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Q17. (1 Kings 21:4-16) Do you think Ahab is actually depressed? How does Jezebel fix his depression? Why does she do so? Is Ahab responsible for Jezebel's corrupt actions to obtain Naboth's vineyard? Are the elders responsible for suborning perjury? I believe Ahab was actually depressed and his wife fixes his depression by arranging that he gets what he wants; that is Naboth’s vineyard. Jezebel, a pagan, does not live by Yahweh’s laws, and is used to getting what she wants. To her a king is an absolute monarch and takes and does what he wants. However, she is wicked enough to use the laws of Israel to her advantage. She knows that cursing their God was punishable by stoning (Lev 24:16), and that at least two witnesses were required (Deu 17:6-7). Ahab knew what his wife had planned and did nothing to stop it, so he is just as guilty of the crime. The elders are also just as responsible as they were all complicit in the evil deed. Here we see that Naboth fears the Lord, and will not disobey the Lord’s commandments: “No inheritance in Israel is to pass from one tribe to another, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal inheritance of their ancestors” (Numb 36:7-9).

Q16. (1 Kings 21:1-3) Why does Ahab want Naboth's vineyard? Is there anything wrong with his proposal to Naboth? Why does Naboth refuse his offer? Ahab said he wanted to plant a vegetable garden. But I believe that he lived an opulent lifestyle and this was more about him having an enclosed garden directly attached to their holiday palace for their own enjoyment. This is the most likely motive which is confirmed by Ahab’s reaction when Naboth refuses to sell or exchange his land. He sulks, goes to lay on his bed, even refusing to eat. All like a spoilt brat who does not get his own way. No, there is nothing wrong with the offer Ahab made; it was a reasonable offer – cash or even a better vineyard. So, Naboth stood to gain from the transaction. However, he was a God-fearing Israelite and refused to sell or exchange his land in obedience to the Mosaic Law that decreed that property should remain in the family to which it was originally assigned.

Q15. (1 Kings 20:23-30) Why do you think God seems to enjoy helping the Israelites in impossible situations? Why do you think God whittled Gideon's army down to 300 men? (Judges 7:1-8). What impossible situations are you facing in your life that need God's intervention? Here again the Lord clearly states that He is helping the Israelites so that they might know that He is God, that He is the Lord. In His tender mercy and grace, He gives them one more chance to believe, obey, and serve Him only. And even though Ahab sees His grace and all the display of power, it has no effect on Ahab’s attitude toward God. God reduced the numbers down to only 300 men, to show that His strength does not depend on their numbers, and that the battle is His, and that the victory is His as well. All the glory goes to Him. Living in one of the most corrupt counties in the world, with one of the highest murder and rape rates (if not the highest), I still trust Him knowing that He is sovereign, and is a God of mercy and grace. Here as in Elijah’s days, He is giving us another chance if only we will humble ourselves, pray, acknowledge Him, and turn from our wicked ways! “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chr 7:14).

Q14. (1 Kings 20:13-14) Why would God send His prophet to instruct a corrupt king and an apostate people so they might win a battle against the Syrians? What purpose is stated in verse 13? What is Ahab's reaction? What does that tell you about his religious piety or faith? In spite of their turning their backs on Him, and worshipping pagan gods, God still cared for His people and wanted to give them another chance to repent and turn to Him, to know that Yahweh is the true God, that He is LORD. "Then you will know that I am Yahweh" (verse 13b). After the contest on Mount Carmel, and God’s victory over Ben-Hadad, one would have expected Ahab to turn from his evil ways and trust only the LORD, but sadly the Word of God did not really penetrate his hard heart.

Q13. (1 Kings 19:18) Why is a parent's rebuke difficult for a child to listen to? Why is God's rebuke difficult for us to listen to? How does a loving but sharp rebuke help our children? How does God's rebuke help us? What would it take for you to embrace God's rebuke like Solomon's "wise man" (Proverbs 9:8). There’s a natural tendency for children not to listen to their parents, especially when they are continually criticised. When the rebuke mostly takes the form of destructive criticism, it will be difficult to listen to, but when given with love and with an explanation of where they went wrong, and what they should have done, it will be more productive in disciplining the child. The same applies to us. No one likes to be rebuked, and it is only when we realise that God rebukes us for our own good that we appreciate His concern and love. Having had 3 sons of my own, I know from experience that it is was not always easy to discipline them but it is necessary to develop character. There is nothing more hateful than a spoilt child. Sometimes they even ask for you to rebuke them, by their disobedience. How else would they know what is right and what is wrong. If I think of the way children are brought up today, without any discipline or when fathers are absent; no wonder the world is in such a mess. God’s rebuke helps us since it is only done with love and with the best intentions for our betterment. We must also remember that our Lord Jesus, as a Man here on earth, had shared our experiences and fully understands the testings we endure. We can go into His presence at any time of the day or night and obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. His mercy covers the things we should not have done, and His grace empowers us to do what we should do but do not have the power to do. This reminds me of the verse: “Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb 4:16). Prov 9:8 tells us: “Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you”. The way we react to a rebuke tells a lot about our character. That is if we are a mocker/scoffer we will hate any criticism, whereas being a wise person we will be thankful for any positive criticism. Whenever a parent, or Christian friend corrects us, instead of resenting criticism, we should accept it and understand that it was given in love, and it will only make us wiser.

Q12. (1 Kings 19:17-19) Why do you think the author contrasts the "still small voice" to the wind, earthquake, and fire? How does God's voice comfort and renew Elijah? Why is it easy to miss God when His voice is gentle and quiet? We read of God sending the wind, earthquake, and fire, but His presence was not found there in these powerful demonstration of destruction. Instead, it was in the “still small voice” that followed them. God reveals Himself to us according to our needs. To awaken His Prophets, He is sometimes the God of thunder and flame. But to someone who is fearful and stressed, to comfort them, He is the God of the “still small voice”. This is how God, in love and grace, spoke to Elijah. Nevertheless, he was still rebuked for his loss of faith. I think Elijah was also feeling sorry for himself and wanted vengeance. He wanted God to send the windstorm, the earthquake, and the fire upon Jezebel and her idolaters, but God was reminding him that He is in control, not Elijah. God comforted and renewed Elijah by speaking gently to him as well as giving new assignments that would keep him busy and help him to forget the situation he thought he was in. This made him realize that God doesn't always reveal Himself only in powerful, miraculous ways. We can also miss His gentle and quiet voice. This can so easily happen today, since we are so exposed to all sorts of social media and we need to step back from all the noise and activity of our busy life and listen quietly for His guidance. It may come when we least expect it, and is often found gently whispering in the quietness of a humbled heart.

Q11. (1 Kings 19:14) In what ways does self-pity prevent us from discerning the Lord's voice? What is the relationship of self-pity to pride? To entitlement? How does a sense of entitlement stand in the way of true discipleship? After the victory at Mount Carmel, Elijah was expecting a great revival to come to the land, perhaps even with him leading the nation in this revival. He also truly believed that both king Ahab and his evil wife Jezebel would repent and turn back to God. His pride may have made him think he was invincible, and when he heard the news that Jezebel still wanted him dead, he completely lost it. Being physically exhausted he now acts irrationally and starts running away. He fears for his life, becomes depressed, discouraged, disappointed and he now considers himself a failure. This is the first time he does not wait for instructions from God. Instead of recognizing that God is sovereign and always has a plan, he only sees the situation he is in, and feels completely alone and defenceless against all the ungodly forces that threaten to overpower him. He knows the power of God, and feels that God could have helped him, and wonders why God has deserted him - Self-pity sets in. He had been obedient all the time and therefore thought that he was entitled to receive at least some special treatment after the contest was won on Mount Carmel. Drowning in self-pity he is not really hearing God’s voice. Elijah made the mistake of thinking that he had achieved what God had asked him to do, and that his life and ministry was over. Forgetting that God is sovereign and that his plan is not the same as God’s plan. There was still work God wanted him to do.

Q10. (1 Kings 19:3-5) How might Elijah be "at fault" for being depressed? Is "fault" the right question? Does God chide him for "lack of faith"? How does God minister to him? How do you minister to a friend who has isolated himself or herself in deep depression? I feel that at this stage Elijah is both physically and emotionally exhausted. Hours before he stood on Mount Carmel facing his enemies. He must have been elated with what had happened. After it rained, maybe the whole nation had turned back to God, including even king Ahab and his evil wife Jezebel. Surprise! Jezebel wants to kill him! This must have come as a great shock to him, having assumed the success of God’s plan. In his exhaustive state he must have been greatly discouraged, disappointed and now was feeling a total failure. He had let God down; he had failed God – he lost his courage. Previously we had seen his humility, his courage, his boldness, and now we notice his humanity. He was a man subject to like passions as we are. James wrote: “Elijah was a man just like us” (James 5:17a). So, I don’t think we should judge Elijah too harshly. Him only being human, therefore I don’t feel “fault” is the right question. God ministers to Elijah in tenderness, and love – and does not rebuke him. Nor does He give him a theological lesson, for He knows we are but dust (Ps 103:13-14). God instead lets him sleep and gives him food and water, strengthening him for the journey ahead. We can learn from God how to minister to a friend who is isolated and perhaps suffering from deep depression. Treat them with tenderness and love. We don’t force Scripture on them, that will come with time. Rather treating them with patience, gentleness, kindness and respect.

Q9. (1 Kings 18:40) When we repent before the Lord, why is it important to put away the things that facilitate and tempt us back into our old life of sin? Yes, we want to avoid extremism. But what is the value of a clear break with evil? What is the danger of not making a clear break with evil? Our repentance must be based on the understanding that we have sinned, and that God hates sin. It is when we become aware of our sin and our need for mercy that we turn away from it, and turn to God. Just as faith is turning to Christ, so repentance is turning away from sin. Having accepted Jesus as our Saviour the last thing we want to do is to be disobedient to Him. Rather, we love Him, accept Him as Lord of our life, and willingly keep His commandments (John 14:15). I love Psalm 119:11: “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You”. We turn our backs on any and all things that could facilitate or tempt us back into our life of sin. There might be a few hiccups, but that is all. At true conversion both initial saving faith and repentance occur only once. But we find that this same heartfelt repentance and faith in Christ continually empowers us to live the Christian life. Having acknowledged our sinfulness, our sorrow and hatred of it, our decision to turn away from it, and our decision to turn to Christ in faith for our forgiveness; we have been made a new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor 5:17). A new creation! A clear break with evil. In Christ, old things have passed away and all things have become new. We now live in union with Christ: “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Col 2:6-7).

Q8. (1 Kings 18:37; Malachi 4:5-6) In what way does Elijah have a ministry of "turning hearts back again," of calling for true repentance? How was this fulfilled in Elijah's successor John the Baptist? (Mark 1:4-6). Why is this an important ministry for pastors and evangelists? Rain was badly needed, but Elijah realised that the people needed revival even more. He is praying, asking God for the people to repent, to turn away from their sin and idolatry, and for them to recognise that Yahweh is the only true living God. The miraculous fire from heaven, proved that the Lord was God. The people repented and the Baal prophets were killed. This turning to God was soon followed by rain. We see both repentance from sin and coming to God for pardon and mercy often mentioned by the OT prophets. “Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon” (Isa 55:6-7). But, true repentance involves daily sorrow for sin. In Malachi 3:1a we read: “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me”. And in Malachi 4:5: “I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes”. God had promised through Malachi that He would send a prophet to prepare the way for Him (3:1a), and later Malachi specifically mentions Elijah as that prophet (4:5). In Matt 11:10 Jesus says, speaking about John the Baptist: “This is the one about whom it is written - I will send My messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.” Clearly John was the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy. He was the messenger who would precede the Lord and prepare the people for His coming. John would spread the good news about the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and the message of repentance in order to have one’s sins forgiven. Preaching the Word is important for both pastors and evangelists for they know that the elect will hear the message and respond by sincerely repenting of sins and placing their trust in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for salvation.

Q7. (1 Kings 18:30-32a) What is the significance of Elijah "rebuilding" the altar of Yahweh? What rebuilding needs to be done in your own worship practices? Your church's? What has caused your "altar" or practice of worshipping and living before the Lord to be broken down? How will you repair it? In building the altar Elijah selected 12 stones and used 12 jars of water, one for each of the tribes - the ten tribes of the kingdom of Israel and the two tribes of Judah. He was rebuking them and reminding them that they were all part of one kingdom before going after idols, and that God was willing to unite them if only they would repent and turn from their pagan gods. They had forgotten how the Lord had chosen them out of all other people’s on earth. How He brought them out of Egypt and led them through the wilderness. How He had given them the land, the Law, and the covenant made on Mount Sinai. The promise that they were His people. Here on Mount Carmel, we see our Lord calling His people back to Him. I feel there is a lesson here for all our churches. There seems to be a growing tendency to serve the gods of self rather than serving our Lord. Instead of worshipping God, it is more about seeking entertainment and sugar-coating the Word of the Lord so as not to offend anybody. During Coved I could not attend church and I enjoyed watching the sermons on YouTube. This lasted for nearly two years. It was so much easier to watch on TV than going to church. I was getting lazy and in a comfort zone. I’m now getting into going back to church and worshipping with my fellow brothers and sisters.

Q6. (1 Kings 18:21) What is the danger of syncretism? What currently competes with your allegiance to Jesus in terms of time, focus, commitment, etc.? Why is there competition, do you think? How long will you go limping between two opinions? I’m retired and have no business or work commitments, besides the normal involvement in family activities. The Lord has blessed me in allowing me to spend time with Him and His Word. Another blessing is the fact that my wife is a true believer and we both have the privilege of doing our studies and quiet time together. We are both in the 80’s and I can add another blessing - we are both relatively healthy. Blessing upon blessing! Yes, the Lord is good! Two verse that I have memorised often come to mind, both from the OT. “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8). There is nothing better than memorising, meditating, and reading His Word. Eventually it becomes part of us and we start obeying it. As a bonus there is a twofold promise. Then there is: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). John Gill says “the word of God is a most powerful antidote against sin, when it has a place in the heart”. How true. As sinners by nature, we have to be constantly on guard against disobeying our Heavenly Father. Often people want their bread buttered on both sides; they want the assurance of salvation, but don’t want to let go of their worldly values. Another verse worth memorising is in the NT this time. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16). By clinging to these verse, I feel there is no danger or time for syncretism, competing allegiances or competition of other sorts.

Q5. (1 Kings 18:3-16) What do we learn about Obadiah from this passage? What do we know of his faith? Of his courage? Of his fears? If you were in Obadiah's situation, how much courage would you have shown? Obadiah is employed by king Ahab as a kind of overseer of the king’s household, and is a devout believer in the Lord (18:3). He must have feared the Lord. This is shown by his hiding 100 prophets of the Lord from Jezebel and by providing for them (18:4). But I feel that he feared man more than the Lord. Some might look upon him as a rather timid person in that he did not stand up for the Lord by refusing to help Elijah. Also, how could a true believer of God be so closely associated with such wicked people like Ahab and Jezebel. I don’t think we should judge Obadiah too harshly, what about the 100 prophets of the Lord - they also did not reveal themselves. I think it took a great deal of courage to look after all these prophets while in the employ of Ahab. Remembering that Jezebel was on a mission to kill all the Lord’s prophets. He was exposing himself to great danger and putting his own life on the line, for if found out to be a true believer would have meant his death. I feel we cannot all be like Elijah. I realise that Obadiah must have represented the believing remnant in Israel, and him coming into the open might have sparked this remnant into service for the Lord. And that his secret discipleship was of no immediate benefit to the struggle. Personally, I would hate to ever land up in Obadiah’s situation. It is easy for me to criticise and say I will stand up for Jesus, but if my life depends on it, I pray that my Heavenly Father will give me the courage to stand up for Him, and that I will not let Him down.

Q4. (1 Kings 17:8-16) Why does God send Elijah to a poor widow rather than a rich man? If God sent someone to you to provide for, how would you respond? Both the time spent at the brook and the time spent with the widow were times of obedience and special private time with the LORD. Times in which Elijah was being taught faith, humility, patience, obedience and dependence on God. We see the same pattern in the OT and NT. Moses, David, and Paul immediately come to mind. Before God could use them they had to go through this special time of learning. This was all done in preparation for their special ministry. Elijah spent 3 years of quality time with the LORD, and was also taught to walk by faith, one step at a time, and even to trust God when it goes against his common sense. In Elijah’s case God used a poor widow, not a wealthy person to provide for him. This is often God’s way of making use of the weak and foolish in the world, teaching us to put our trust in God the Giver and not the gifts. With a rich man, the focus would be on the man as the giver, and not on God the giver. If God sent me a person that I had to provide for. On my own I would never have managed or even have done it. If, however, as in the case of the widow, I had before the time been prepared and powered by our LORD, to carry out this task, I would be under His command and by His grace I would have provided for that person as instructed by God.

Q3. (Proverbs 1:1-7) What is the appropriate role of common sense in our lives? Does that supplement or contradict faith in God's ability to work miracles outside the natural order? Common sense helps us make correct decisions and sound judgment in practical matters. It is knowledge we take for granted, the knowledge we learn through experience. We are not born with common sense but develop it over time. As unbelievers our common sense is there for our own self-preservation, and may lead to a life of self-seeking, self-serving, and ultimately self-destruction (Luke 9:24-25). What we need is a completely new mindset, we need to be regenerated. Apart from God we are ignorant of spiritual things (Rom 1:22). Over time we begin to recognise who God is and respond by revering, trusting, worshipping, obeying, and serving Him. We should be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Rom 12:2), which means that we should think the way God thinks, as revealed in the Bible. Remembering that His thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are our ways His ways (Isa 55:8). Now we experience the direct guidance of God in our lives. Everything God says is righteous and faithful, and His Word is completely trustworthy (Psalm 119:138). To believe God's Word is just common sense – more than common sense it is wisdom. It is by faith and grace we believe, we live by faith, not by sight (2 Cor 5:7). This higher level of common sense supplements our faith in God’s ability in all matters, including miracles.

Q2 (1 Kings 17:2-6) What does God feeding Elijah by ravens tell us about God? What does eating food sent by ravens tell us about Elijah? What do we learn about God's provision for us when we obey Him? We see God protecting and feeding Elijah in a miraculous way. This was all done to increase Elijah’s trust in the almighty power of Jehovah. He was not to put his trust in the brook but in God Himself, who always sees to the needs of those who obey and serve Him. At the same time, God was preparing him for the mighty deeds he was later to perform. All his food now came from an unclean animal. Yet Elijah obeyed the LORD. He had to discard his traditional ideas of clean and unclean foods. Besides the meat, there was bread which was a general term for various kinds of food and would have included bread, fruit, nuts, eggs, berries, etc. God promises great blessings if we obey His commands, and terrible punishments if we reject Him. This reminds me of Leviticus 26 where God describes the life He will give His people if they keep His commands. For instance, He promises that we will live in complete harmony with nature, have adequate harvests, and give us victory over our enemies. On the other hand, disobedience will be punished by disease, death, and defeat - even mentioning that the climate and land will be hostile to us.

Q1. (1 Kings 17:1) What kind of courage does it take for Elijah to go before King Ahab with a message of drought? What dangers does this bring to Elijah? Why is "speaking truth to power" so difficult when the power structures are corrupt? It is the kind of courage we get from spending time with our Lord Jesus and His Word. Understanding His holiness, His righteousness in contrast to our own sinfulness, our own moral decay as seen in the world today. This also creates in us a righteous anger that gives us the courage to speak against this apostasy. Elijah must have had this God given courage, for without it, it would have been utter foolishness to confront such an evil king with a message of drought. A drought that would last a few years, and would only end when he (Elijah) said so. This was a direct insult against their false religion, against their god Baal, a god who was their so-called god of rain. In fact, Elijah had announced that it was the God of Israel who controlled the rain, and not their false gods. He was now an enemy of the state and his life was in great danger. He had to flee because he would soon be hunted by the king (18:10). Ahab and his evil wife Jezebel had turned the people away from the God of Israel to the false religion of Baal worship. They no longer lived in obedience to God’s commandments. Forgetting that rainfall was part of God’s sovereign control (Deut 11:13-17), and that they were to faithfully obey His command - “to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deut 11:13). If they had lived in obedience to Yahweh, the result would have been abundant rainfall and plentiful harvests, but by turning their back on God, combined with their idolatry would be followed by drought and barrenness. Elijah’s message, Divine truth, was from God, yet Ahab did not listen, could not listen, would not listen, since his heart and mind was blinded by his corrupt sinfulness of his idolatry; besides he had his own god Baal, the god of rain.

Q32. (5:19-20) In the light of James' emphasis on active faith vs. Dead faith (2:17), why is the role of finding and bringing back the wandering sheep so important? We sometimes underestimate the power of our prayer, thinking, what difference our prayer will make, to someone else. Here James tells us to pray fervently for any of our fellow Christians who have wandered away from the truth. This can lovingly bring them back to fellowship with God and with their fellow Christians. We must realize the immensity of this ministry. First of all, we will save our fellow believer from dying prematurely under the chastening hand of God. Secondly, a multitude of sins will be covered – as they are forgiven and forgotten by God. Sometimes in our zeal to evangelize the lost, perhaps we do not give sufficient attention to those sheep of Christ who have wandered from the fold. So, James stresses our corporate responsibility toward one another. We have to exercise spiritual care to each other.

Q31. (5:14-16) In the healing prayer, what is the role of oil? What is the role of the prayer of faith? What is the role of faith? What is the role of confession of sins? In these verses, the emphasis is on prayer, not on oil. This is evident from the next verse, where James affirms the power of prayer: “and the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well” (James 5:15a). We find that oil often has a symbolic meaning in scripture. When used with the phrase ‘in the name of the Lord’, it symbolizes the healing power of the Lord Jesus. We also note that Jesus Himself did not use oil to heal. In acts, the apostles healed the sick on numerous occasions and also did not resort to the use of oil. However, the prayer of faith offered by the elders of our church, on behalf of the sick, depends fully on the Lord, who may grant healing and restoration. Their prayers are offered in faith because of the promise that our Lord can heal the sick. We know that God uses different means in healing. Sometimes He heals through natural bodily processes, for He has placed within our bodies tremendous powers of recuperation. He heals through physicians and surgeons and through medicines. But we also know that He may heal spiritually through the recovery from underlying fears, resentments, bitterness, and guilts, all of which may produce illness. Finally, our illnesses may be due to sin. We are told to confess our sins. The statement “if he has sinned, he will be forgiven” emphasizes the interrelatedness of body and soul. For instance, Jesus healed the paralytic spiritually when He said, ‘your sins are forgiven’ (mark 2:5) and physically by saying, “get up, take your mat and go home” (mark 2:11). Jesus heals soul and body to make man complete.

Q30. (5:14) What is the elders' role in prayer for the sick? What must be their spiritual qualifications for this ministry of prayer? They are to be spiritually strong men of prayer who can lift up, and strengthen the weak, the sick by the power of God through their prayer. The elders of the church are to be persons of sincerity and soundness in the faith, persons of long standing and experience. They are spiritually mature believers who have the gift and grace of prayer. They must also be capable of giving advice to the sick. One feels that a true elder is a mixture of the divine and the human; created for this specific function by the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28). Very strong are the energetic prayers of the righteous man. The man who knows the Word of God, and the God of the Word.

Q29. (5:13-14) According to verse 14, who is to initiate prayer for healing? Why might this be important? I feel that in all circumstance of life, we should go to the Lord in prayer. When we are in trouble, we should pray earnestly; and in times of rejoicing, we should lift our hearts to Him in praise. We should not allow ourselves to become victims of circumstances, or to wait for our circumstances to change. We should acknowledge that God is in control of our lives. When we come to sicknesses, we know that God does heal. We are to initiate the prayer for healing and when we are weak and weary turn to the elders to pray for us. The elders could intercede for us, while we are ill, but their presence at our bedside, and their audible prayers, as well as the anointing with oil, are all bound to have a healing effect, even if it is only psychological. This will show that we belong to a happy church served by leaders that are compassionate, caring, loving and selfless.

Q28. (5:9) What does our grumbling and complaining say about us? About our faith? About our patience? Our grumbling and complaining shows disrespect towards our Heavenly Father who is sovereign, and in control of everything. While we are groaning, grumbling, and complaining we cannot be joyful and thankful. Even though at times we might find ourselves in difficult circumstances; when we start complaining we can easily fall into sin. We start accusing God, perhaps indirectly, for the misfortunes we receive. We find fault with our fellow believers, blaming them for our troubles; this causes friction and also makes us judge them unjustly, which is contrary to the Royal Law of love. It’s another test of our saving faith by which we and others can determine if we are truly saved. We are to be patient knowing that our Lord will be coming soon; during this time, we can glorify our Him by living our life in obedience to Him, and by staying awake and alert. Trusting our Lord completely, knowing that He is in control and that we should acknowledge the fact that He is the Sustainer of the universe. If God is for us, who can be against us?

Q27. (5:7-8) What can happen to us Christians if we lack the patience to eagerly expect Christ’s return? Why is patience so vital? James tells us to be patient and to stand firm knowing that our Lord is coming back. We, of course, do not know when that will be, but while we are waiting, doubt and distraction often enter our lives. It is for this reason, that we are to stand firm in the knowledge that our Lord will in due time fulfil the promises He made to us. We are reminded of our Lord's imminent return so that we do not lose heart in difficult circumstances. We note that patience is a virtue; because we live in a society that endorses the word instant. But to be patient, is much more than just waiting for the time to pass. We have to be patient in enduring bad and oppressive conduct, as well as controlling our anger. It is the opposite of being short-tempered. We see that God displays patience by being “slow to anger”; it is this patience that we have to reflect in our daily life. Our patience is not one rooted in fatalism that says everything is out of control; rather it is rooted in faith that says everything is in God’s control. We as believers want Jesus to Come: “Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev 22:20), while the world of unbelievers just carry on living their lives not aware of the wrath to come.

Q26. (5:5-6) What is the Spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury? Extra Credit: How might our demand for low-priced goods and services cause us to (1) Oppress our own employees or (2) Cause workers in this country or abroad to be under paid or oppressed? How does all this relate to the need for patience? Riches are a blessing of the Lord. “the blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and He adds no trouble to it.” (Prov 10:22). But when wealth is devoid of the Lord's blessing, trouble accompanies it in the form of envy, injustice, oppression, theft, murder, abuse, and misuse. It is abuse and misuse of wealth, when we squander our wealth on ourselves, while there are multitudes living in desperate need. I find it revolting when I see the affluence and extravagance of some churches as well as certain so-called Christian TV channels. We live in a world where thousands die daily of starvation, and in such a world it is difficult to justify any form of extreme self-indulgence. The clear teaching of the scriptures, the appalling need of the world, the example of the Saviour, and the simple instinct of compassion tell us that it is wrong to live this lifestyle of extreme luxury. If I understand the question correctly, there is an extreme example of this in my country. Our politicians have looted the country to such an extent that there is no money in the Treasury for the poor and oppressed people. We are talking about more than a trillion Rand ($ 1 = ZAR 15) stolen in State Capture, tender fraud, corruption, and looting. Their greed is almost beyond comprehension, resulting in bankrupting the state coffers. All this stolen money is spent on unbelievable luxuries. Most expensive cars, houses, you name it! No money left for low-priced goods and essential services. Depriving the poor of promised housing, running water, toilets, and jobs. Unemployment rate is the highest in the world – over 44%. And this continues today with no politician being held accountable. It is in our rush to attain wealth and riches that the biggest dangers occur. Love for God and the neighbour becomes love for money that leads to all kinds of evil. “for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Tim 6:10) when this happens, man worships and serves not God but money. Then he is a friend of the world and God is his enemy. Rather be patient and live a life of discipline under our Lord Jesus’ guidance.

Q25. (4:13-16) What danger is James warning us about in verses 13-16? How can we be humble in our planning without being indecisive and wishy-washy? We are warned about the danger of not consulting God in all our future plans. We must realize that our destinies are under His control. Our decisions should be made in prayer. That is including our Heavenly Father in all our planning, so that way forward will be and should be in compliance with His will. As a new believer, before I knew about the dangers of making important decisions without including God in my plans, I bumped my head very hard, and had some scary business experiences. It is only when I included our Lord in my plans that I found I could go ahead in peace, and full confidence. His Word teaches us: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15). If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. We come humbly before our Lord, and discern His will through His Word. Remember that when we abide in Jesus – living in Him, day by day – then our will becomes more and more aligned with His will, and we can ask what we desire, knowing that more and more of our asking will be according to His will. “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” (John 15:7). Then we see answered prayer. In this, we see the purpose of prayer and the secret of power in prayer. We are not boasting about things done in our power, but in the power from above. No indecision or wishy-washiness here! It is to ask; to ask anything; to ask anything according to His will; and once having so asked, to have the assurance that He hears us. We should be very careful in leaving God out of our planning and priding ourselves in our boastful plans for the future. We can sometimes act as if we are the masters of our own fate. We need to humble ourselves before God, acknowledging that He is control. We must also be careful in saying ‘I will’ or ‘we will’ without first consulting God. We should note the ‘I wills’ of Lucifer in Isa 14:13-14: “for you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the most high”.