Guitar Jim

Q4. (1 Corinthians 1:10-12)What kind of divisions do you see in your congregation or in the Christian community in your area? Currently I don't attend Church. But when I did, the major cause of division was the gifts of the Spirit. The so-called cessation of some gifts and the continuation of faith hope and love caused a very unloving spirit among many members. For a gift that's supposed to be the least of the gifts, tongues became a real stumbling block to them. What I used to notice was that when a new pastor who had charismatic leanings came to minister at a church, the next thing you'd see were all these new people coming to church and putting themselves up for election as deacons and taking on leadership roles. Before you knew what was happening there'd be a schism between the original members who were traditionalists and the newer members who were in favor of turning the church pentecostal. I've seen that happen many times. What is the cause of the divisions in Corinth? Among other things, they seem to be divided over which apostle they prefer to follow. Being such a cosmopolitan church, they'd had all the big gun preachers minister there and each had his devotees, which I'm certain would have grieved the apostles when they became aware of it. What is the case of divisions today? Pastor Ralph mentioned two of the main ones in his lesson. The end time events timetable and the Spiritual gifts. There has also in my experience been divisions over what kind of worship music to use in th services. I'll go on record here as preferring the hymns that have stood the test of time over most of the newly written stuff that's often quite purile by comparison. How do we obey the command to “agree with one another” (1:10)? Allow the love of God to over-ride personal prejudice. That's a good place to start.

Q3. (1 Corinthians 1:8-9) What gifts does God give us to ensure that we’ll continue in faith until the end? Spiritual strength Forgiveness for our sins Unwavering faithfulness on God's part to keep us in Christ Fellowship with Jesus Himself Why does each require our active participation to receive its full benefits? Every Spiritual gift depends on our willing reception of it. We must believe wholeheartedly in God, who provides us with these gifts. Which do you need to enter into more? To be honest, I need more of each one. God's faithfulness is something I need in greater measure though. I very often feel totally alone and friendless and despite earnestly seeking God's help in my every day struggles, that help very often fails to materialize in a way that I can sense it. Just lately things have been going well for me and I'm actually fearful that it'll all be taken away, as has happened EVERY time in the past when I've received a blessing. It's really difficult to have faith when that faith has disappointed me at every turn for decades. I love God but sometimes I find myself questioning His Love for me. I know that's the enemy making me think like that, but there are times when I just can't take another disappointment. For years God has been giving me my daily bread and not a crumb more. And I mean that literally. Then I read God's promises in the Bible and wonder when He'll keep them with me. I tithed for years, not out of an expectation for a great blessing but willingly and cheerfully as the only ministry a divorced man with health issues can have, and I went broke doing so. I feel as though I've just come out of the wilderness.

Q2. (1 Corinthians 1:4-7) How often do you thank God for the blessings of those who don’t like you, or of your actual enemies? I've never really considered doing that. I've prayed for my enemies that God will soften them, and in His own time and at His good pleasure bring them into contact with someone who can impart the Gospel unto their salvation. My own enemies are way to implacable towards me for me to ever influence them. What does it say about Paul that he thanks God for the gifts of those who are at odds with him? Paul is allowing God's love to soften his attitude to the people who have spurned him and his teaching. In writing the letter in such a way he is trying to open the dialog in a way that will reassure the Corinthian people of his continued love for them. What specifically does he thank God for about the Corinthian believers? Their spiritual knowledge and their communication thereof.

Q1. (1 Corinthians 1:2) “What does “called to be holy” or “called to be saints” mean? It means that it was God's calling and not the result of our own righteousness. What is a saint according to the Bible? Anyone who is a born-again Christian and follows Jesus. Why is it so comfortable for us to say, “I’m no saint”? It lets us off the hook as far as our behavior is concerned, at least in our own minds. What is expected of a person who has been set apart as the personal property of the living God? What kind of behavior does the world expect of those who claim to be followers of Christ? We're expected to behave a lot better than the average sinner, at least. I'm never sure what the world at large expects of Christians. One thing we are expected to be is uncompromising in our standards. If we go along with everything our worldly friends do then we're not being good Christians in their eyes.

Q4. What kind of shalom will the Prince of Peace bring about in the New Heavens and the New Earth? The Shalom peace will be far more than simply the absence of war and strife. It will be a complete rest from labor and a bonding of all people; even the animals will share in it. What do we have to look forward to? An eternity of peace that will never be interrupted. God will usher in His peace that will be everlasting.

Q3. Why did Gideon name the altar "the LORD Is Peace"? Because of what God had said to Gideon. God had told him: Peace . . you are not going to die. It was believed that if anyone saw God they'd not survive the experience. In what sense did the Lord offer peace to Gideon? Then and there God placated Gideon, who thought that he would surely die from having seen and spoken to the Angel of the Lord. Later, in the course of delivering Israel from the Midianites, God showed Gideon that it was not by force of arms that he would win the day, but by God's mighty power.

Q2. "Save" and "Savior" are used so much in Christian circles that they have become almost jargon words that we don't even think about. What are synonyms for "save" and "Savior"? Redeemer, restorer, defender, conquerer on our behalf, protector. What does a "Savior" actually do to earn the name? He takes the bullet meant for us. He takes upon Himself the punishment due to us. He protects us and keeps us from the fate we'd otherwise have to face.

Q1. What was the responsibility of the next of kin to someone in his family who was in trouble? The next of kin had the responsibility to pay the debts of the relative who couldn't pay them. He also had the responsibility to redeem his relative from slavery if the relative had been sold as a slave to pay a debt. He was also responsible for buying back any land lost by his relative due to bankruptcy. How did Jesus play the role of Kinsman-Redeemer for us? Jesus became out ransom. Jesus became the one who cancelled the debt we couldn't pay by paying it Himself. What does this say about God's love? It confirms that God so loved the world . . . What does this say about our worth? It says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. We must be worth it for God to do that. It shows that God loves His creation.

Q4. (1 Peter 5:10) How has God shown his grace to you and your family? My marrige broke up in 2007. My daughter got into drugs and is now covered in tattoos, some of which are offensive to God. The house I built is now lived in by my ex-wife and some big fat dude who's never owned anything in his life and was looking for a soft landing with a widow or divorcee. That arrangement was set up for her by my best friend. I've been struggling for the seven years since the breakup to make a living. I tithed to the Lord for the first six years since my separation and all that did was make me destitute. I'm still waiting for grace. All that having been said, I will say that over the last three months my personal circumstances have taken a marked turn for the better. It can only be the Hand of God at work in this. This line from Pastor Ralph's study just jumped off the page at me: "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." (1 Peter 5:10) God is able to restore what the locust has destroyed. I'm starting to experience that now. My new girlfriend claims she's my good luck charm, but I know for sure it's God at work, restoring to me what I'd lost. Why do you think Peter describes him as the God of All Grace? From where else is Grace going to come, except from God? He makes Grace possible.

Q3. How does God's steadfast love in the Old Testament relate to his mission of love in John 3:16? Even under the Old Covenant God was compassionate. "All day long I held out my hands to a stubborn rebellios people". God did permit and indeed cause calamities to befall Israel in ancient times. But in all that He always kept a remnant faithful to Him. No sooner did God provide comfort and security to Israel than they rebelled and went after other gods with more zeal than they had ever shown to their own God! No wonder He wanted to wipe them out! And yet He didn't. God's timetable is such that the things He's purposed to happen will happen when He's good and ready for them to happen. It may be that He's allowing people to have their fill of sin before providing them with salvation. An old girlfriend of mine wanted to give up smoking. After quite a few attempts, including taking prescription medication designed to aid that and failing, she eventually was able to give up completely when the time was right. She actually didn't have that hard a time of it. It was the right time. In the same way, God allowed everything that happened in the Old Testament to happen. He could have sent Jesus to die in the Garden of Eden. But He didn't. Mankind had to complete the quota, so to speak, of sins against God and at the appointed time God sent Jesus. If we look at the background of Jesus' time we see the Pharisees, who had actually achieved what they believed to be a sinless state by rigidly observing every minute letter of the Law of Moses. But against whom did Jesus rail the most? The Pharisees of course! Their hearts weren't right with God despite their piety. They had no love at all for their fellow man. Jesus came to show us how to love each other as God loves us. But thanks to the new Covenant in His blood we have forgiveness for our sins simply by asking for it from God. The love of God that was hampered by the lack of a suitable sacrifice that would take away sins and the record of sins in the Old Testament is now made manifest in our time because of Jesus's death and resurrection. Now God is free to love us as He wishes without the barrier of sin, which He can't look at because He is holy, from getting in His way. Jesus's blood became the means of removing the barrier of sin.

Q2. What does faithfulness have to do with trustworthiness and keeping one's word? To be truly faithful we have to be able to be trusted to keep our word and our promises. God makes promises in His Word and He will live up to them because He cannot lie and cannot be anything but true to His Word. This is part of the quality of holiness. The very fact that God is holy means He simply has to be faithful, truthful, loving, just, compassionate, and He must keep His Word. What does the Faithful God inspire in you? Following the example of Jesus I always try my best to keep my word. If people are depending on me I bust my hump not to let them down. If someone trusts me enough to ask me to do something for them I do everything I can to live up to the trust they've shown. Why must faithfulness be part of our character as believers? As Spirit-filled believers we will exhibit the same qualities as God, who gives us His Spirit to indwell and empower us. Faithfulness is a quality God possesses and we must work on possessing it as well . . . and we will if we let God have His way in our hearts.

Q1. Why was God's willingness to forgive essential to Israel's survival in the wilderness? For starters, the Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt almost from the minute they'd left and things looked a bit scary. Despite witnessing for themselves God's mighty miracles prior to their exodus, they did nothing but doubt, whine, and complain constantly against God and against Moses. God's represntative. Any god but a loving God who was willing to keep on forgiving them would have wiped them out. Remember at one point God threatened to do just that. He told Moses He would kill them all and make Moses the patriach of a new chosen people. The very fact that Moses was able to "talk Him down" is proof that God is a forgiving God. Was Israel contrite after turning away from the Lord in Exodus 34? I don't believe they were ever truly contrite. Sure they were sorry, but in their hearts were still the seeds of rebellion against God. What is so amazing about God's forgiveness? The most amazing thing about God's forgiveness is that He does it even though He knows we'll only slip up time and time again. Man forgives seven times but God forgives seventy times seven times. We humans will give up on someone who is incorrigible but God won't.

Q5. What do we miss in our understanding of God if we remove the metaphor of Father and Son from our church vocabulary? Only the entire theme of God giving His only Son as redeemer for our sins! To just call God, God . . . and Jesus, Christ, we miss the whole point of God loving the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perich but have everlasting life. For a genderless being to give another being as a substitutional sacrifice causes the whole act to lose all its impact. The Father-Son bond just isn't as apparent when God is not acknowledged as Jesus' Father and just as some omnipotent genderless being. We need to understand that God is the God and FATHER of our Lord Jesus Christ, as is written in the REAL Bible and not some phony feminist re-write. If folks haven't gotten it yet, I'm totally against calling God our mother. I believe with all my heart that it's just another way Satan is destroying the Church from within. The argument that fathers can and sometimes do abuse their wives and children and therefore we shouldn't consider God to be our Father just doesn't wash with me. Femminists don't want equality with men; they want superiority! To alter Scripture just to suit their feminist agenda is heresy in my view and no different to what the Jehovah's Witnesses and others do to make the Bible agree with their warped theology. This issue is no different to the homosexual "Christians" who try to read same sex relationships into the story of David and Jonathon, and Naomi and Ruth. I knocked back the position of lead guitarist in the house band of a denominational organization that put on huge Youth Rallies back in 1993. The choruses they sang had God " . . . looking after her creation" and other feminist lyrics. I politely told the guy who offered me that job that my heart wouldn't let me join an organization that considered God to be feminine. Which feminine metaphors of God especially help you understand God's nature? The ones that Pastor Ralph quoted in the lesson in which God is seen as our comforter and protector. Even then, just because God is compared to a protective female tenderly caring for her young, it doesn't mean God has feminine qualities. God has caring qualities that can be compared to those of a woman caring for her children. In fact, I think Pastor Ralph probably quoted the only examples in the Bible of God using feminine comparisons. In an overwhelming number of places in Scripture God describes Himself as a jealous husband, a forgiving Father, etc.

Q4. In what sense was God the Husband of Israel? Israel was God's chosen people. As a man of the Biblical times would select a bride from among the elligible and available girls, so God chose Abraham and his descendants to be set apart for Him. In an analogous way God chose what would eventually become Israel as His bride. If they hadn't rebelled God would have given them all good things and prospered them beyond measure, as an earthly husband would do for his wife if he had the resources. What is the New Testament extension of this metaphor? In the New Covenant the Christian church has temporarily supplanted Israel as the bride of God. The Christian Church is the Bride of Christ, God's Son. Eventually though, God will bring about the salvation of the Jewish people and all will become part of the Body of Christ with Jesus as its head. There will be no distinction between Jew and Gentile. What causes God to be jealous? God becomes jealous just like any husband would when his wife lusts after another. When His people follow false gods and would rather worship the created things than the Creator Himself, God will naturally become jealous. I think it's no accident that adultery and idolatry sound similar.

Q3. In what sense are Jesus and the Father one? Jesus Himself declared that He and the Father are one. This is something our minds just can't grasp. Prior to His incarnation Jesus was the Word of God. God created everything that was created by speaking it into existence . . . by His Word. This is the subject of the opening statements of John's Gospel. In what way was Jesus distinct from the Father? When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, for the first time He was separated from His Father. While on earth Jesus was still God but as a human being He was limited somewhat in His divinity by His humanity. For example Jesus claimed not to know the day nor hour of His return, Mark 13:32. Also, in Revelation we see Jesus as the Lamb who was slain, distinct from God the Father. In apoclyptic passages we have God on His throne and Jesus as the commander of the heavenly army. Is Jesus God in the sense that the Father is God? I'm gonna say, Yes. Thomas' statement when Jesus showed him the holes in His hands and feet was: My Lord and my God! In one moment he'd gone from doubting to making a monumental confession of faith. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God the Father and is also referred to by Paul as the Spirit of Jesus. In our prayers we pray to God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ the Son. This is all very complex. The concept of a triune being is too much for our minds. By the way, I remain silent in church when they sing a worship chorus separating the Trinity and singing the same lines to each member . . . Father . . . Jesus . . . Spirit . . . we adore you, etc, glorify your name in all the earth . That's heresy. I called the associate pastor a heretic when he agreed with me that the chorus in question wasn't biblically based but then went ahead and scheduled it in the following Sunday morning's worship service, just to show me he didn't respect my telling him his job. Mind you, yelling it out as I took my family out of there in the middle of the service may have been a bit much, but it did galvanize the rest of the congregation into getting rid of him. He was as phony as a three dollar bill.

Q2. How was the intimate way that Jesus taught his disciples about God as "Abba" and "Father" different from the Jews' understanding of God as Father? In Jesus' time on Earth and in all the time preceding that, God was not viewed at all as a true father-figure. He was the holy, unapproachable God who terrified people so much that they wouldn't speak His Name. The Jews did view God as the Father of their nation, but from a creator perspective. God made the heavens and the earth and everything in them and they viewed Him as a father in that light. But rarely was God regarded as Daddy. God did announce that He was the father of the kings of Israel, but even that was not in the familiar sense of a father they could have a personal relationship with. How does God as Abba influence your relationship with him? Even after being a Christian for over 30 years, I'm still trying to grasp the full scope of God being my Daddy. I had no relationship with my own earthly father and the only contact we had was his fists . . and often his feet . . against my head and body. I hated his guts. The concept of a loving father who only wants the best for me is an alien concept.

Q4. Meditate on the concept of God as a Spring of Living Water or a Fountain of Living Water for you. What does this say about God? About your thirst? About your future? God is the source of all my help. However I often think along the lines: If I get that particular guitar, it's gonna be the one that'll put me on the map or make me well known or help advance my career. As if any inanimate object could. God is the source of my life. Yet I still put too much hope in other people when in the long run they always let me down. I think we all get impatient with God's sense of timing. We expect prayers to be answered before we've even formed them in our minds. So we tend to forsake God and rely on ourselves and on what we ourselves have made. It's not necessarily idolitary but it is sin in God's eyes when we don't rely on Him. He wants to supply our needs but often we won't let Him do that. As for my future? This is being typed on January 1st, 2014. I want to rely on God more and on my own resourcefulness less. It's the right thing to do, to work hard at making a living, but at the same time it's prudent to involve God in everything. Unless God is with them, the builders build in vain. I personally find it hard to let go and let God . . .

Q3. Why do we sometimes resist calling on God to be our Helper? Why do we try to do it ourself first? Since infancy we try to do things on our own, without our parents' help. I remember my own daughter's pride in having done something "all by myself" and the pleasure that gave her as an 18 month old. I think this is a natural thing for us to not want to bother God with requests for help in every circumstance. "It's OK, God, I got this. I'll muddle through somehow." We save our prayers for the difficult stuff. Then when we're in deep trouble we call upon the Name of the Lord. I remember when I was really sick, back in the 1980s. I even prayed to God for His help in digesting my food! In that set of circumstances I knew I had to rely on God far more than any doctor. What is required of us if God is to be a Helper and Shepherd to us? We need to lead a surrendered life. We need to have God take pride of place in our hearts. We need to walk in His ways and not pursue our own agendas at the expense of our relationship with Him.

Q2. (Psalm 23) Can you remember any times when God has cared for you as a Shepherd -- in times of blessing and in times of trouble? Yeah, not so long ago I was suffering real crippling pain in both my shoulders that no one could diagnose or treat successfully. I went to the Healing Rooms, a non-denominational ministry of people who pray for God's healing and restoration and minister to those who need it, and I was delivered from demonic possession and oppression. No wonder no conventional healing would work! As soon as I got any treatment the condition worsened! In just a couple of days after they laid hands on me a prayed with me I was good to go. What are you facing right now where you realize your need to rely on God as your Shepherd? I'm a self-employed itinerant Blues guitarist/singer. I get all my own bookings and I'm a real one man operation. I get no help of any kind from any human agent. In fact I'm aggressively persecuted just for being a good player. I face opposition from every other act in my genre and others, from each and every booking agent in the business, and even from some of the people who frequent certain venues where I used to play simply because their girlfriends might have smiled at me. It's the alcohol that makes people like that. Yet despite all that, I'm picking up work right left and center! God is making that happen. I'm not stupid enough to believe that out of all the CDs that land on the desks of all the venue managers, they'd pick mine to listen to and from there book me for paying work. What are the odds of that? No, it's God who is making that happen. Without His help I'd be nowhere.

Q1. (Genesis 22:1-14) Do you think Abraham was really expecting God to provide a sacrifice, or that was just what he told Isaac? What support do you have for your position? We read in the New Testament that Abraham knew God could raise Isaac back to life. Even so, I believe Abraham trusted God completely and knew that whatever the outcome of the day's events that he would be taking Isaac back home in one piece, alive and well. Abraham knew without doubt that God would do one of two things: God would raise Isaac to life after Abraham had killed him, or God would provide a substitute sacrifice. God had promised Abraham that he would have descendants through Isaac and his amazing faith in God sustained him on that day of testing. "Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness" the Bible says. Did you ever receive a last-minute provision from God? In my personal experience, last minute provision is all God's ever done! If I had what I considered more than enough for my circumstances, God seemed to allow it to slip from my fingers until I had nothing. Then when all seemed lost, He'd give me just enough to keep going. I've actually cried out to the Lord in desperation many times to give me more help than He was currently giving me and even told Him that I'd cease believing in Him unless He did. Everything seems to come much harder to me than to most people. Just lately though that seems to be changing. I don't know why. Unless there's something big coming up. I'm careful to thank God for this change of circumstances. In what circumstances can we expect God to supply our needs? Any conditions? Jesus teaches us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and our needs will be met.

Q4. (Psalm 121). What does it mean that God is our Keeper? God watches over us and never slumbers. I realise we sometimes don't feel like that's the case. But all things work together for good for those who love God. In the washup we very often find that things turned out for the best and that God's sovereign control over events was what made it that way. In what ways does he "keep" or "guard" us? According to Psalm 121 God protects us from evil. He plants our feet firmly and won't let us slip. He is our shade by day and night. I take that to mean that we shelter under the protection of The Almighty. He guards our going out and our coming in. He directs our ways . . . if we ask Him to. I start every day with a prayer that God will direct my paths.

Q3. In what ways is God a Rock in the above verses. The sense I get from all those references is that God is a Rock that cannont be moved and does not change. A totally dependable refuge and a place of safety that is inpenetrable. A support on which to stand with security. What functions does a rock perform in Palestine? In a dry arid land a huge rock was often the only shade to be found. In natural rock formations a band of soldiers could seek refuge and fight off a much larger force coming against them from open ground.

Q2. (Psalm 3:3) In what ways is God a shield? God is our protector. We of the New Covenant in Jesus' blood have that blood's power to cleanse us and to purify us. God is our shield from the inside out. With the Holy Spirit living inside us we have someone greater in us than the one who is in the world at large. We can claim victory in Jesus' Name. In what ways is he our glory? If God isn't our glory, He should be. We've got nothing to boast about from our own works and our own achievements, but we should praise and glorify God for the things He helps us to achieve. In what ways is he "the lifter up of my head"? We are more than conquerers in Christ Jesus. He's the One who lifts up our heads in victory. What does this teach us about God? It teaches us that God wants to be our source of strength and our sustainer. About ourselves? We should submit to God and we'll succeed in ways He wants us to succeed. We shouldn't seek personal glory.

Q1. (Psalm 91) What is the protected one required to do in times of danger (verses 1-2, 9). We're told to make God our refuge, to live under His protection. The idea is to abide in the Lord all the time, not just when trouble comes. We're to rest in the shadow of The Almighty. That's the place to be! What metaphors are used of God's protection in this psalm? Refuge and fortress A protector whose wings provide safety and security.

Q4. What is the significance of the confession "Jesus is Lord"? Why is this necessary for salvation, according to Romans 10:9? We have to openly confess that Jesus is our Lord and not be ashamed to do so. Just keeping it to ourselves and believing in our hearts is not enough. That's why many denominations use the time honored "altar call" when preaching the Gospel. The act of coming to the front of the assembly when invited to believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior by the evengelist is a public declaration that we've made that decision. Responding to an altar call isn't a prerequisite for salvation, but telling people you're a Christian and a follower of and believer in Christ is. Jesus even said that if we're ashamed of Him, He'll be ashamed of us, come judgement.