fulfilled at "the time of the end" when Christ returns to earth. Though we may not fully understand all that God is doing in the nations of our world right now, we do know that He is most certainly working according to His detailed plan that has been in place for millennia! The end of which results in the victory of God and His people! For more about Michele or to support this ministry go to: https://intheword.com
Daniel's third vision came as he was interceding for his people. Known as the Prophecy of Seventy Weeks or Seventy Sevens, this complex and amazingly detailed prophecy forms a type of clock for the nation of Israel and her future. One thing is certain: God is working to His schedule. He knows the end from the beginning! Christ is coming and who knows, we may yet be here to see all this fulfilled! For more about Michele or to support this ministry go to: https://intheword.com
Daniel's forth vision detailed great conflict that lay ahead for his people the Jews, but his vision also revealed the reality of a far greater war, a war in the spiritual realm that influences what happens on earth! Scripture makes it plain that Satan does have influence over the earthly kingdoms of men and there is a hierarchy of demonic overlords that influence the politics of various regions. It is important that we understand that as those who belong to the Lord, we do have a part to play in this battle as Paul clearly states in Ephesians 6:10-13. For more about Michele or to support this ministry go to: https://intheword.com
Over the course of history, battles have raged and God's people have often been caught up in the middle of the chaos. However, the truth remains: "the people who know their God" will stand firm until the end!
For more about Michele or to support this ministry go to: https://intheword.com
In the midst of the inexplicable, perhaps the most important words we can hold to from Daniel 12:12 are: “Blessed is the one who waits”. We are to wait on the Lord for Him to reveal the prophecy’s full meaning at the proper time. The angel told Daniel twice to “go his way” … to continue to live his life with what he had been shown and to leave what he didn’t understand with God and Daniel did exactly that! Perhaps that should be our final take-away from this amazing book too!
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This study is entitled: "Living for Christ in the Last Days". Biblically speaking the Last Days is the span of time from the Christ's sacrificial death on the cross until He comes again, but all that's happened over the past few months surely convinces us that we have never been closer to His return than we are now. In these two letters Paul focuses on how we can live for Christ in times of suffering and persecution and his words are as relevant to us as they were to the church in Thessalonica.
Following Jesus as King produces such counter-cultural way of life that conflict with our neighbors over our beliefs is sure to arise. However, our response to their hostility should always be that of love, grace and generosity motivated by the hope we have in the coming kingdom of Christ and, irrespective of their actions we are to live in a way that brings honor to the Lord.
In this study we focus especially on 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 in which Paul speaks of the Rapture of the Church. The word Rapture doesn't appear in Scripture but it comes from this section of text where Paul speaks of living believers being "caught up" to meet Christ in the air at His return. That word in Latin for "caught up" is "rapio" and this Latin word is the root of our English word "rapture" which also means to be "caught up" or to be "snatched away"! We also discuss what happens when believers die as well as the resurrection of the righteous dead which also occurs at Christ's second coming!
This study covers the book of 2 Thessalonians in which Paul outlines what must happen in world events before the return of Christ. In this letter he also reveals the "man of lawlessness" also known as the Antichrist who will be the end-time leader of a one-world government. This is a study you won't want to miss!
We begin in the book of Colossians as Paul describes the supremacy of Christ and what affect He has on our lives.
The second in our Colossians series we discover that Paul viewed his suffering as a privilege rather than a punishment! His whole life was committed to serving Christ in the places that God put him and to seeing believers grow in their faith whether he'd met them or not. He knew that his witness to others mattered for eternity!
In Colossians 3 Paul speaks to believers about the things of the past that we're to let go of and the traits of the new life in Christ that we are to pick up! Our love for Jesus is to not only change us, it is also to transform even our closest relationships!
Colossians 4 concludes Paul's letter to the church in that city and it ties in with another letter Paul sent to Philemon about his runaway slave Onesimus who had recently come to Christ when Paul shared the Gospel with him in prison providing us with a fascinating illustration of how the love and grace of God is to change our relationships.
At this stressful time many people are searching for peace ....
Four friends discuss what we can learn about peace from Philippians 4
Ephesians 2 states that "Christ Himself is our peace". When we come to Him He not only gives us peace with God the Father but also He makes peace with our fellow man possible. Four friends discuss what that looks like in our day-to-day lives. (If you want to know more about how to follow Jesus please visit https://harvest.org/know-god/ or
Having an eternal perspective on life can make all the difference to how we go through trials! If you have questions about entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit any of these sites. You will find trusted information and help! https://harvest.org/know-god/
Our fifth Conversation About Peace - Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25 and John 15:1-8) If you have questions about entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit any of these sites. You will find trusted information and help! https://harvest.org/know-god/
"Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God".What does that look like and what is the difference between a peacemaker and a peacekeeper?