mwright

Q4. Which of Abraham's achievements inspires you the most? As you reflect on his life, what stands out for you? Abraham was not only the father of the Hebrew nation he also set down the primise of moral monotheism. Though we find flaws in Abraham's character we must remember the culture from which he came. This was the begining of a new dimension in morality. We find his wife Sarah taking control of her life. We may not always agree with her ways we have to respect her in light of the culture. Abraham started the concept that lead to our present moral monotheism. Mike

At this time God has his purpose. To carry on his chose family he must have a strong wife for Issac. The Servant' s prayer is a conformation of what must happen. This family will be come a nation and the chosen nation only with the guidance of God and the Faith of the husband and the strong will of this chosen wife. Often the position of the wife is down played, but a careful reading of scripture leads me to believe these Old Testment accounts are about the wife as much or more than the husband. Mike

It is good to find a bible study that treates the participants as adults. The confidence that Dr Wilson showed us was unique. Too often you engage in a Bible study and everything is either "multiple Choice"or "Good /Evil. Here we were encourged to explore the Bible and other sources. I will be back for more. I am just sorry that other things have kept me from particpating as fully as I would have liked. God bless you. Mike

There are parallels in the events. There is to be a sacrifice of an innocent. One is left to wonder why Abraham is so willing to plea for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah and is not willing to make a plea for his own son. In parallel we find the crowd willing to plea for the life of a murderer and unwilling to plea for a truly innocent Jesus. There is a lesson to be learned a little bit of wisdom to be found in these events. Faith is not easy. You can flat line faith and then it looks easy, but What kind of faith is that? What is flat line faith? That is faith that is untried, unexplored, and unreasoned. It is easy faith and faith with out substance. Abraham's faith is tried through out his life. The result is this overpowering faith in God. He knew that what God had in store was for the best and everthing would work out for the best. That is the only way he could have carried this out this far. He walked and talked with his son for days on this trip to the mountain. He knew that at the end God had a plan and that plan was good. The story of Jesus is the same. God walked and talked with his son for years knowing that when they came down from the mountain the world would be a better place.

I seem to me that I need to ask first and then God work in his own wonderous way. I remember years ago I was just out of college and facing the draft. This was during the Viet Nam war. I ask God to let me be brave when I face combat. I prayed that I would do my duty with honor. God had other plans. Instead of going to Viet Nam I was ordered to Germany. While there I met a wonderful family that help me find a higher spritiality and Faith. The husband was a Jewish chaplin and his wife was Catholic. Which may seem like a strange marrage but I believe I have never seen two people who enjoyed life together as much as they did. The whole story here is that I asked for help and God gave me so much more than I could have wished for. I believe that God does care for us, it is just many want something wonderous. I do not thing that God is concern with material rewards. Our request for material things, no matter how modest, are of no concern to God. Mike

Faith does not come easy. Trials are the way to strengthen faith. I invite the trials. Each time I win I know my faith is a little stronger. It is one of little faith that give up on God because they have faced a difficult trial. Many time I have seen belivers turn their backs when the they saw no reason for the trial. Exercise your faith everyday. Exercising your faith is like excising your body. There must be resistance. Feel good church groups are sometime the worse way to excercise your faith. You need to go out into the world and face the nonbeliver. You need to duel with the devil himself. When you know that you have real faith. Mike

Every day a Christian is faced with a wide varity of sins. Just follow the news. Homosexuality is a sin, but is it the worse sin a Christian will encounter in a days time? I do not thank so myself. Homosexuality is one of the many things that I must face on a daily bases. How do I handle it? I ask myself what would Jesus do. Jesus was able to show compasion to a wide varity of sinful persons. Why should I not show simular compasion? The Church should be the outspoken critic of homosexual practices; however, It must be careful. I see too many people willing to give up church powers to the secular realm. This is dangerous. The Church is the backbone of morality. If we allow the state to dictate morality then the Church will not be able to stand on its own, and the state will become the Church. LOVE THE PERSON HATE THE SIN! Mike

We have no choice, we have to believe in miracles. They happen every day. There is no indication that God ever plans to stop. We pray and a miracles happens. In my time I have seen some of God's greatest miracles. I have witness churches and parents praying for a miracle to save their children from Polio. How many children are in iron lungs today? Not too many years ago many forms of cancer were death notices. Today many cancers are being cured. We live in a time of miracles. Take a mother from the early nineteenth century, she probably prayed every day for her childrens only to see half of them die before they were 12 years old. Bring her to our time and she would know God's miracles. Some will say, I am sure, " These are not real miracles." These are only man made miracles. Excuse me, but humans are a God made miracle. Who is to decide how God is to work his miracles. I will not be the one to tell God how to perform his miracles. I have just watched people pray for miracles and I have seen them happen. Mike

God has given us a new covenant through Jesus Christ and the Holy Sprit. This covenant is now of the sprit. It is open to all so there is no longer a need for external physical markings. We are all the same throught faith in Jesus Christ. In Romans, Paul tell us that salvation comes through faith not through works. If this is true then the covenant that we are living under is a covenant of Faith. Did that Baptism change the spritial you? That is the question now. We can see how circumcision changed you, but only you and God through the Son and the Holy Sprit know how how Baptism has changed you. The amount of water is not important the feelings are. Mike

God needed a group to carry monotheism to the world. He has found a willing human in the form of Abraham. God now needs to mark his chosen. Now all the people of the earth will know his own. Through out history the Jew was recongized by his circumcision. Are we still under this covenant? I personally do not think so. We have a new covenant through Jesus Christ. Still I hear even protestants claim "You can not enter heaven uncircumcised." Mike

In the discussion of Sarah and Hagar we are dealing with two of the most powerful women in the Bible. They are to give birth to two mighty nations. Our lesson is that God has a plan for women not just men. As I read this and study it deeply I wonder if we are not more concern with Sarah and Hagar than with Abraham. We may feel some what put out with Sarah for her treatment of Hagar but then lets us not forget Abraham's treatment of Sarah. God is saying, I believe, "Don't concern yourself with the status of people in society the lowest person I can make mighty." This is what he is doing the the case of Hagar. These are powerful people we are meeting in this study. In my relationship with my student I alway try to stay objective. The person that I feel will never make anything of themself often turn arounds and supprises you. A wonderful thing to watch. A wonderful reason to be a teacher. Mike

God is a personal God. God sees and watches our every action. Hagar needed a personal God at this time. She is escapeing into the unknown. This is a hard thing to do unless you have someone with you. Who does she have? Only God and the child. She need a guide, She needs someone to talk to, She needs some one to protect her. God comforts her by the presents. Mike

God is specific that adultery is a sin. In abraham's time, we must remember there is not ten commandments. Adultery as we define it was practiced at all levels of society. A ruler could take a subject's wife at any time. A host may arrange for a companion for a vistor. The sharing of wifes was not uncommon. God has a different plan for Abraham. God wants to start a nation based on Abraham and Sarah. God does not want Sarah abused in the way of the common practice of the time. God has a lesson to teach Abraham and the world. Adultery is wrong and will be punished. Mike

Q1. (12:10) What dangers faced Abraham and his family as aliens and sojourners in Egypt and elsewhere? Who might oppress them? What "aliens and sojourners" live in your community? Why did they come? How are they being oppressed or discriminated against by employers and others in the community? What can you and your church do to "love those who are aliens"? The dangers that Abraham faces are real, but does he not have a faith problem? Why does Abraham have this fear? Does he not believe the promises God made to him? God has a lesson to teach, not only to Abraham but to all mankind. Humanity from the beginning had problems believing in God's promise. This alone is strong proof that our lives are not predetermined, nor was Abraham's life predetermined. God wants us and Abraham to put our faith in his hand. As Abraham though we refuse to give up control to God. Abraham chose to protect himself with the means at his disposal. We also make choses how to protect ourselves. How many nuclear weapons do we need to protect ourselves? How many would we need if we trusted in God? Would Abraham have to compromise his wife if he just had more faith? At present our community is about 50% hispanic. When I first moved here it was less than 10%. They came here for exactly the same reason that my grandparents came here, they want a better life. They are looking for security. Oppression is only in the eyes of the oppressed. Even though the Hispanic community is employed in the worse possible jobs they are grateful for the jobs. Many are pulling themselves out of oppression and finding the American Dream. This helps all of us in the community. Our church is open to anyone. Though I am a new member of the church I have never seen anyone made to feel unwelcome. Yet it is definitely a White Middle Class church. It is this way due to postion and not due to any design. Mike

Abraham calling on the name of Yahweh is important in a couple of ways. A person can consider this a conformation of monotheism. There is one and only one God. In the pagan culture, that Abraham lived this was a new concept. There is one and only one true God, Yahweh. From another viewpoint, this can be the realization that there is a personal god. There is one God who all people can call on by name. Thought the concept of a personal God is controversial; it is a concept that I feel helps me with my faith. I except God as a personal god through which I communicate through the Holy Sprit, and I feel this is true for all people. Mike