Nic

Q1. (Isaiah 49:1-13) Why do people tend to disregard or even discriminate against aliens in their country? This happens because aliens tend to be just that - alien. In other words, they are different. They may look different, dress different, or speak different. Their culture is also different so the way they do things is different. It is easier to disregard them than it is to try to understand them and why they do the things they do. Also, sometimes we have a sense that the country is MINE and the aliens are sometimes seen as a threat or simply just out of place. Sometimes we react out of fear as well - fear of what we do not understand. How can you increase your love for people of other nationalities? The only way to do this is to ask God to increase our love. What may also help is if we take the time to understand the people. If we take time to find out about their history and culture that can make it a bit easier. God’s people are called to be a “light to the nations.” What might that entail for the church in your community? In your country? First we must see the nations as people as God sees them. Sometimes we see all the differences. We see the drug dealer vs. worship leader, etc. Being a light means seeing these people as people who need love and salvation. It means showing them the way to Christ through our speech and behavior and the way we treat them. It means showing them a different side to what they see from the other people they interact with from time to time.

Q1. (Isaiah 40) What does Isaiah 40 teach us about the necessity of preparing ourselves for the Lord (verses 3-5)? We must prepare ourselves for the Lord because His glory shall be revealed. It is not a question of if He will come but a question of when. Therefore it behooves it to be prepared for His arrival. We must make sure that there is nothing standing between us and Him, get rid of the bad habits and behaviors that displease Him as we wait on Him. About God’s tenderness and compassion (verse 11)? God takes care of us like a shepherd takes care of His sheep. He will hold us to close to Him and protect us from the elements. He will also lead us along during the course of the day. About God’s glory vs. the glory of nations (verses 15-17)? God is bigger and more magnificent than any nation. As large and important as some may think they are, God is bigger - He is more awesome than anything we have ever seen, heard or imagined. Why do we get so enamored by the glitter and glory of the world? What pieces are we missing (verses 15-17, 21-26)? I think that we are sometimes amazed by the beauty and resources of the world. We see some places and we are in awe at how beautiful and large they are. Sometimes we forget that God is the one who created this things we love to see and admire. He is the one responsible for making them so he must indeed be greater than they. According to verse 31, how can we draw strength from the Lord? We can draw strength from God when we wait on Him and look to Him with eager expectation for our hope and strength.

Q1. (Isaiah 37:14) What is the significance of Hezekiah spreading out the enemy’s message before the Lord? Hezekiah was acknowledging the fact that he recognised that the insult was not against him but against the Lord. He recognised that God would respond unlike the other gods the people had to fight for Yahweh the one true and living God would fight for His people. He would defend His own name and honor. What is the underlying principle illustrated here? We must recognise that God is all powerful and He is fully capable of fighting His battles. In addition, we must not become so puffed up with pride that we develop a god complex thinking that we can fight for ourselves. Hezekiah understood his role in the battle and he recognised God's. How can we apply this principle to our own lives? While it is easier said than done we too must allow God to fight His battles. We must refuse to become so insulted that we start to fight on our own behalf. We must see insults leveled at us as really an attack on God. Just as Saul was persecuting God by killing Christians when others attack us they are really attacking God. We must see the attack for what it is knowing that it is not against flesh and blood that we are fighting but against principalities and powers. Therefore, we should do our part and present the matter before God, do all that we can in preparation and let God fight the battles. What happens when we don’t apply this principle? When we do not apply this principle we fight and we are defeated. This is because we are no match for the enemy on our own. If we attempt to fight him on our own we will be defeated, destroyed and enslaved.

Q3. (Isaiah 30:15-29) Why does God long to show us grace (30:18)? God longs to show us grace because He is a loving and gracious God who does not desire to bring us to destruction. What does that say about God’s character? It says that He is a just God but that He is also compassionate and merciful. It says that He is holy and that He is love. What prevents his grace? Our rebellion and stubbornness and insistence that we do our own thing. When we come to that place it hinders the grace of God from flowing as it ought. Have you ever experienced the kind of guidance Isaiah mentions in verse 21? Yes What is necessary in us so that we can hear God’s voice? I think we must have a Spirit of humility and obedience. We must be willing to hear and respond knowing that sometimes what God wants from us is not always what we want for ourselves but we must be willing to do it anyway.

Q3. (Isaiah 9:6-7) What in the text convinces us that the Child/Son is the Messiah himself? The description of the child and the things that He will accomplish convinces us that the Child is the Messiah himself. The child will be known as wonderful counselor, almighty God, Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace. In addition, He is said to be the one who will reign on David's throne and His kingdom will never end. If He were a mere child at some point His reign as King would end and He would not be called by all the names listed. Truly He is the Messiah himself. What do you learn about the Messiah from the four word pairs describing him? From the word pairs I learn: 1. That Jesus is one who has supernatural abilities to counsel His people. His wisdom and abilities exceed human capabilities. 2. He is one with God and He is one who stands victoriously; No one can compare to Him in might and power. 3. Jesus possesses the same power and ability as God the Father. He will take care of us like a good father would. 4. He gives us peace and He IS our peace. He gives complete peace. Which of these saving attributes do you need most in your life right now? I need Him to be my wonderful counsellor most in my life right now. At this time I am facing decisions and I am a little unsure of which way to go. I need His wisdom and direction in my life now so that I may know which way to go.

In what way is Judah confused about its identity, according to verses 2-4? The people of Israel do not seem to understand that they are God's chosen people and that as a result they belong to God. Therefore, instead of doing the good that they have been called to do they rebelled against God, forsook Him and turned their backs on Him. What are the consequences when Christians today suffer from such identity confusion? Today when Christians suffer from such identity confusion they also rebel in their own way. Some call it backsliding and others call it falling away from grace, etc. Whatever it is called it is evidenced by Christians living a life that is separate to what God has called them to. It is a life that is marked by sin, a life that bears no resemblance to a true servant of God. What injustices does God accuse his people of in verses 15-17? God accuses His people of murder and failure to encourage victims of oppression, and to defend the fatherless and pleading on behalf of the widow. In verses 18-20 God argues that their behavior is "unreasonable." Why is it unreasonable? What does God offer as an alternative? Their behavior is unreasonable because they do not understand their state. God offers them an opportunity to reason it out with Him. He is giving them an opportunity to have their sins forgiven and to be washed.

Q6. What do you think God intended animal sacrifice teach us about sin? About holiness? About God's nature? I think God intended to teach us that sin required payment. The wages of sin is death and therefore something must die in order to pay for sin. I think that God wanted us to understand that holiness can only come as a result of a sacrifice. Today God wants a living sacrifice. Animal sacrifice teaches us that God is loving, forgiving and merciful. He is loving because He gives us the opportunity to repent and present our sacrifice again and again. He is forgiving because He continues to accept the offer of sacrifices. He is merciful because He does not demand the full payment of sin from us. He accepted the animal and finally He sent His own son as the sacrifice.

Q5. In what sense is God's provision of animal sacrifice for forgiveness of sins an expression of his mercy? The punishment for sin is death. By allowing animal sacrifices God was preserving the life of man. He was allowing the death of the animal to pay for the sin of the person(s) who sinned. Were animal sacrifices actually adequate to atone for human sin? Animal sacrifices were not adequate to atone for human sin because the animal was the lesser animal. However, in the fullness of time God sent His son Jesus who is adequate and perfect sacrifice to pay for the sins of man.

Q4. What are the basic elements involved in a sacrifice for sin? (Leviticus 4:32-35; 5:5-6) Confession, bring a perfect sacrifice, imparting the sin of the sinner onto the sacrifice, killing the animal (sacrifice), the collection of blood, the removal of fat and the burning of the sacrifice. This process ends with the animal being consumed. Which of these are still necessary for forgiveness of sins today? For forgiveness of sins today there must be confession. Which are no longer necessary? All of the other parts are not necessary today. Why? They are not necessary because Christ came as the perfect Lamb of God. The sins of the world have already been rolled on His shoulders. Therefore, there is no need to slay an animal we just need to confess, repent and accept His forgiveness.

Q3. Why is animal sacrifice repulsive to modern people? Modern people have largely been divorced from the idea of animal sacrifice. In addition, there are now what may be referred to as animal rights which people protest against any real or perceived cruelty to animals. How much of this has to do with a city vs. a farming way of life? I believe that the idea of animal sacrifice is equally as repulsive to those who live in the city and those who farm. This is because the farmers are not necessarily butchers. In addition, there is a big difference between killing an animal to eat and killing an animal for the purpose of sacrifice.

Q2. Why is anger an appropriate response to sin? Anger is an appropriate response to sin because sin destroys God's creation. God stands diametrically opposed to sin just as light stands opposed to darkness. I read once that God sees sin as a blight and devastation, a deadly poison which desecrates His creation and debases man; that which defies His sovereignty and threatens the authority of His kingdom while aiding and abetting the kingdom of Satan, His archenemy. This seems like reason enough to be angry! What is the difference between capricious or uncontrolled anger and anger that brings about justice? Uncontrolled anger is not rooted in love and is therefore destructive in its effects. Anger that brings about justice comes from a heart of love, a heart that desires change. God's anger is like this, it is an aspect of His moral perfection and its purpose is to bring man back into relationship with Him.

How do you know that John the Baptist's statement about the Lamb of God refers to sacrifice? (John 1:29). John the Baptist spoke about the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The Jewish people previously used a lamb to make atonement for the sins of the people. This was done via sacrifice where the animal was killed. This is the same concept of who Jesus came to earth as - the Lamb who would be sacrificed for the atonement of sin. How was the comprehensiveness of "sins of the world" so radical a concept? Usually the priest would make the sacrifice on behalf of the people of Israel. The Jews were God's chosen people and so many thought that they alone had special favors with God. However, Jesus did not die for the sins of Israel alone, He died for the sins of all. This was a radical concept for that day and time in which John the Baptist spoke these words.

According to the prophet, what is the reason for Israel's oppressed state? Israel was in an oppressed state because they disobeyed God. What commandment did they break? "Thou shall worship the Lord thy God and serve Him only". In what way hadn't they "listened"? They worshipped Baal along with worshipping God. In what way does this same sin affect Christians today? Today we get caught up in pur lives and our pursuits of the things in the world. Sometimes we place them on the same level or above God. We basically say to God that He has to wait until... We may not be bowing down to any idol but it is mor than a physical act, it is a heart condition; a mindset so to speak.

Q3. (Romans 5:6, 8) Why is it so important to embrace the truth that "Christ died for the ungodly" (5:6), that "Christ died for sinners" (5:8)? According to 5:8, did Christ die for us at our best or at our worst? How does this give us assurance against the devil's lies about us being too bad to forgive? I believe it is important to embrace this truth because it shows us that we were not as good as we may have thought. We were all ungodly, all enemies of God when Christ died for us. Our very nature was set against Him when He died. Christ died for us when we were at our very worse. We were vile and dirty, yet He died for us. All of our good works (righteousness) was like a soiled piece of cloth yet He died for us. This confirms that satan is a liar. Christ died for us all; the thief, liar, murderer. There is no one to bad to forgive or no one too good who doesn't need it. It does not matter what you have done Christ died so that you may be forgiven. All we need to do is accept that forgiveness and ignore the devil's lies.

According to verse 4, for what purpose did Jesus give himself? According to verse 4 Christ gave himself to rescue humankind from the penalty of sin which is death. How does Jesus rescue people today? Jesus rescues people today by offering the gift of salvation. How does he keep people from falling back into their old ways? Through the empowering of His Holy Spirit.

Why do you think Jesus characterizes the entrance to the Kingdom here as narrow? I think this is done deliberately to show that not everyone will make it. Some will claim not to see it, some will say it is not wide enough to allow me to pass with all the stuff I'm trying to hold on to. Why will many people try to enter and will not be able to? This is because they have no relationship with God. In these cases they only choose to truly follow Him when it is too late. Why would people delay entering until it is too late? People want to 'enjoy' their life first. They want to party and indulge in behaviours which are contrary to the Word of God and as a result they will choose to delay their entrance into the Kingdom until the last possible moment.

What is it important to be aware of Satan's existence? It is important to be aware of Satan's existence because he is real and he is dangerous. When we are unaware of his existence we are also unaware of his tactics and his plans. What does this verse teach us about the devil? This verse teaches us that not only is satan real, he is actively pursuing his mission to steal, kill and destroy. This verse describes him as a roaring lion and lions are very strong, dangerous animals who stop at nothing to get their prey. This tells me that satan is on a mission and that he will not be easily deterred. He is real, he is powerful and he is on a mission of mass destruction. Why is this teaching important? It is important so that we do not accept the lie that satan is non-existent or that even though he exists he is some feeble, weak being. He is real, he is alive, he is active and on a mission. This verse helps us to see this truth.

According to this verse what should you do with your fears? I should cast them to God. What reason is given why you should do this? I should casts my fears because God cares about me. I am an object of His concern. In what manner should you do it. I should do it through prayer. It should be a dliberate violent removal. How will you apply this verse's instruction in your own life? I refuse to worry. I will give all my concerns, cares and fears to God through prayer. I will make deliberate efforts to give Him the things which concern me.

Why is a willingness to die, if need be, essential to healthy Christianity during persecution. What happens when we aren't willing to die, when we are afraid to "take up our cross daily" (Luke 9:23) and follow Jesus? What does this have to do with "commiting ourselves to a faithful Creator"? A willingness to die is essential during persecution because this will keep us from compromising and short-changing your faith. When we are willing to die we make decisions which compromise our Christianity and belief in God. When we are afraid to take up our Cross it also sends the message to the world that we do not have enough faith in God to protect us in this life or to ensure eternal life. We must be commited to God as our faithful Creator knowing that in every situation He is faithful to His Word and His promise but we must obey. Our duty is to commit our way to God and allow Him to deal with the rest even being with us in our time of persecution.

If we are never persecuted, what does that say about how people view us? This says that people see us as one of them. It speaks about a life that is so conformed to the ways of the world that noone sees the need to challenge it.In this case we are certainly not a threat to the enemy. In what way should persecution make us happy? Persecution reminds us that we are in good company; that of Christ and other believers. That should make us happy.

Why don't non-Christians like the idea of giving an account of their actions? Non-Christians do not like the idea of giving an account of their actions because it allows them to live the lie that they can engage in andy form of behaviour without having to think about the possible consequences. Why don't we Christians like it? We Christians don't like the idea of giving an account because it reinforces the guilt we feel about our actions, things perhaps we would forget about with ease in the absence of judgement. What should the realization that we must give an account of our actions inspire in us? This realization should inspire in us a holy life; one is above reproach so that we can hear from God "Well Done!" With what attitude should we live as a result? Our attitude should be that of a stubborn resolve to live for God by the commands He has set before us.

Why do non-Christians try to get you to sin with them. Why are we tempted to do so? How can we resist this temptation? I believe that non-Christians try to get us to sin with them because they want to prove that we are no different from them. They do not understand why we want to be different and as far as they are concerned it is just harmless fun. We are tempted to do so because we are naturally inclined to sin. In addition, it is our old way of life and so it is familiar to us and we have memories of how much fun it once was. We can resist the temptation by keeping our minds fixed on God and His Word. When we compare the blessings and the presence of God to the pleasures that sin brings we will be less inclined to give into the temptation.

When the scripture says "arm yourselves with the same attitude" as Christ had, how should this attitude help keep you from sin? What attitude are we talking about? This attitude should help us to realise that the price for sin was already paid and as a result we are free from the bonds of sin. We can live a victorious life in and through Christ and this should empower us. This is the attitude that we no longer have anything to do with sin.

Meditate for a few minutes on this verse: "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." Now personalize it to imagine (1) your sins, (2) your unrighteousness, and (3) your reconciliation with God. Each of these ideas is awesome! Which of these three aspects of the verse has God impressed most strongly on you today? Select one of the three and share it. The aspect which I feel God impressing on me is my sins. When I think about my life and all the sin I have committed, all the wrong I have done that I have forgotten about I am just overwhelmed at the knowledge that Jesus died for all of that. I am overwhelmed and so very grateful. Thank you Jesus.

If Jesus died to set us free from sin's power, why does sin have such power over us still? I believe that sin still has power because we live in a fallen world and Satan has been given power over this world. Also, I believe it is because our innocence has been lost so that even though we may be free from sin we are not free from the knowledge of sin and the pleasure even though temporary that it brought. According to 2:24b, how must we deal with sin? According to this verse we must die to sin. In practical terms, how can we "die to sin"? In order to die to sin we need to confess them, ask Jesus to forgive us, accept His forgiveness and ask Him for the power over sin. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you away from sin and to strengthen you in the weak moments. In everyday language, what does "live for righteousness" mean? This means living above sin. It means daily striving to do what is right in the eyes of God. It means asking God to help us to be like Him pure in heart.