Lisema Ralitsoele

Q5. (John 1:33) How does John the Baptist's baptism differ from the baptism that Jesus brings? John the Baptist’s baptism was restricted for Jews and it only took place east of the Jordan River at a place called Bethany by immersing them in the Jordan River. The baptism that Jesus brings, on the other hand, doesn't deal with just a single person, or the sin of just the Jewish people for that year; it deals with the sins of everyone in the whole world for all time. Baptism is a word that means "immerse, plunge under water." What does a "baptism of the Holy Spirit" imply about this event? In water baptism I get dipped into the water or the water is poured over my body. In the “baptism of the Holy Spirit”, the Holy Spirit comes into me, and my heart is immersed in it. Furthermore, it relates to the passage from Deuteronomy 30:6: The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.

Q4. (John 1:29) What does the title "Lamb of God" tell us about Jesus' ministry? John tells us that Jesus is the “Lamb of God” in some sacrificial sense, in view of the fact that lambs were commonly used by the Jews for sacrifices to obtain forgiveness for sin and thus Isaiah 53 tells us that this is a ministry of atonement and sacrifice that Jesus took upon himself by divine appointment. According to 1:29, whose sins did he come to take away? He came to take away the sins of the world. In what ways did Jesus fulfill Isaiah 53? Jesus fulfilled Isaiah 53 in that being the only Son of God and Son of Man He did by His perfection and greatness atone for our sins and represented and substituted, to God the Father’s full satisfaction, for all men in this atonement once and for all generations. This was fulfilled dramatically when: · Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him; · The soldiers struck Jesus with the palms of their hands. · The soldiers took Jesus, bearing His own cross, to Golgotha and there, they crucified Him. · One of the soldiers pierced Jesus side with a spear. Almighty God, thank You for Your Sacrificial Lamb, JESUS

Q3. (John 1:19-27) How does John the Baptist show humility? John is a spectacle of humility through and through. Mark 1:6 says John wore clothing woven of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his loins. He ate locusts and honey. He is content with his calling of being the voice of one calling in the desert "Make straight the way for the Lord."He categorically denied being a Prophet, Elijah, or the Messiah. How can a person see himself as the fulfillment of a passage from Isaiah and still be humble about it? John focused on his God-given task of announcing the coming of the Messiah and he knew without a doubt the greatness and the Deity of Christ. How does John see himself in relation to the coming Messiah? John sees himself as unworthy to even untie the coming Messiah’s sandal-thongs. How can a person be such a strong revivalist preacher and still remain humble? Maybe John being a Nazarene combined with his reliance on Scripture contributed to his remarkable humility. Can humility and powerful, confident speech co-exist? John the Baptist’s life is testimony that humility and powerful, confident speech can co-exist.

Q2. (John 1:26-27) Why did John baptize? John baptized to help the people feel a sense of repentance. What is the meaning of the baptism he was performing? The baptism John was performing, the proselyte baptism, means baptism of Gentiles converted to Judaism. But John was baptizing Jews. What do you think baptism represents to those John baptized? As Josephus puts it, John did the baptism with the understanding that the people not only hoped for the remission of some sin, but also for purifying the body; the assumption being that the soul had already been purified through righteous living.

Q1. (John 1:19-23) Why do you think John the Baptist was being hassled by the religious leaders from Jerusalem? John the Baptist was a Nazarene marked for God’s service. His purpose was to announce the coming of Jesus the Savior, and he did this with such authority that the people came to him in the wilderness in great numbers. The leaders in Jerusalem, the Priests and the Pharisees, were naturally worried about this new kid in the wilderness who was threatening their power base. They also had ostensibly to verify the legality of his movement and to check out his CV. What were they afraid of? They were afraid that if unchecked, the growing popularity of John might evolve into an uncontrollable movement. There had been no prophet for a long time, and John spoke like a prophet so much that some people understood him to be the Messiah. How did John understand his own mission? John understood his mission to be to proclaim that the Kingdom of God is at hand, get people to repent and to baptize them for the forgiveness of sins. How much conflict do you think could be expected from John's mission? Considerable conflict could reasonably be expected because in Scripture there already was mention by Moses and Isaiah, of the coming of the Prophet, Elijah and the Messiah. That’s why people could need clarification as to who John really was.

Q5. (John 1:18) What does it mean that Jesus is the "Only God" or the "Only Begotten God"? That Jesus is the “Only God” or the “Only Begotten God” means that Jesus is the unique One who also, in His right, is God. Of the Holy Trinity, Jesus is the only One who left His Heavenly Splendor at the behest of God the Father to come and make God known to us sinners. Jesus is unique in that in Him, God the Father revealed His own nature and essential Being. Does the Apostle John seem to make a distinction between God the Father and God the Son? Yes the Apostle John makes the distinction between God the Father and God the Son by referring to the Son as the Only God, Begotten of the Father, who is at the Father’s side. What does all this mean for our understanding of the Trinity? It means "ONTOLOGICAL EQUALITY, BUT ECONOMIC SUBORDINATION," (I love this!) IN OTHER WORDS, "EQUAL IN BEING, BUT SUBORDINATE IN ROLE. That simply means that the Father and Son and Holy Spirit are equal in Person, but the Son and Holy Spirit are subordinate to the Father in role – they voluntarily submit to the Father’s Leadership.

Q4. (John 1:14) Why is the idea of God "becoming flesh" so important to the basis of the Christian faith? The basis of the Christian faith is our redemption from sin by grace through Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, atonement for sin was achieved by spilling the blood of an innocent animal without defect. In the New Covenant, Jesus IS the Lamb of God destined to be sacrificed for our sin. But if God did not “become flesh”, if Jesus came empty handed without His Deity, then our “savior” would be just a human god with all the imperfections of the flesh and his sacrifice would be of no value in the eyes of God. It would not earn us the righteousness to have the authority to be children of God. Therefore we might as well just eat, drink, and be merry. What would Christ's life, crucifixion, and resurrection mean if he were only pretending to "become flesh"? Christ’s life would be meaningless, an empty existence devoid of the good news; the crucifixion would be an ordinary punishment for an impostor and blasphemer; and there would obviously be no resurrection. In what ways have you personally experienced his grace? I now know the contentment that Paul refers to; I know love and I have peace in my heart. In what ways has his truth changed your life from what it was? My life has been changed from the pursuit of the “good life” associated with “eating, drinking and merrymaking that includes infidelity to one where I can truly say that I have ditched my life of debauchery for one of love and contentment. Thank You Jesus.

Q3 (John 1:12-13) What does it mean to "receive" Jesus? To receive Jesus, as I do, means that I tenaciously cling to Him fully recognizing and accepting His authority over my entire life. 2. What does it imply to "believe in" Jesus? To "believe in Jesus" implies that I entrust myself fully to him adhering to Him; having no doubt about His perfection and Deity and relying on Him. 3. What is the spiritual relationship to God of those who receive and believe in Jesus? Since I have received and believe in Jesus, my spiritual relationship with God is that I am unquestionably- authoritatively- God’s child. I really cherish this privilege. 4. Of those who do not? None of them can see the Kingdom of God.

Q2. (John 1:7-8) What did it mean that John was sent to "testify" to the light? It means that He came to tell us about the Light so as to make it easy for us to believe in the coming of Jesus the Light. In what sense are you put here with the purpose of "testifying" to the light? I am put here for the purpose of reflecting, as Christ’s Ambassador, His light so that people may see and be attracted to my way of life, and as Evangelizer, I can point them to Jesus, the true Light. How are you doing in this regard? I believe I am doing minimally, confining my efforts to my family and friends on social media. What happened to John the Baptist? He was imprisoned and later beheaded. What might happen to you if you testify clearly? Some people might dislike my testimony and be angry and I might lose “love” and “friendship”. What might happen to the people to whom you testify? They might see the Light, and embrace it by allowing Jesus into their hearts.

Q1. (John 1:1-3) According to the Apostle John, is Jesus fully God? Jesus is fully God and fully man; He is God incarnate or God in the flesh. What does it mean that Jesus is the "Word"? If in the beginning the “Word” was with God and the Word was God, then this means that Jesus was already with God during creation; He did not come into existence only when He became flesh. What does this say about him and his ministry? This says of Jesus that He was perfect, He was above reproach; he was able to overcome Satan and his temptations that are attractive to the flesh and are plentiful in this world. About His ministry, it says that He was therefore, the perfect teacher and model for our lives; if we believe in His message that He is the Christ, the Son of God, then on earth we shall have and live life abundantly, and in the life hereafter eternal life with Him. If we allow Him into our hearts whilst on this earth, we can confidently assert with Paul: “I am crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we're learning to discern God's voice? The spiritual mentor should be someone sincerely seeking God who shall have travelled on a similar road before, gotten spiritually bruised by mistaking evil voices as discernment of God’s voice, persevered, improved by trial and error, matured spiritually, and then graduated to provide spiritual guidance for the glory of God. This is a valuable reference point for us beginners. How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? It ensures that we are on the right track while we are learning to discern God’s voice. What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God's word? We might waste time and lose the opportunity that God was directing us towards. Furthermore, as humans we are prone to temperamental fluctuations which might cause confusion rather than godly mentoring. Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? We should emulate the Great Mentor who taught, then gave the great commission and sent the Holy Spirit. Mentorship that does not prepare God’s children to eat solid spiritual food is a failed mentorship.

Q2. (Hebrews 5:14) Why will a person have to make mistakes in the process of learning to discern God's voice? There are several voices out there cluttering our minds and we have to be washed clean of them to learn to discern the voice of God. The unlearning of the old and the learning of the righteous voice takes time and mistakes happen because when we are born again, we receive justification; but our spirituality grows gradually from our immaturity as our grasp of the scriptures is still hazy. If mistakes are part of the process, how can this be of God at all? God is an understanding Father. Through Jesus Christ, He has allocated the Holy Spirit to us to guide and counsel us through the process of sanctification. God appreciates our imperfections, but He loves the exercise of our free will in the direction of earnestly seeking Him, obeying Him and determining to stay the Christian course. As we patiently learn to interpret Scripture well and to distinguish the good from evil before Satan ensnares us, then we are blessed with the discernment of God’s voice.

Q3. (Psalm 32:8-9; John 7:17) Why is a willingness to obey without understanding the reasons for God's commands so important? God’s way is the one and only best way. It is only when we do obey what God shows us that we will find out what He is planning to do through us. How does obedience sometimes help us understand God's workings. Being willing to obey, sets us up to be receptive to God’s voice. Humility and obedience send a pleasant aroma to God and He answers. He is pleased with His children who seek His face and live by His precepts and He is our source of joy and gladness.

Q2. (1 Samuel 3:7; Hosea 6:3; Philippians 3:10-14) Why is a desire for a relationship with God more important than seeking to hear his voice? It prepares us for an intimate relationship with God to be readily sensitized to recognize Him in the various ways that He chooses to communicate with us. It fortifies our trust and reliance on Him. And trusting God is necessary or we won't follow through with the hard things God will be asking us to do. How does hearing his voice contribute to the relationship? As part of the conversational relationship it adds to the receiving part of our communication with God. Why are we commanded to "press on" to know the Lord? So that we can develop such a passionate relationship with God it becomes our first nature and we can have such a faith that we know He will respond to us. How does Paul's passion for a relationship with God inspire you? It drives me to want to emulate him. Paul remained so steadfast in his passion to follow Christ that despite the hardships of prison, ship wrecks and torture he pressed on to the goal that God had set for him. My trials and tribulations are as nothing compared to Paul’s. Like him I want to focus on forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I want to press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly price….

Q1. (Acts 8:26-40; 16:6-10) Are promptings from the Holy Spirit clear enough when we're seeking God for direction? Yes, they are clear enough. Why is "no" just as important an answer as "yes"? It is a directive from God that we have to obey. Have you ever felt God's promptings to take some action? Yes. If you followed through, what happened? I felt joyful, peaceful and better able to communicate with my family.