Craig

We see in Exodus 16 that God provided manna from heaven for the people to eat when the food they brought from Egypt ran out. When the Israelites arrived in an area where they could live off the land the manna ceased to be provided by God. Human-beings by nature take things for granted. At some point they probably felt entitled. It doesn't take long after providing for people in need that they begin to take it for granted. Even become dependent upon it. I was in a bread ministry for years and watched as people began to take ownership over bread that wasn't theirs. They became demanding that they get "their" weekly bread and the kind they like. Many would become very ugly when their "needs" were not met. It amazed me how demanding people could be when being provided a blessing that they had no entitlement to. I probably take God to often for granted and must appreciate and love him more.

Church members grumble and complain when they are directed or encouraged to do things that stretch them. To do things outside their comfort zones or personalities. Leaders sensitive to their congregations and to God's direction for their churches often initiate ministries that not only reach out to the community to present the gospel and fill physical needs, but also seek to develop the spiritual life of limited church members. To expand their walk with Jesus. To many this probably seems like a desert moment. Often church members resist. They rebel. This often begins with grumbling and complaining against their pastor. But in actuality it is against God who is directing the pastor. Grumbling and complaining can be legitimate when a leader is clearly corrupt or out of touch with God's will for their church. However, this must be corrected promptly and prayerfully. The leader must be replaced and the church moves on without grumbling or complaining. All levels of church leadership often take grumbling and complaining personally, because most pour their hearts and souls into their ministries. This makes them vulnerable to grumbling and complaining. To counter this, a leader must walk closely with God in prayer and Bible study. In addition, he must surround himself with encouragers and people who will help him maintain perspective. I have been through this trial and I just pass it to God through prayer and keep on going. I am a minister because called me to be a minister.

In Exodus 15:24 we see the people grumbling and complaining because they didn't have suitable drinking water. People with little or no faith in God live in fear. They complain and grumble about everything -- because life is all about them and their needs. People of true faith live in an attitude of thanksgiving and gratitude toward God. Even during the most trying and challenging times they thank God for all things -- the good, the bad, and the ugly. Why? Because as Paul said in Romans 8:28: "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." We are fortunate even for even being allowed to participate in creation. That should be a constant source of thanksgiving and joy. Grumbling is about lack of faith and trust in God. It is insulting to God. I turn off grumbling and complaining by immediately praising and giving thanks to God.

God's glory is important during the exodus because first and foremost He is God and not Pharaoh or the gods of Egypt. Secondly, God wants the people to know that He is God and that nothing is impossible for Him. He wants them to put their faith and trust in Him. Recognition of God's glory to faith, holiness, and reverence is important because all three of these are in response to our recognition of God Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth. It is to the glory of God that we acknowledge and serve Him. He is creator, holy, and King of Kings and Lord of Lords. By our recognition of God's glory we realize that we are not gods, not holy, just lost humanity. Humanity has a way of wanting to deify itself. Recognizing the glory of God puts us in our rightful place as God's creation. That is not a bad thing. We cannot enjoy the benefits of being God's creation if we are in constant rebellion against God. Humanity by nature is selfish and self promoting. Therefore if we do not allow God's glory to shine through us we can never get rid of the old sin nature and grow into the people God intended for us to be. Leaders can avoid pride and self promotion by constantly praising and giving God the glory for the works and ministries they do.

In Exodus 14:11-14 we see the people blaming Moses for the situation they were in. Pharaoh's army was approaching and the sea was blocking their escape. So death and destruction seemed certain. So, they blamed and got angry with Moses for their situation. He was not to blame for this situation. However, they were really blaming God because it was God who directed Moses in the escape route. Moses responds to their fear by telling them not to be afraid; stand still and watch the Lord rescue you; they won't see these Egyptians again; and that the Lord would fight for them. Just stay calm. Moses doesn't to take the criticism personally because it was God who he was following. Moses stayed focused and listened to God and did as he was told. The people apparently listened because they escaped Pharaoh. They lived to complain another day.

As per Luke 4:18-21 and Mark 10, it is clear Jesus viewed himself the as the suffering servant Isaiah was speaking of in Isaiah 53. Therefore, I am convinced and nothing stands in my way of believing that the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 is Jesus the Christ

(Isaiah 53) From how large a group does God remove sin in Isaiah 52:13-53:12? In what sense is this a universal sacrifice of salvation? In what sense is Jesus' sacrifice wasted on some people? Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was done for the universal atonement of sin for all of humanity. Jesus' sacrifice is wasted on some people in that they don't recognize Jesus as the Messiah and that He died and shed His blood for the atonement of their sin. Many people don't believe in sin or a need for salvation.

Like the old Gospel hymn says -- "trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey." We can not get results and blessings from God unless we are willing to trust, obey, and follow Him. God knows humanity and the things of this world don't blind Him. God is creator. He created us and knows what is best for us because for the most part we don't know what is best for us. God has purposed each of us for something. He knows and we don't. Again, that is why we must slow down and engage God. We must sit at His feet and become his disciples or there is no steady, systematic growth in our lives. There is no deepened relationship with God unless we listen to Him and obey His command and instructions. He knows the way. Jesus said: I am the way, the truth, and the life ..." Without discipline and obedience we cannot develop a vigorous, meaningful, and effective relationship with God. We cannot truly be followers of Jesus Christ without listening to Him and obeying Him. God knows what we don't and how to live to the fullest in Him. We don't. To honor God, others, and to be the best we can be we must listen to and obey God. Therein lies the blessings and victory in this life and beyond. Like the Israelites, we cannot save or deliver ourselves we must wait upon the Lord God Almighty and follow His instructions.

Jesus Christ is our Paschal Lamb in the sense that He was God's sacrificial lamb for the universal atonement of human sin. Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. By calling upon Jesus for the forgiveness of sin and salvation, He makes us a child of God and we are sealed by the Holy Spirit. See Romans 5 and 8. Thus death passes over us and God has given us life on many levels in Jesus Christ. The Christian is saved from judgment, punishment, death, and eternal separation from God. In Jesus there is life.

Q4. (21:33) How does the realization that God is El-Olam, the Eternal God, effect you? How does it alter the way you live your life? The realization that the Eternal God, creator of the universe, cares about me and is concerned about my welfare -- spiritually and physically has deeply touched me. This awareness has altered the way I live my life in that I seek to honor and recognize Him and follow his leadership and direction in all aspects of my life and relations. I proclaim His name and seek to glorify Him on a daily basis. I seek to fellowship with Him as well as worship Him on a daily basis. I seek a vigorous relationship with Him.

Q3. In what ways has God blessed Abraham in this difficult chapter 21? Given what we know about Ishmael's character (16:12; 25:18), how has Abraham been blessed that he sent him away? How has Isaac been blessed? What might have happened if Ishmael hadn't been sent away? Have you ever been rejected or sent away? Were is God in all of this? Abraham is blessed my Sarah bearing a son that God had promised. Despite family difficulties between Sarah and Hagar and her son, God assures Abraham that Ishmael would be blessed and God delivers Hagar from her distress. If the scriptures hold true and Ishmael would be a contentious individual then it was probably a blessing and a necessity that Hagar and Ishmael were send away. This probably avoided dangerous confrontations between the older Ishmael and the much younger Isaac. In this way Isaac could become the person God had purposed him to be and Ishmael would also become the father of a great nation. I have been rejected a myriad of times for whatever and for a myriad of reasons for whatever. However, I have put my faith, hope, and trust in God and have continued along the road of my pilgrimage on this planet. With joy and delight I travel on. Praise God Almighty.

Q2. (21:8-10) What motivates Sarah to demand Ishmael's expulsion from Abraham's family encampment? Is she righteous in this? Have you ever tried to force your spouse to act against his or her principles? Have you ever been forced yourself? Sarah saw Ishmael making fun of her son Isaac in some way and that angered her and thus she demanded that Abraham get rid of the boy and his mother. Sarah was not righteous in this act. In a myriad of ways I have tried to force my spouse to act against her principles and sometimes that was needed and right, sometimes not. Yes, she has attempted to force me to compromise my principles and sometimes succeeded right or wrong. It is all about imposing wil and want one is after.

Q8. (Isaiah 55:1-3) Why do people “spend” their lives doing things that they know won’t satisfy them deep down? Where does hedonism or a love of pleasure lead? What are the gracious elements of Yahweh’s invitation in this passage? What is the cost of accepting the invitation? Will this invitation be perceived as “good news” to those who hear it? How can you issue this invitation in today’s vernacular? People spend their lives doing things they know won't satisfy them because they are addicted to short term gratification and will not acknowledge God's role in their lives. There is a space in our hearts that can only be filled by God himself. Human rebellion and the desire to do whatever we think we want alienates God from filling that space in most peoples' hearts. Thus, hedonism or the love of pleasure ultimately leads to empty lives and then eternal separation from God. The bottom line of this passage is: "come to me with your hears wide open and I will give you all the unfailing love I promised David." The cost of accepting this invitation is to humble ourselves before our God and turn to him. This is a timeless invitation and is good news to those who are starving spiritually on this desert planet.

Q7. (Isaiah 54:16-17) What does the promise mean that no weapon formed against you shall succeed? Does it mean we won’t have to conduct spiritual warfare through prayer and faith? What then does it mean? If we put our faith and trust in God he will protect us. The Lord is our shepherd. Prayer and faith form our relationship with God and are necessary in order to maintain a health relationship with God. If God is for us who can be against us. God will not permit his people to be destroyed spiritually or physically because ultimately we will spending eternity in the House of the Lord forever and ever.

Q6. (Isaiah 54:1-8) In what sense was Jerusalem “barren” without God’s favor? What does it imply when Isaiah says “your Maker is your husband”? What does the husband do in this analogy? In the New Testament “bride of Christ” analogy, who is the wife, who is the husband? What is expected of the wife? Jerusalem was not producing people were honoring and acknowledging God. She was not the light of the nations attracting people to God. She was barren. God is going reestablish an intimate relationship with Jerusalem as in a martial relationship. Full of love and blessings from the husband to the wife. She is going be blessed and fruitful and bear children. In the "bride of Christ" analogy the church is the wife and Jesus Christ is the husband. The church is be faithful and obedient to her Lord Jesus Christ. Otherwise, the church wanders away from the Lord like Israel did.

Q1. (21:5-7) The name Isaac means "he laughs." What is Sarah's laughter like now compared to her laughter in 18:12-15 and Abraham's laughter in 17:17? What does this tell you about God's sense of humor?� Her laughter now, I would think, is out of utter joy, relief, thanksgiving, wonder, amazement, and love. Abraham's earlier laughter was one of disbelief and skepticism. God does everything in His own time and His timing is to reveal Himself, His reality, and awesomeness to humanity. God does what human-beings think is impossible. Most humans put limitations on everything. In a box per se. God operates outside the box because He created everything. He is in control of everything and there is nothing impossible with God. Paul said it best when he wrote to the Romans: "Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools." Romans 1:22.

Q2. Why is it so difficult for some church leaders to confront people? What fears in this regard does a leader face? How can confrontation and rebuke be a good thing? What happens when we refuse to confront when we should? For some, confrontation is be avoided at almost all costs. Most people don't like confrontation for the obvious reasons. However, confrontation must be engaged in when a leader must deal with a staff member or church/ministry member who is clearly out of line or vision. One major fear is after the confrontation takes place is division created and will that person continue to support the ministry? Will people see me as a mean and bad person? Am I going to seen as unchristian? These are some of the fears/thoughts that run through a leader's mind when confronting another person(s). Again, confrontation is need and is in fact vital. How else does a leader address issues when a person doesn't hear you in a staff meaning or general discussion. Some people march to their own tune and need to be reigned in and that only comes from confrontation. Confrontation is not bad, just sometimes uncomfortable. Confrontation often positively corrects issues and behaviors. However, when a leader refuses to confront he loses control of his ministry. Incompetent and non-called people try to high-jack ministries for their ego satisfaction everyday. A strong leader must not permit this to happen to an effective ministry. A leader must not be afraid to confront people doing harm to their ministry. To affects the people you are ministering to and detracts from the Lord in whom you are serving.

Q5. (Isaiah 52:7-9) Why is a messenger or carrier of good news so beautiful? What is the original historical context of these verses? How does Paul apply this verse in Romans 10:15? The messenger or carrier of the good news is so beautiful because he brings the message of hope and salvation from God. The original historical context of these verses is the promised deliverance of Israel from captivity and their restoration in a restored Jerusalem. Later, Paul applies these verses to both Jews and Gentiles in that Jesus Christ is the savior and our reconciliation with God is through Jesus and that is the good news. Anyone who calls upon the name Jesus will be saved. That is the beautiful and wonderful message for humanity that the messenger brings.

Q1. (Exodus 7:6-7) Why did Moses blame God for his troubles? Why do you think Moses and Aaron are so stubborn? Was it fear? Was it unbelief? Or both, perhaps? Why does God have to command Moses and Aaron? Moses' troubles began when he became God's spokesman to Pharaoh. It put him in direct conflict with Pharaoh and the Hebrews. I don't think Moses and Aaron were stubborn. I think they thought that they were in way over their heads in dealing with Pharaoh and the Hebrews. They felt inadequate to do the job and way out in deep water. They had not at this point put their full faith and trust in God to empower them. So they were both fearful and to an extent unbelieving. God had to get firm with Moses and Aaron to get them moving. Unless they got moving in the direction God wanted them to move, God could not show them exactly what He could do. God wanted to show Moses what He could do.

Q4. (19:30-38) Why did Lot's daughters turn to incest? What does this tell us about their values? About their faith? Why does Lot turn to intoxication? What does this incident tell us about his faith? His hope? His influence? His choice of residence? What lessons should we learn from this story? In isolation, Lot's daughters turned to incest because in their minds they saw no other ways to have children. Lot's daughters getting him drunk and having sex with him in order to get pregnant showed that they did not have faith in God. Lot probably self mediated himself through alcohol to cope with his situation instead of turning to God for direction and help. Apparently, Lot didn't have much faith in God.

Q4. (19:30-38) Why did Lot's daughters turn to incest? What does this tell us about their values? About their faith? Why does Lot turn to intoxication? What does this incident tell us about his faith? His hope? His influence? His choice of residence? What lessons should we learn from this story? In isolation, Lot's daughters turned to incest because in their minds they saw no other ways to have children. Lot's daughters getting him drunk and having sex with him in order to get pregnant showed that they did not have faith in God. Lot probably self mediated himself through alcohol to cope with his situation instead of turning to God for direction and help. Apparently, Lot didn't have much faith in God.

Q3. (19:26) After nearly being delivered, why did Lot's wife stop and gaze rather than escaping? What was in her heart? Have you ever struggled with this in your heart? What lesson does Jesus draw from Lot's wife in Luke 17:31-33? She had a hard time leaving the family's lifestyle in Sodom. Her was in Sodom and her hesitation revealed the struggle she having within her heart over having to leave Sodom. I think at some time or other all of us have had the struggle of leaving the familiar for unchartered territory even if it is what we needed to do. Human-beings become complacent and comfortable in lifestyles very easily. Change, even when knowingly needed, is often a radical and uncomfortable experience. Luke 17-31-33 is a part of a discussion of the days preceding his second advent with the Pharisees. Jesus said it be a day when attachment to earthly things will imperil a person's life. If they are on a housetop, they should not try to salvage any possessions from his house. If they are out in the field, they should not turn back to their house. They should flee from those places where judgment is about to fall. Although Lot's wife was taken almost by force out of Sodom, her heart remained in the city. This was indicated by the fact that she turned back. She was out of Sodom, but Sodom was not out of her. As a result, God destroyed her by turning her into a pillar of salt.

Q2. (19:15-16) Why did Lot and his family hesitate? Have you ever hesitated when you should have been fleeing a danger? What is the lesson for us? They did not want to leave the comfort and familiarity they had grown accustom to in Sodom. There also is the possibility that they did not totally believe what the angels were telling them about destroying Sodom. For example look how many Jews stayed in Nazi Germany, while being warned what Hitler was doing to the Jews. Change is hard even in the face of danger. They couldn't wrap their minds around the situation and probably didn't want to believe what was going to happen. For Lot to up and leave everything behind on the word of these men was probably hard to swallow. Lot's family was comfortable in the lifestyle of the city. To go to the mountains would kill Lot and his family. They couldn't handle life in a more primitive setting without the riches and comfort of city life. Yes. The lesson here is to always be alert and ready to respond to danger, whether physical or spiritual, and move on when you sense or are openly warned about danger. We must be sensitive to the direction of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Q1. (19:4-11) How can Christians keep balance on the issue of homosexuality in our day? Is it really possible to be loving and compassionate toward practicing homosexuals at the same time as you condemn the sin? Should the church be silent about homosexuality? If not, what should we be saying? Where should we be saying it? (Be gentle and loving as you discuss this subject -- please!) The balance is one of loving your neighbor as yourself and let God do the judging. I do not support or believe that homosexuality is a right lifestyle. However, neither is a lifestyle that includes slander, gossip, arrogance, malice, murder, unrighteousness, causing division, and lying. Solomon writes in Proverbs 6:16-19 that these are things that the Lord hates. You cannot be loving and compassionate to any people that you are condemning. Christians can say otherwise, but they are lying. In reality, most Christians are not condemning the sin, they are condemning people. Jesus said, in John 3, that he did not come into the world to condemn the world, because the world is condemned already. He came to save the world. Our place is not to condemn, but to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world in both word and deed. The Church needs preach and teach the message of marriage between men and women. That message should always be emphasized because that is the way God created humanity and the institution of marriage. The world is going do what the world is going to do. Christians need to be light unto the world and role model Biblical precepts.

Q4. (Isaiah 50:10-11) How can you trust the Lord to guide you when you can’t see where you’re going? Have you ever experienced fear in this situation? How do you continue? What is the danger of creating your own “light” to substitute for the invisible God? I walk by faith and not by sight. I believe the Word of God and put my trust in the Lord. There have been several situations that I have experienced fear and relied upon the Lord to walk me through them. He walked me through them with encouragement, comfort, and they ultimately ended up being a training event which lead to my spiritual growth. Our own light is not light at all. God is light and Jesus Christ is the light of the world. When a person has a vigorous relationship with God, the Lord is not so invisible after all.