Godswriter

Q4. What lesson is God teaching you out of Hagar's experience? Which situation that God is calling you to is most difficult for you to submit to? For me the lesson is about trusting Him when people fail you and choose to let you down instead. The situation is forgiveness and loving others when it seems hard to do especially when your flesh works against you.

Q3. (16:13-14) What is the significance of Hagar's name for God -- El Roi, the God Who Sees? What does it mean to a person who is discouraged and losing hope? What does it mean to you personally? Hagar's name for God means that there is only one God who sees us. Not only that but the Lord personally knows us enough to calls us by name and knows us by that name and understand our situation. The name means that He is working behind the scenes to lead us by the hand and also work all things for good. For me, it means that God is my rock and fortress and I can trust in Him fully during my darkest hours.

Q2. (16:7-9) Why does the angel ask Hagar something that the angel already knows? ("Where have you come from, and where are you going?") Why does she send her back to Sarah? Have you ever reacted and got yourself out of the place God wanted you? I believe that the angel asked Hagar because the angel had personal interest in her and wanted her to know that and all wanted her to know that God cared for her as well. She is sent back in order to be submissive and obedient to Sarah even though it is hard to do. Yes many times I have not realizing the repercussions of it.

Q1. (16:1-6) Why does Sarah take her anger out on Abraham? Why does she take her anger out on Hagar? Is she trying to get rid of Hagar or the baby? In what sense is Hagar's pride Abraham's fault? In what sense is Hagar's affliction Abraham's fault? What situation in your family does this reminds you of? I believe she took it out on Abraham because Hagar now felt superior to Sarah because she was pregnant and had conceived while Sarah was barren. The main reason she took it out on her is because Hagar chose to treat Sara as inferior. I would say that the pride is both Sarah's and Abraham's fault since they chose to move ahead of God and in doing so they caused her to become proud. Her affliction is His fault since he chose not to defend her. I would have to say the situation with my grandma where she was treated like an inferior human being.

Q4 (15:17-18a) Why did God go through the covenant ritual with Abraham, with the divided carcasses? Why does God bind himself to a solemn promise? How does Abraham respond to God's promises (15:6)? What promises has God made to us that affect our futures? What significance does blood sacrifice have in those promises? The Lord alone went through them because He alone was the One could make the promises that would deliver Abraham's descendants from their enemies and sin as well. Also He did it with a solemn promise to symbolize how serious the promise was to Him and what it meant to Him as well. He believed God. The Lord promised us eternal life. The blood sacrifice means that only God can fulfill it since we are tainted with sin.

Q3. (15:16) Have you ever been frustrated with God for not fulfilling his promise to you immediately? Why does God sometimes delay the fulfillment of his promises to a future time? Yes more than once but I also know that God's timing is definitely not mine either. And I need to wait on His timing time and time again. I believe it's because we are not ready for what He prepared for us yet.

Q2. (15:6) What is so amazing about this verse? On what basis does God declare Abraham a righteous person? What significance does this have to our New Testament understanding of justification by faith? It is the fact that He chose to believe knowing that God would not fail Him on His promise to deliver it. On the basis of Abraham's faith. It shows us that we must do what it says in Hebrews 11:6.

Q1. (15:1) What does it mean to you personally to call God your "Shield"? What does it mean to you that he promises to you (as heir of the promises to Abraham) "an exceedingly great reward"? What does it mean to you to call God your Suzerain or Sovereign? To me it means that He protects me from all harm and storms. It means that everything Abraham was promised is also promised to me because of Christ. This means that He is all powerful, never changing, has all the control and everywhere and that means everything to me.

Q4. (14:21-24) Why does Abraham refuse to take the spoils of war that the King of Sodom offers him? What does this tell us about Abraham's character? What is the lesson here for us to learn? Abraham chose not to ally with the King of Sodom because he didn't want to be in the King's debt or have the king say that he made Abraham rich. That Abraham was an upright man and knew how to obey God in all areas of his life and he knew that accepting an evil king's goods was wrong. That accepting goods or rewards from someone who does not follow the Lord is not wise.

Q3. (14:20) What is the significance of Abraham giving one tenth of the spoils of war to Melchizedek? Does tithing today represent the same kind of worship? Why should we tithe to God first (like Abraham did) before dividing up our paychecks to pay our bills? The significance of Abraham's tithe is that he is giving the Lord thanks for the victory over the battle. He is giving God back what originally belongs to Him. Abraham chose to remember that God gave him the victory. Yes it does because we are worshipping the God Most High and serving Him. To recognize Him and give Him praise is to give Him a portion of our finances. We should give to God first because truthfully nothing we have is truly ours. It all belongs to Him.

Q2. (14:13-16) What does Abraham's military expedition to rescue Lot from the Mesopotamian kings tell us about his character? About his abilities? About the way he deals with neighbors? What is here for us to emulate? Abraham's military expedition shows us that he is full of courage and strength and he was not afraid to face the enemy because of the Lord. It also tells us that he loves his family. His abilities were not only being prepared but also being willing to battle the kings at night shows us that he knew how to fight and corner them accordingly. He respects them and chose to train them for the battle as well. We should be willing to act immediately when someone needs help and not be a bystander and let someone else help. We must also be willing to act in courage when God tells us to act.

Q1. (13:2) Does Abraham's material wealth reflect God's blessing on him? Does material wealth always reflect God's blessing? Does physical poverty always reflect God's curse? Abraham's wealth does reflect God's blessing upon him. However material blessing or wealth does not equate God's blessing sometimes the person is an evil person and that person is not living for the Lord and so you can not say God's blessing them. There has to be another answer for it than that. Usually evil people sometimes get their money in ways that are dishonest at times. Physical poverty doesn't equate to God's curse either. For sometimes the person is not living for the Lord either. So the answer can be as simple as they did not spend within their means or what they could afford.

Q5. (12:2-3) What relationship does God's promise to Abraham in 12:2-3 have to do with the incident of Sarah's abduction in 20:10-20? God promised to make him a great nation through an heir and it would be through Sarah. The promise could not be fulfilled if she was the wife of another man. This shows that God remembers His promises and keeps them.

Q4. What do you think about Abraham's and Sarah's ethics and faith? Are they ethically and morally wrong? Does the Scripture intend to show that their actions as a lack of faith? What lessons should we disciples learn from these stories? I believe that they were not trusting God enough for His protection and how He would save them from evil men. In a way they both knew that God could save them from certain death. It was wrong for them both to engage in an act of deceit in order to save their lives. I believe so. That we need to trust God for our protection.

Q3. (20:3-6) What does this story teach us about God's view of adultery? Can God forgive a person who has committed adultery? God hates adultery and sees it as He sees all sin. Yes for He forgave the woman caught in adultery and told her to sin no more. As long as we confess our sins and he will choose to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Q2. (12:17-20) Why did Pharaoh and his household get sick? What effect did this have? What was God seeking to accomplish through this affliction? Did it have the desired effect? The main reason Pharoah got sick was because he knowingly took Sarah from Abraham thinking she was just his sister when Sarah was Abraham's wife instead. It brought about a change of attitude and a renewed conscience as well. Repentance. I believe it did to some effect however Pharoah then sent them out of Egypt to fend for themselves.

Q1. (12:10) What dangers faced Abraham and his family as aliens and sojourners in Egypt and elsewhere? Who might oppress them? What "aliens and sojourners" live in your community? Why did they come? How are they being oppressed or discriminated against by employers and others in the community? What can you and your church do to "love those who are aliens"? He could be taken advantage of by evil men; gangs of men could rape women and girls as well; they also relied on the monarch for protection. I believe there are some Muslims in mine. I don't know because they don't talk to me. People avoid them. I would believe it would start by showing God's love to them.

Q4. (12:9) What was the significance of Abraham "calling on the name of Yahweh"? What does it mean for you to "call on the name of the Lord"? The significance meant that Abraham meant that believed only in Yahweh and no other god. It also meant that he was calling on the Creator of the universe as well. He was also admitting that he was truly admitting that he needed God and also that he needed God's direction and guidance.

Q3. (12:1 with Hebrews 11:8-10) Why does it take special faith to begin to do something in obedience to God before we see how it will turn out? Have you had any of these "opportunities"? Are you in the midst of this adventure now? It takes a special faith to begin do something in obedience to God because in order to know what happens we need to trust God for the outcome and believe that He knows best. Yes I have had several. Yes I am.

Q2. (12:2-3) In what ways was Abraham blessed. How have all the peoples of the earth been blessed? In what way does Abraham continue bless people through your life? Abraham was blessed first through by being called by God. Then by the fact He chose to believe and obey. He also was blessed by the fact that the Lord gave him a child in old age as promised. He was also blessed by the fact that his descendants were going to be a bless the world with a Savior which would be Jesus Christ the Lord. By me choosing to obey the Lord.

Q1. (11:32) Have you ever begun something in response to God's urging and then stopped? Did God want you to stop? Is it time now to renew your obedience and begin again? (Don't take this question lightly. Sometimes circumstances prevent us from doing what we once felt God wanted us to do. However, he is able to redirect you into his will for you now. Seek him diligently to learn his will.) The one thing I started in response to God's urging and then stopped is a book for teens. I don't believe He ever wanted me to stop. I believe He wanted me to complete the whole series actually since this book was part of a series. I feel Him urging me to start again.

Q4. (Philippians 3:13; Revelation 2:4) What does it look like when a person “loses his first love”? Has this ever happened to you? How can you regain a personal intimacy with Christ? What might you need to repent of to restore this? I believe it means that the person loves worldly things more than Christ and doesn't realize it. The person is fully engaged in them and is even mixing beliefs with Christianity as well. Yes it has when I was younger. I would have to repent of anything that blocks fellowship with me and Him.

Q3. (Philippians 3:8-9) How can pride in our own righteousness and religious achievements actually get in the way of "knowing Christ"? Has this ever happened to you or someone you know? It can cause us to think that we know everything and we don't need Christ and we don't need prayer and we are already there. I have seen it in someone that is a Catholic that says she is saved and doesn't need to be saved or prayer. She believe her works will get there. However her character shows a big problem that will make it impossible for her to get there that way.

Q2. (Colossians 1:14-20; Romans 8:1) What does it mean to be “in Christ”? Why is such union with Christ so important? We are delivered from the power of the darkness and directly placed in the kingdom of God's Son through redemption and forgiveness of our sins. He has sent us the Holy Spirit to inwardly dwell in us forever. The union with Christ is so important because without it we can't be heard by God and can't enter heaven.

Q1. (Philippians 2:5-11) How did Jesus demonstrate the importance of humility and forego his rights in order to do God's will? What happens when we try to exalt ourselves, rather than waiting for God to exalt us? What do you call this tendency? Jesus chose to forsake His glory and the power that it gave Him in order to do the Father's will. He could have easily said no to it but instead He bowed down to it. By bowing down to it He chose to prove the sanhedrin that He was really the Son of God and when He rose from the dead He proved to them that He wasn't lying. When we exalt ourselves like the Pharisees we end up becoming humbled and laid low by the Lord. I call it Pride.