Gerbrand van Schalkwyk

In terms of building congregations in our day, how would you assess quality vs. slip-shod building materials and methods? We have a church plant school in Zambia that is training people to become pastors in 6 months. I have often wondered how do you teach somebody to become a pastor in 6 months. I love the missionary who began this school dearly, but often his students becomes other pastor's head aches. It is scary when you hear preachers preach that teaching materials are more important than the Word of God. Many times all of us get hold of a verse that will make our lives much easier if we live in this way, and we never read the rest of the paragraph or chapter to see the context. We have to test all our building to the complete Word of God. How important is improving your ministry skills through training? The top example says it all. We need proper training from the Word of God, not just some manual somebody put together. Prayer? It is the only way to talk to God, to ask questions and then to react to His guidance. Practice? Without following God' guidance we will never experience Him. Without that experience our faith will never grow because the God I believe in will not become real to me, it will stay just a theory I believe in. Diligence? Faithfulness? Doctrinal accuracy? Devotional life? Openness to spiritual gifts? Etc. And so much more, all are important for their own reasons

In what ways do denominations encourage Christian unity? In the end all churches are preaching Christ, all are building the Kingdom of God, we all serve the same God and we are all members of the same Body. In what ways do they foster disunity? Sometimes jealousy and envy take place, Other times quarrelling control us over small issues. Sometimes there are arguments over "stealing sheep" when actually the whole flock belongs to God. Does belonging a "non-denominational" church make any difference regarding unity throughout the body? I don't think so, it is just another name. It is what is being preached, proclaimed and done that matters. How can we tear down the barriers that divide us? I found that setting up projects that involve a number of churches work well. Also having a Pastors morning once a month where different churches leaders meet builds unity. The last point that helped a lot was to have Bible studies with a number of different pastors from different churches meet at "neutral ground" build unity. This does take a strong leader and mature pastors to succeed, and the rewards are tremendous

(1 Corinthians 3:1-3) In behavioral terms according to these verses, how would you classify yourself in terms of hunger for the Word? In terms of jealousy and quarreling? – infant, child, teenager, adult? What will it take for you to grow to the next stage? At times I go for days that I read the Word every moment that is available. Then at other times I almost have to force myself to read my daily Bread. It usually goes hand in hand with how busy I am at work, where my focus is. Jealousy and quarrelling is not a problem.

2. (1 Corinthians 1:21-25) In what areas do non-Christians in our culture stumble over the basic gospel of Christ? To what degree can we help bridge this gap through careful and creative presentation? To what degree might that be "watering down" the gospel? Why can't we escape the tension between culturally-relevant communication and changing the essence of the message? Non Christians often stumble over the world's idea of what is right and what is wrong. Also what a Christian should be like and what a true Christian is. In the worlds eyes we must be weak pushovers where as we must humble ourselves before God, but act like kingdom and priests who show the world what is wrong, how to do it God's way and teach His Word. We must teach the whole Word. not just the parts that the world wants to hear. Very often when you tell people walking in Christ ways means that you must overcome sin with the Power provided through the Holy Spirit people.gets very upset, yet we have to give the full message anyway. It is not my job to convince them (although that is our aim) it is my job to bring them the message. God will do the rest. Often we only plant the seed, the rest happens much later

Pastor Ralph 05 Feb 2014Q3. (1 Corinthians 1:30-31) In what way does Christ represent God’s wisdom, righteousness, holiness, and redemption? How far do these go to lay the basis of a truly Christian philosophical system? John1say Jesus is the Word that became flesh. Thus Jesus is Wisdom. Jesus is coming again as King and as Judge. Thus He represents all righteousness. He died for our sins without ever sinning, thus He is totally holy and represents redemption. This is what we know and what we have to become as disciples of Christ. We can only achieve this through the working of the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Ralph 05 Feb 2014Q3. (1 Corinthians 1:30-31) In what way does Christ represent God’s wisdom, righteousness, holiness, and redemption? How far do these go to lay the basis of a truly Christian philosophical system? John1say Jesus is the Word that became flesh. Thus Jesus is Wisdom. Jesus is coming again as King and as Judge. Thus He represents all righteousness. He died for our sins without ever sinning, thus He is totally holy and represents redemption. This is what we know and what we have to become as disciples of Christ. We can only achieve this through the working of the Holy Spirit.

I don't think there is one of the 10 commandments that are not under attack from tv ideas. Some of the main instructions in the Bible being disregarded. 1) Honour your father and mother. All respect to others is blown away with a me only attitude on tv. 2) All forms of sex that is not Biblical is being promoted on tv. 3) We are in a microwave world. Everything is now. We can't wait for anything. Love, kindness, peach, patients and selfcontrol is not promoted. 4) Fear of the Lord is a thing that is forgotten on tv. Using His Name in vain, rebellion and so much more is the in thing

I don't think there is one of the 10 commandments that are not under attack from tv ideas. Some of the main instructions in the Bible being disregarded. 1) Honour your father and mother. All respect to others is blown away with a me only attitude on tv. 2) All forms of sex that is not Biblical is being promoted on tv. 3) We are in a microwave world. Everything is now. We can't wait for anything. Love, kindness, peach, patients and selfcontrol is not promoted. 4) Fear of the Lord is a thing that is forgotten on tv. Using His Name in vain, rebellion and so much more is the in thing

What gifts does God give us to ensure that we'll continue in faith until the end? Why does each require our active participation to receive its full benefits? Which do you need to enter into more? 1) Strength. The 1st 2 questions pointed to sanctification. Sanctification changes our character so that we don't want to sin anymore. Now Paul tells us that we receive strength as well - that is power to overcome sin. Thus we don't want to sin anymore (although temptation will always be there - it depends on our focus) and we receive power to overcome sin. 2) Forgiveness. Forgiveness goes with salvation. It is about our past, Sanctification goes with our future, Our sins (past) are forgiven and we receive sanctification and power to overcome future sins - temptations. 3) The above 2 and our experiences with God leads to faithfulness 4) and because of all God has done for me I want to share it with everybody I meet!!!!!

How often do you thank God for the blessings of those who don’t like you, or of your actual enemies? This question fits in with the question on sanctification. We are sanctified (character is changed) by hard times. God uses hard times to build our character. Often these people who give us a hard time are the people who are being used to build our character. Once you realize that these people who make our lives difficult are actually building our character, and they are sent by God, it becomes easy to thank God for them. The problem comes in when we focus on ourselves we become offended again and forget that these people are sent for our good. What does it say about Paul that he thanks God for the gifts of those who are at odds with him? Since Paul always sought the will of God he saw the benefit of these people, thus he thanked God for them.

Q1. (1 Corinthians 1:2) “What does “called to be holy” or “called to be saints” mean? What is a saint according to the Bible? Why is it so comfortable for us to say, “I’m no saint”? 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? To be called to be a saint means you were chosen by God to be set apart for His Kingdom. It goes with a lot of responsibility. I have to accept that I am an ambassador for Christ and act accordingly. This is where many go wrong. A lot of people say " I am only human, thus i cannot control myself. To be sanctified means i must humble myself and allow the Holy Spirit to change my character into somebody worthy of Christ. This doesn't mean temptation will not come. It means God is giving us the power to overcome sin by giving us the Holy Spirit as a teacher and a guide. Whether I am obedient to God's call and instructions is my choice. Whether i use this awesome power God gave me is up to me, but if I do not use it I must realize there are consequences. In Rev Jesus said he will spit us out because we are not cold or warm. We must devout ourselves fully to God And to do this written must be focussed on His Kingdom and on eternity. As long as we focus on God we will seek His will, as soon as we focus on our surrounding we will become focused on ourselves and then it is very difficult to be a saint because my focus is not where my power comes from

Which single New Testament passage best sums up for you the lessons of Isaiah 53? Why did you chose this passage? Matthew 26:38-42 Absolute obedience from a servant Who knows the suffering that is coming. 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 Again an obedient servant Who died for our sins Math 12:18-21 God the Father called Jesus a servant Mark 14:65. The servants were casting punishment on the Servant of Servants (Select from Matthew 26:38-42; Luke 22:37; John 1:29; Romans 3:24-26; 2 Corinthians 5:20-21; 1 Peter 2:24-25; 1 Peter 3:18; Philippians 2:5-11 -- or any other passage you can think of.)

In addition to our sins, the Servant also bears the punishment deserved by sinners. In what sense, if any, did Jesus bear the punishment due you when he died on the cross? As discussed in the previous question, His death substituted my eternal death. I was suppose to burn in hell eternity, but He accepted my punishment for me

Isaiah 53 teaches what theologians call "the substitutionary atonement." In what sense does the Servant act as a substitute to bear our sins? Put it in your own words. Jesus Who had no sins, Who acted as a Servant while He was on earth (healing sick, plenty miracles, teaching, explaining, washing of feet ect) accepted our sins and died for us on the cross (the symbole of sin) He served us to such an extend that He died for us as a service of saving grace. His death substituded our spiritual death.

Which New Testament parallels to Isaiah 53 convince you that Jesus himself saw his own mission and destiny spelled out in Isaiah 53? I think the book of Mark, which describes Jesus as a servant, shows nicely how Jesus lived out this believe. Luk4:21 is probably the most direct verse. If you aren't convinced, what stands in your way? I believe it is true. If you don't believe but you partake in this study you are probably a Jew. Pray daily for wisdom and for revelation. Go to the Messianic Jews web sites and read their messages critical. Compare Math, Mark, Luke and John with the Old Testament. The other day i read 365 Old Testament prophesies that came true in Christ, written by these Jews, there is no way all these prophesies can come true in 1 man and He is not the Messiah

From how large a group of people does God remove sins in Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12? If you throw it wide the answer is anybody throughout the ages. If you want to be more specific, anybody from any nation who accept Him, is obedient to Him, have faith in Him and since the New Testament accept His Son and forgives others their sins. In what sense is this a universal sacrifice of salvation? It is for all nations In what sense is Jesus' sacrifice wasted on some people? Some do not accept Him as their Savior and Lord - Master. Many confess Christ but is not willing to lay down the old self, we want to stay in control. Also many proclaim Him as Lord but we dont forgive, don't bear fruit of the Spirit, don't fo;;ow the guidence of the Holy Spirit and don't allow sanctification to take place.

Q9. (Isaiah 55:6-9) What does seeking the Lord entail? Actively looking for God and the Kingdom. Asking through prayer anf other believers. Reading the Bible and other books. seeking God in our everyday life. If God’s ways and thoughts are different than our own human way of thinking, what are the implications of this for success in our lives? If we trust in Him, the ultimate result will be success for us, even if the world thinks we are failures. Jesus dued on a cross, the ultimate failure in world standards, yet He sits at the Right Hand of God, the ultimate success in Kingdom standards. Why is repentance necessary to this process? We cant come into God' presence with sin. After we confessed our sins we have to walk away from sin. We have to be sanctified so that we dont sin anymore Why is humility necessary? We must let go of the old person, and fleshly desires. If we have any pride in ourselves left we will not allow God to sanctify and change us. We will want to stay the same What happens to us if our seeking is shallow? We will not be serious in anything spiritual. We will be the seed that fell on soil with no depth. What happens if we put off seeking the Lord when we hear his invitation? We waste time to walkbwith God. We also lose time to collect Kingfom treasures. Worsevof all we might not get another oppertunity and be lost for ever. Further we teach our brain to ignore the callingvof the Lord. Is it ever too late to seek the Lord? Yes. no good to pospone it till after death. Then I cant accept Him anymore Can any real success be found by other means than seeking the Lord? Yea. Success in total failure.

Why do people "spend" their lives doing things that they know won't satisfy them deep down? Desires of the flesh. No fear of the Lord. Foolishness. Selfishness Idol worship - Baal - worshipping self - selfishness, sex, pride, relying on self Asterah - Sex, female body form (statue of female with no head, arms or legs) see today's **** - men are not looking at head, arms or legs! Bacchus - booze, drugs, parties, socializing Where does hedonism or a love of pleasure lead? hell – desires of flesh – idol worship What are the gracious elements of Yahweh's invitation in this passage? Eternal life – true fulfilment for hunger and thirst What is the cost of accepting the invitation? Sacrificing the old self, sin, repentance, forgiveness, obedience to the end and serving our Loving Master Will this invitation be perceived as "good news" to those who hear it? To those who have ears – YES How can you issue this invitation in today's vernacular? Come to Jesus’ wedding!!! – These is everlasting life, love, joy, happiness, provision, protection, support, righteousness, fair judgement and much much more – OUR FATHER IS WAITING FOR US

What does the promise mean that no weapon formed against you shall succeed? As long as I believe in God and stay obedient to Him, I am protected. There is nothing anybody can do to me to remove me from under His protection. If they beat me up, He will heal me, if they rob me blind, He will provide for me, if they destroy my good name, He will restore me. If they kill me, I have the victory because I will be with my Lord, my Master and with my Father. Does it mean we won't have to conduct spiritual warfare through prayer and faith? No. What then does it mean? When I go through hard times, I must know I am protected. Hard times are allowed by God to draw me closer to Him, to sanctify me or to discipline me when I did wrong. Other times to test me and sometimes God allows Satan to attack me - see Job-, so I have to resist these attacks by hanging on to God. If God allows these attacks, I will come out a better, more sanctified person anyway - see Job again.

In what sense was Jerusalem "barren" without God's favor? They could not produce rightious deeds (even with His favour they failed) They also didnt increase as a nation. What does it imply when Isaiah says "your Maker is your husband"? Throughout the Old Testament God called Israel His bride, just as the church is now the bride of Christ. What does the husband do in this analogy? Love and protect the bride In the New Testament "bride of Christ" analogy, who is the wife, who is the husband? Church is the bride, Christ is the Husband What is expected of the wife? To serve and love the Husband - be obedient and faithful!!

Why is a messenger or carrier of good news so beautiful? What is the original historical context of these verses? The Jews have been in captivity for generations (70 years, every 20 years or so another generation is born) How does Paul apply this verse in Romans 10:15? He send just as the messanger who was sent, we are all sent to proclaim the good news, all of us must spread the Word of God

How can you trust the Lord to guide you when you can't see where you're going? Prayer, Bible study, Seeking His will always, faith and prayer. Since you cant see where you are going, you don't have much choice but to trust in God. Know that He knows best and hand your situation in His Hand and follow with obedience. - it is often much more difficult to stay true to the faith when things are going easy - that is when you start relying on yourself. Have you ever experienced fear in this situation? Yes How do you continue? Faith. Having an eternal vision, knowing that this too shall pass, not focussing on the now but on God. What is the danger of creating your own "light" to substitute for the invisible God? PRoBLEMS!!!. I did it a few years ago. Never knew things can go so wrong so fast - horrible experience

last question was patience and faith

Who does Isaiah seem to speak about in our passage? Jesus In what way is he open to the Lord? He received all from God the Father, His instructions, His teaching and evn the miracles that He did was the Holy Spirit Who worked through Him in obedience to the Father In what way does he suffer? Beaten humiliated, spit upon, insulted, ect leading to the crusifiction. The worse was when He was seperated from God the Father to accept our sins When was the Messiah vindicated in history? At the end times - Read Heb1, espeacially from verse 8 onwards He rose and sit at the right Hand of God. How will he be vindicated at the end of the age? He will return as King and ruler What character quality is necessary for believers when their vindication doesn't seem to happen soon enough?

Paul teaches that "all Israel will be saved." According to Isaiah in our passage, what will happen to the scattered Jews in the Last Days. They will be brought back to the promissed land. This has happened to some extend. But the whole of Israel is not yet back in the hands of the Jews, Jesusalem is not yet fully back in the hands of the Jews. I believe more is to come. Does God seem to love Jews who haven't trusted in Messiah Jesus yet? Yes. God loves everyone anyway, although some of us chose to be lost. The Jews who doesn't believe in Jesus still pray to God the Father. Jesus clearly said the only way to God the Father is through Christ, thus how God will handle it is up to Him. I only know that the Jews are still His chosen nation, I am just gratefull that we may belong to the Kingdom as well. How can you show your love for Jews? Prayer!!! Many ways, mostly be showing them how Jesus fulfilled prophesy. Also by showing support to Israel. Prayer!!! Prayer!!!