RD35

Why do people "spend" their lives doing things that they know won't satisfy them deep down? Because people do not know the truth and sometimes even if they know the truth they do not love the truth and do not want to follow it. The ways of the Lord are narrow ones and difficult to walk on, while the ways of the world seem attractive. Where does hedonism or a love of pleasure lead? It leads to destruction of a person and eternal fire. What are the gracious elements of Yahweh's invitation in this passage? It satisfies deeply. What is the cost of accepting the invitation? It is free of cot. Will this invitation be perceived as "good news" to those who hear it? For people who are truly seeking the truth this is good news, but not all will think of it as good news. How can you issue this invitation in today's vernacular? First of all by showing them our lives as a testimony , telling others of the freedom and satisfaction accepting Christ has brought in my life, and inviting them to the same. Praying for people that they will be enlightened to accept the truth in their lives.

It means that any plan from the enemy which is against God’s good plan for my life, God will not let it prosper. However skillfully the enemy makes weapons to destroy God’s church and His people they shall not prove strong enough to do any harm to the people of God. No, we will still have to conduct spiritual warfare through prayer and faith. It means that when I am in a relationship with God and trust and depend on him, God is with me in every battle of life giving me victory.

In what sense was Jerusalem "barren" without God's favor? Jerusalem suffered great trauma. Without God’s favor the city was destroyed, their children slain, and the survivors were sent off into exile. What does it imply when Isaiah says "your Maker is your husband"? It means God will restore Jerusalem. He will not abandon His people anymore but love and protect them as a husband does to his wife. Israel will not be shamed anymore. What does the husband do in this analogy? Love, protect and provide. Not leave the wife alone. In the New Testament "bride of Christ" analogy, who is the wife, who is the husband? The church of Christ is the bride, Christ is the husband. What is expected of the wife? Submissions, honesty, purity, love.

The messenger brings news of freedom from captivity; he brings news of salvation, peace and joy. The original historical context is when the Jews were redeemed from the captivity of Babylon. Paul refers this verse to the evangelists bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to the People.

When the going gets dark I have to trust in the promises which God has made to me and build my hope on these promises. Yes I have experienced fear when such situations have come, I have continued with faith, prayer reading and confessing the Word of God and fellowshipping with God’s people. Those that make the world their comfort, and their own righteousness their confidence, will certainly meet with bitterness in the end.

Who does Isaiah seem to speak about in our passage? Isaiah is speaking about Jesus. In what way is he open to the Lord? He has to declare Yahweh's message which is a costly thing to do, resulting in physical abuse. But He does not waver. In what way does he suffer? He was falsely charged, people mocked at him beat him, pulled his beared, and He suffered death on the cross. When was the Messiah vindicated in history? When He was resurrected from death. How will he be vindicated at the end of the age? He will come again in all Glory to judge the living and the dead. He will rule over all the earth. What character quality is necessary for believers when their vindication doesn't seem to happen soon enough? Faith, Humility and Patience.

In the last days all the scattered Jews will be united in Jerusalem. Yes God loves everyone. I can pray for them.

People tend to discriminate aliens because aliens are not like them in any way, they have a different culture, traditions, food habits, language, looks etc. It is difficult to accept what is not of you. Sometimes it could be because of fear or even jealousy and Sometimes feelings of patriotism. When we see others as also a creation of God and remember that all of us are creations of the most high god, He is our father and we His children, which make us all brothers and sisters, then we can love people of other nationalities. The church must pray for all and accept all without being racial. The country must not be unjust to people from other nations.

God is omnipotent; He revealed this to his prophet. Amen!! What an awesome God we serve. Cyrus would be used in God’s plan, instrumental in the release of the Jews from captivity, in this sense he was anointed by God. When the unbeliever is anointed by God and called by god he can accomplish God’s purposes. God can use anyone to bring to pass His good plans in the lives of His people. So we should be careful not to judge on outward appearances. God can change anyone’s heart and use them for His glory. We have to be humble and obedient at all times to God.

Q5. (Isaiah 43) This chapter tells us specific purposes that God's people have been created for. How can you fulfill your purpose to show God's glory (verse 7)? In my actions, words and deeds I have to live a true Christian life and proclaim God’s glory. When I love others with the love of Christ, forgive others and have compassion for others like Christ did, when I exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in my life, I can fulfill my purpose to show God’s glory in my life. To be his witness (verses 10, 12)? Sharing with others the Gospel of Christ, telling them my testimony how He saved me and what is in store for those who call on him. To proclaim his praise (verse 21)? Think of the Lord’s goodness every day, every moment and praise him. Praise him even when things don’t happen the way I thought it would be, praise him even when days are bad and I am in pain knowing God has his best plans for me. In the assembly of the Lord, sing praises to him with shouting, clapping, dancing and with instruments. What are the obstacles you are facing in fulfilling these purposes? Fear of people, Rejection, Things of the world. Sometimes mere laziness. How do you benefit from fulfilling God's purpose for you? I know God is near to me, holding me in the palm of his hands and hiding me in the shadow of his wings. I can experience divine peace and joy that no other worldly thing or person can offer. When we live a life fulfilling God’s purpose for us we are assured of God’s Eternal Life which is worthier than every other thing life has to offer.

God’s people are blind because they refused to see what God has done for them Israel is the servant in the passage. 10 years back I was very much blind but my vision has improved very much from the past 3 years and it is work in progress. A blind servant is not effective in accomplishing his master’s purposes. By the grace of God I am letting God use me as His servant on an everyday basis, although it’s not a easy task being a servant of the Lord and I fall every now and then, but my heart is responsive and I am ever willing.

For God’s people to be a light to the nation’s means, God’s people live in such a way that we become an example to this dark world. Through the light of our right living, people will be able to see their wrong deeds and be ashamed, thus they will leave the dark world and follow God’s people. By God’s grace I am trying to live a life pleasing to him according to his word and his commandments. I try to tell about Jesus when someone comes hurt and need His light, listen to the troubled, try my best to forgive all those who have hurt me and live in love with them, try to put up with difficult people, share my things, sing for the lord etc. The Lord knows my ways, though I am trying my best to do well in representing God’s covenant in my daily life, I am better than what I was long ago by His grace, I still falter and fall, but the tender shepherd always lifts me and puts me in right paths again.

The Lord will put His Spirit on the Messiah. The Messiah is the servant of the Lord and pleases the God. He will bring justice to the nations, without making boasting about it loudly in the streets or asking for attention, but he will do it with a spirit of gentleness and patience. He acts tenderly towards the weak, the injured, and the poor. He will observe righteousness. Difficulties will not deter the Messiah till he establishes justice on earth. To be pleasing in the sight of God, He will expect us to imitate the messiah. We have to live a life pleasing to God following the example of Jesus. If we act unjustly towards the poor, then we put ourselves on the wrong side of God and his Messiah. When we do good and justice we should not clamor for attention but do it with gentleness.

Q1. (Isaiah 40) What does Isaiah 40 teach us about the necessity of preparing ourselves for the Lord (verses 3-5)? It teaches us that we should repent and change our ways completely while preparing ourselves for the Lord. The Lord’s coming is near and we have to prepare our heart by making right and straight all things that are not according to God’s will and God’s word in our lives. About God's tenderness and compassion (verse 11)? Verse 11 teaches us about the tender loving care of God. Like a good shepherd to his flock, the Lord gathers us in His arms and holds us close to His heart and gently leads us. About God's glory vs. the glory of nations (verses 15-17)? The Human Power is nothing compared to the Sovereign Lord, Our Creator. The Lord is incomparable, all nations and its powers are but dust, worthless before God. Why do we get so enamored by the glitter and glory of the world? The glitter and glory of the world gives man temporary pleasure and joy. When we are not rooted in the word of God and not in a relationship with Him, these pleasures attract us to them as we are unaware of what God has in store for us. What pieces are we missing (verses 15-17, 21-26)? We miss the point that God is enthroned above all the earth and he is the maker and creator of all things. According to verse 31, how can we draw strength from the Lord? When we wait on the Lord and look to him in hope and eager expectation we draw strength from the Lord. Waiting with perseverance expresses our faith that God wills save his people. As we turn our faith towards him, he strengthens us. There is a sense in which we exchange our weakness for his strength as we wait expectantly for him to act. And when God strengthens us we soar like eagles.

Hezekiah appealed to God on the basis of his own righteousness. This doesn't mean he was sinless. Hezekiah wasn't sinless (2 Chronicles 32:26). He had made mistakes, wrong decisions, and had moments that reflect a weakness of faith. But Hezekiah made an honest attempt to follow God in his life and repented when he was convicted of his sin. God honored this with blessing, success, and answered prayer. God has promised in scriptures that He will answer the prayer of a righteous man, so it is important to getting prayers answered.

Hezekiah’s illness may have taken place around 701 BC at the time of Sennacherib's campaign. From God's response to Hezekiah's prayer through the Prophet Isaiah (38:6), it sounds like Sennacherib's presence was still threatening Jerusalem at this time. It would have been a difficult time to leave his country leaderless. It is likely that he had no clear successor at that point. If this took place in 701 BC, it was before his son Manasseh was born. Hezekiah would have needed to name a successor so leadership would pass to another at his death without palace intrigues and unnecessary disruption to the kingdom. Therefore his healing was important for his nation. God had promised David that the Messiah would come from his ancestral line, so if Hezekiah died without a successor, there would also be no one to carry on the line of Davidic kings promised centuries before that would culminate in a Messiah.

Both prayers begin with an awesome vision of who God really is. There is no limitation to God's power, since he made heaven and earth and can control anything within them. These prayers begin with Praise and worship. They help us to increase our faith, as we begin to acknowledge that God is bigger than anything and everything. When we trust in God completely and have a strong faith that there is nothing impossible for our God, God is pleased with this kind of faith, total dependence on him, and He answers our prayers, sometimes may not be in the same pattern as we want it, but in all His perfect plan will bring us total peace.

When Hezekiah receives the letter, he brings it before the Lord and spreads it out for God to read. He reads it to God and observes that the insult is to the living God far more than it is to Hezekiah himself. God himself has been insulted, and he must respond. The principle is: "The battle is the Lord's!" This is not an excuse to do nothing. Hezekiah has made all the military preparations he can, but now is the time to look to the Lord. When we are faced with the daily battles of life we can apply this principle, that is, instead of we trying to solve our problems in our own wisdom and might, we let God be the general in all our preparations and follow God’s orders. When we do not apply this principle we may get discouraged very soon and loose the battle without God.

The first readers found hope in these verses because they were assured that there will be a full reward for all their troubles. It is promised that the desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The Glory of the Lord will be seen in the lands of Lebanon, Carmel and Sharon. Feeble hands will be strengthened, the knees that give way will be steady, and God will come and save his chosen one. When Christ comes the spiritually blinded will be enlightened and those deaf to the calls of god will hear. The Highway is a way of holiness; it will be a safe way without terror. It will be for those who walk in the commandments of the Lord, for the redeemed of the Lord. The unclean and wicked will not walk on it. Redeemed are people who have been bought back from slavery. Ransomed means one whose ownership is transferred by the payment of a price. Jesus is our Kinsman-Redeemer who paid the price for our redemption

Ethical behavior shows our love for truthfulness and a righteous life which Jesus taught and wanted all of us to do, thus when we display ethical behavior we display our love for God. Ethical behavior makes us just towards all our fellowmen and this it display our love for man. Bribery is against the word of God and so a government that accepts bribery will be judged and destroyed by God.

Sometimes our circumstances look so fearful and so immediate that we hesitate to wait on the Lord and advice and help from people looks very attractive as we want immediate relief and God seems far off in these situations. When we put our trust in some person and fail to seek the Lord it is similar to idolatry. Jesus taught his disciples to put God First, when we seek his kingdom and righteousness all things shall be added unto us and we will be free from all kind of worry, Praise The Lord !!

Our God is an Awesome God; He is Just and loves us. He is a compassionate God, slow to anger and rich in love. It tells us how patient God is that he ever waits to be gracious to all that come to him in faith. Sin, Rebellion and disobedience prevent His grace. Yes I have experienced God’s guidance as mentioned in Isaiah Verse 21. Constant Prayer and a willingness to listen to God are necessary for us to hear God’s voice.

Yes I have seen and I had been one too, but thanks to the Grace of God, He saved me. When we do not feel the presence of God in our daily lives and when we do not see the fruit of the Spirit in our lives we know we are not in a relationship with God and our hearts are far from God and what we are doing is only religious duties. True repentance, Prayer and meditating on the word of God will make us right before God. When my practice of religion contradicts the Word of God then I know it is merely following rules taught by men. I know I am rule based when there is no joy in my life, when I cannot forgive, when I cannot be a good neighbor and when the fruit of the Spirit is not seen in my life. Rule based faith makes us pleasers of men, self righteous and proud people. We will not have a close relationship with God and will fall in sin very easily and will not reach the destiny God has destined for us, that is Eternal life. Having a love based faith will make us humble and Christ Like. It is not that we will not fail here, but every time we fail God will raise us up and make us victorious. With this kind of faith we will be able to see the others just like Jesus saw them and so we will be able to love them and accept them. I will be able to worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth and will have total freedom from sin.

When we trust in ourselves more than we trust God, we do things according to the prompting of our flesh and sometimes this yields results which may look good to us (may not be right in the sight of god) and so we justify ourselves easily. Holding on to lies or narrow path seems the easy way out many a times and comfortable too. When Jesus and His Words come in the way of our wrong beliefs and sin we stumble over him. We have to set an example to other people by living a life according to the word of God. We have to pray for those who do not know the good news of Christ and in love we have to spread the gospel of the Lord to people living in the dark. If they fail to listen, God’s wrath and judgment will come upon them and they will be destroyed.

"And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." (Matthew 24:31) - refers to the rapture and gathering of God's people when Christ returns.