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Lesson 7 Q4 (a) The ground that Abraham so bodly addresses God is Abraham knows that God is a righteous and just God for God expected justice of Abraham. ( Yes, God expects us to do the same because God do not expect any less from us than he did Abraham. God is still a righteous and just God. © Abraham's intecession pleased God because it showed God that Abrahm learned to pray according to God's will. God was teaching Abraham and Abraham was learning. (d) It will take for us to please Him in our prayers is for us to be bold and presistence when we pray. For us to know God's character and His Word. This is God's desire so we will understand how He thinks, what He desires, and how He works.

Lesson 7 Q3 (a) Describing a lifestyle of "Keeping the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just" looks like in the twenty-first century in my own words: To do this in the twently-first century is to stay very close to God by studying His Word; Praying; Believing; and having Faith. In the beginning it was living by the Law but today it is God's grace that substains us because He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for us so we could have Eternal life (John3:16). In Micah 6:8 "He has showed you, o man, what is good, and what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." This is still for twenty-first century living. ( This is difficult today because many teachings are not based on Scripture but on today's Society. Therefore we need to know the Word so we will know right from wrong. If we do not, we will be like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (James 6:6a) © It is easy to live a lifestyle of , "keeping the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just" in the twenty-first century by having Jesus come into our heart. The Word tells us "Jesus Christ is the same yetersday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). (d) The special challenges I believe is knowing what is right and what is wrong by knowing the Lord's answer when we ask. In today's Society everything seems to be right living. For ex: homosexuals. If you do not agree, you are told you are discriminating against those people. Churches today are stating it is okay to be a homosexual because Society says so. What about Scriputre? We have to Love those people and hate the sin, the same goes for any other practice of living. 1Corinthians 6:9-11, give us an ugly list of sins in which we can find ourselves. We all have sinned but we must not continue in these practices. We can all have our lives changed by Christ. Amen!

Lesson 7 Q2 (a) Fathers and husbands can strike the right balance...of being godly, caring leaders without being dictators by living a righteous life towards God and being just to others. Living this life, family and others will respect them and their advice. They will be looked up too. ( Mothers and wives can strike the right balance...of being submissive and at the same time being open about their needs and desires by respect. Respect for her husband, respect for her children, for she knows that her husband is the head of the household and God is head over her husband. There is no Christian cookie-cutter answer but one thing is sure, we must have Love...Love for God, Love for each other.

Lesson 7 Q1 (a) We can tell if we really believe in God's present willingness to do miracles in our day by our belief or unbelief. Our fears and actions tell us the real story. ( I am not aware of any indication in Scripture that God will stop doing miracles. "With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). I believe this Scripture is for yetersday, today and tomorrow. Amen! © I believe God continues to do miracles because I seen it happen in my Dad's life. He had a brain tumor and my Dad changed, I say to people, "he was taken from us becasue he was not my Dad", but days went by and he had to stay in the hospital, there he went out for 37 hrs. The nurses gave us the comfort book to read, there was no hope, (they believed). Praise God and I give him all the Glory, my Dad started to respond and a few days later came home with us. He came back to himself again. I believe God gave Dad back to us. Praise the Lord. Amen! My Dad died a few yrs later with other problems but I thank the Lord for the last years we spent together. We hear many accounts of miracles today. (d) We can regain an active faith in the God of miracles through His Word, His Name and His Blood. We have to believe. We need to go back to the day of Pentecost in the book of Acts. I believe many churches today are falling away from the Biblical teachings.

Lesson 6 Q4: In your own words, how would you explain why circumcision is now obsolete for Christians and that baptism is now sign of the covenant? Circumcision was a sign of the old covenant and baptism is a sign of the new covenant. Both circumcision and baptism are outward or physical acts of accepting the old and new covenants. Because of the Crucifixion of Christ, circumcision is no longer an issue. With Baptism it identifies Christ's suffering for us. Baptism circumcises us spiritual. I believe that we do not have to be baptized to be saved, like the Gentiles felt they did not require to be circumcised as part of their salvation. Acts 15:9,11: "made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith...We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are". The New Covenant is with Jesus Christ and when he accended into heaven, God sent the Holy Spirit. Therefore, when we accept what Jesus done for us into our hearts we receive the seal of the Holy Spirit. It is because of the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved". Baptism identifies us with Christ which is important but not essential. It is an outward expression of our Faith so the whole Faith community will know what life we are living. Our fruits will really tell!

Lesson 6 Q3 (a) To have your heart circumcised means to love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. The only way is to allow the Spirit to come in. ( This is a necessity for all believers because it means we have allowed the Spirit to come into our hearts and have everlasting Life. So we can Live! © We can keep our faith active as an inward expression of love rather than become only an external religion by keeping our hearts cleansed. Our faith in Jesus Christ will allow us to bear good fruits of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, etc. (d) I believe we all struggle sometime or another with keeping our hearts cleansed.

Lesson 6 Q2 (a) Circumcision signifies for Abraham, his household and his decendants is it was to be a sign of a unique relationship with God. ( Some kind of definite act on Abraham's part was important to confirming the covenant because it gives heed to the obligations of a covenant. If Abraham did not do his part the covenant would be broken. © Abraham's obedience the very same day signify is, he took his role very seriously. The promises God makes to Abraham extends to everyone for whom he has responsibility, therefore Abraham do not hesitate. What a lesson for us Christians!. Amen.

Lesson 6 Q1 (a) When God tells Abraham to "walk before me and be blameless", is he requiring moral perfection: No, I do not believe God requires moral perfection from Abraham or any of us because God's Word states, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God". Romans 3:23 ( The kind of blamelessness he requires of Abraham is to give himself totally to God and be honest. © I believe God expects the same of Christians under the New Covenant, if we have accepted Jesus into our heart, then the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in us and we will want to give ourselves totally to God and be honest people. The Ten Commandments will not be, "Thou shalt not ...", but "I do not want to...". We will have no desire to do wrong!

Lesson5 Q4 (a) The lesson God is teaching me out of Hagar's experience is God calls people that have a low status just as much as someone who is high in Society. God takes our mistakes and uses them to bring about His plans for out lives. Also this story of Abraham shows me that even though we are God's people we are still human with emotions. ( The situation God is calling me to that is hard for me to submit to is working in another denomination with young people and its blessing me, even though my denomination do not worship the same way. Sometimes it is hard to submit because I do not feel adequate to be doing what He is calling me to do because it is so very different. It is an awesome experience and it feels, oh so right and I feel so close to the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Lesson 5 Q 3: (a) The significance of Hagar's name for God - EI Roi, the God who sees is Hagar is aware that God sees everything - her misery, feelings and all else that no one else sees or understands. He is an awesome God! ( To a person who is discouraged and losing hope it means that there is someone who cares and understands. A God who knows everything about us - inside and out that no one else knows. A person will find Love in God, that this world do not offer to someone who is discouraged and losing hope. God is Love! © To me personally it means I have a God who is with me when I am lonely, afraid, depressed or whatever state I am in. I need not be alone for God is by my side and many times carrying me when I can not make it on my own. A good example would be the writting, "Footprints in the sand".

Lesson 5 Q 2: (a) The angel ask Hagar something that the angel already knows because this is to make Hagar realize her quick decision to run away because of Sarah's mistreatment. It is to bring Hagar to her senses, letting her know this is not the right thing to do because it is a long way back to Egypt, being pregnant and also a different way of worshiping back there. ( The angel sends her back to Sarah because it is God's plan. Perhaps Abraham's faith in Yahweh needs a chance to rub off on Hagar and Ishmael for a while longer until they are finally sent away. © I am just about sure I have reacted the same as Hagar, out of human response.

Lesson 5 Q 1 (a) Sarah takes her anger out on Abraham because she is human. Anytime something goes wrong in our lives the first thing we do is to take it out on the one that is closes to us. Sarah brought this situation upon herself, but turns to blame Abraham. Humanness! ( She takes her anger out on Hagar because Sarah is jealous that Hagar could conceive a child and a son with that, something she felt she could not do. © I think Sarah is trying to get rid of the entire situaion. I guess like most of us, when we are in a bad situation, we just want it to all go away. (d) Hagar's pride is Abraham's fault by Abraham do mot make a choice between the two women, he just tells Sarah to do what she thinks is best. He do not state his love for Sarah above Hagar. (e) Hagar's affliction is Araham's fault by he do not take any responsibility for the situation. He washes his hands off the entire matter, instead of trying to make the situation better for all parties. He was the one that did what Sarah told him to do, therefore he is just as responsible.

lesson 4 Q4: (a) God went through the covenant ritual with Abraham, with the divided carcasses because God was binding himself solemnly to his promise ( God binds himself to a solemn promise because to make it a unilateral promise that God pledges to fulfil in the most solemn and binding way. © Abraham responds to God's promise by believing the Lord. Abraham puts his trust in the certainty of God's promise afresh. His confidence takes on a new steadfastness. He believes God's promise will certainly be fulfilled. (d) The significance blood sacrifice have in those promises is it made a covenant or cut a covenant. We have a covenant with our Lord Jesus Christ because of His blood that He shed on Calvary. Amen!

Lesson 4 Q3: (a) Sometimes I have been frustrated because God have not fulfilled His promise immediately but I always feel deep down He knows what is best. This story of Abraham is a great example of God putting off His promise. ( God sometimes delays the fulfillment of His promises to a future time because He do know the future and sometimes He has to wait until the time is right or should I say He knows when the time is right, as I said many times, God is in control of yetersday, today and tomorrow. I believe God works everything out for good even though at the present time it do not seem right to us.

Lesson 4 Q2: (a) What is so amazing about this verse (15:6) is here Abraham believed God's promise afresh. His confidence takes on a new steadfastness. He believes God's promise will certainly be fulfilled. ( The basis God declares Abraham a righteous person is Abraham's steadfastness in faith as "righteous". © The significance this do have to our New Testament understanding of justification by faith is God accounts faith to us as righteousness, just like he did for Abraham, but, it is the righteousness of Jesus Christ that is credited to our account, not anything we have done ourselves.

Lesson4 Q 1: (a) To call God my shield means I have a protector who covers me all the time. I need not fear because I have someone who is with me in all situations. God is my shield - He covers me. ( It means to me that He promises, "an exceedingly great reward", is so long as I am an heir of the promise to Abraham I have hope. Hope for today, the future and a manison with my Great God. A reason to live! Amen! © To call God my Suzerain or Sovereign is I have someone greater than man who is in control of everything. "God is my shield and my very great reward" (15:1b)

Q4: (a) Abraham refuses to take the spoils of war that the King of Sodom offers him because this King is a wicked king and Abraham do not want to give him any credit for anything that have made him rich. He had taken an oath to this and he wants all the praise to go to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. ( This tells us about Abraham's character is he is a man of his word. A faithful, trusted man. Someone who is not tossed about and willing to get rich from just anyone but he knows who his High Priest is. © The lesson here for us to learn is know who we are serving and faithful too. Think before we leapt. Just because something sounds good, we must stop and talk to God first and know if it is from God. Amen!

Lesson3 Q3: (a) The significance of Abraham giving one tenth of the spoils of war to Melchizedek is Abraham is thanking God for giving him the victory. He is giving God back what belongs to Him. Abraham did not forget God when the victory was won. ( Tithing today represents the same kind of worship, yes, because its an act of worship of God Most High. To recognize God and to give Him all the praise and Glory. It helps us not to forget God and all He has done and is about to do for us. © We should tithe to God first before dividing our paycheck to pay our bills because all that we have belongs to God, therefore giving a tenth part is God's anyway. By giving it to God first, we are showing our Fatih and believing God to provide enough for our needs. Amen!

Lesson3 Q2: (a) Abraham's military expedition to rescue Lot from the Mesopotamian Kings tell us about his character is Abraham may not be so much of a cad as people might think. This shows Abraham as being a very forgiving man. A man that do not hold grudges. A peaceful man who do not want any strife between Lot and himself; a man with faith in God, believing God to bring about His promises. He let Lot chose the land, and he trusts God to provide for him. ( Abraham had the abilities to rescue his nephew Lot. Abraham sets the strategy: (1) a night attack and (2) a divided force, this scares the soldiers into fleeing for their lives. He has God on his side. © Abraham deals with his neighbors in a positive way. He gains them as valuable allies. At Hebron he builds an altar to the Lord. Abraham shows his faith in God. I believe this helps him to make a covenant or treaty with his neighbors. (d) For us to emulate here is always try to make peace. Do not let strife come in our relationships. Be peaceful, and forgiving people. If we have too, sow our situations and believe God to replace them double-fold. Amen!

Lesson 3 Q1: (a) Abraham's material wealth do reflect God's blessing on him. why? To demonstrate God's blessing on Abraham in response to God's promise in 12:2 -3. ( Do material wealth always reflect God's blessing: No, not everyone that is material wealthy live their lives for God, some do not even believe in God. Some are material wealthy through deceit, living their lives for satan, this will last only for a season but God's blessings will be forever. © Do physical poverty always reflect God's curse: No, not everyone is rich in material wealth, but they are rich with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Being rich this way may not seem like much to the world but to the individual it is a great blessing from God and material things do not matter. Take the world and give me Jesus!...Amen!

Q5: The relationship God's promise to Abraham in 12: 2-3 have to do with the incident of Sarah's abduction in 20: 10-20 is that God's promise to Abraham is beginning to be fulfilled. Abraham is receiving blessings. (bless, to endure with power for success, prosperity, fecundity, longevity, etc.). Abimelech is cursed and his household until Abraham prays for God's healing. Abraham is recognized here in Sarah's abduction as a prophet (spokesman, prophet") and healer. God is in Control!

Q4: (a) I think about Abraham's and Sarah's ethics and faith is they are human/real people. Do we not all at sometime or another lower our values or waiver in our faith? "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) ( I do not think they are ethically and morally wrong. God knows their heart, He knows their circumstances. Who are we to judge?? The saying goes, "we have to walk a mile in someone else's shoes". © No I do not believe the scripture is showing their actions as a lack of faith. We are not told how they sought God in these instances or how long they were seeking God. Only God knows. (d) The lessons we disciples should learn from these stories are: (1) No matter what lifestyle we live, whatever God's plans are for us, He will make it happen. God can use evil to bring about good. (2) God will keep His promises, inspite of our humanness. (3) God will allow nothing or nobody to prevent fulfillment of His plans. Amen!

Q3: (a) This story teaches us about God's view of adultery is that adultery should be taken very serious. It is a sin that is punishable by death. It is a matter that we should take very seriously, not a situation that should be taken lightly, even in our Society today. ( Yes, God can forgive a person who has committed adultery because of His Son Jesus Christ. God sent His Son into the world to die for our sins. All we have to do is, "Confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9) True Repentence is the key! God is Merciful!

Lesson 2 Q2 (a) Pharaoh and his household got sick because of sin. This Pharaoh took Abraham's wife, Sarah as his own, therefore he had to be punished for it. Sin must be punished. ( The effect this had is both Pharaoh, his household and Abraham must realize who God is. God is Judge and he sees everything! © God was seeking to accomplish through this affliction is God is in control. His promises are secure. If anyone cursed Abraham, they would be cursed. Abraham was promised, The Land, and Offspring. No man can stop God Almighty. Amen! (d) Yes, it did have the desired effect because when this Pharaoh realized he had sinned and was being punished by Abraham's God, Pharaoh did not punish Abraham and Sarah but sends them out of Egypt. Pharaoh knew who was in control.

Lesson 2 Q1: (a) The dangers that faced Abraham and his family as aliens and sojourners in Egypt and elsewhere: they were strangers to the land with no blood relatives thus making it dangerous for them. They had few legal rights, they were vulnerable to evil people who would try to take advantage of them..They could be raped, killed or any cruel action taken on them. Abraham had reasons to be afraid if that was his reaction. ( The people that might oppress them could be the local king or warlord, local leaders or anyone that did not believe or live the way Abraham did. Any culture or religion that was different fro Abraham's. © Aliens/sojourners that live in our community could be people coming from other countries with different language; color; religious background. (d) They came for employment and to get status to be able to bring their family for a better lifestyle. (e) I am not sure if they are oppressed or discriminated against in this beautiful country of Canada. (f) Our church can always help those people by making them feel welcome and invite them to our church to understand our faith. I believe Love is the answer, "for, there is no respect of persons with God" (Romans 2:11). Amen