Craig

4. (Ezra 10:2-4) Do you think Shecaniah’s solution to the people’s sin of intermarriage was from God? Can you think of any other examples in the Bible of prophetic “words of wisdom” directing God’s people at crisis points? How do the people respond to Schecaniah’s radical solution? How does Ezra implement it? I think Shecaniah was under conviction and was afraid of God's judgment on Israel so he came up with a solution. It was adopted and the people took an oath to go along with the solution. I don't see words of wisdom in this event. I see a radical knee jerk reaction by frightened people to appease God. What became of the abandoned wives and children of these guys?

3. (Ezra 9:3-4) How does Ezra react when he hears of the sin of intermarriage? Does he react for show? Does he over-react? Why does he grieve over the sins of the people? What is wrong with us if we don’t grieve over the sins of God’s people? He is stunned and overcome by the realization that Israel had once again disobeyed God. He is so overcome that he tears his tunic and pulls the hair out of his head and beard as a sign of grieving. He does this not for show but in actual response to disobedience and the possibility that God might punish Israel again. He grieves for the sins of the people because it alienates the people from God. It places the people outside the will and blessings of God. If we don't grieve to some degree over the sins of God's people then we are out of touch with God.

Q2. (Ezra 8:24-30, 33-34) Why does Ezra weigh out the gold and silver vessels when he entrusts them to individuals, and weigh them again when they are delivered to the temple? Is this an act of distrust? If not, why are steps to prevent embezzlement good for Christian organizations? It is not a matter of mistrust but of accountability. All human beings, even the best of us, can be tempted under the right conditions to do the wrong thing to fill an actual or perceived need. So, measures of accountability are good for Christian organizations. Additionally, Ezra wanted to make sure that what he left with was what arrived in Jerusalem. Accountability.

Q1. (Ezra 8:21-23) Why does Ezra call the people to fast? Does fasting compel God to answer our prayers? What does fasting accomplish in us? Ezra calls the people to fast in order to humble them before God and to ask God for a safe journey to Jerusalem. Fasting does not compel God to do anything. God acts on His own. What fasting does is to diminish the ego and open the soul to communicate with God. To humble oneself before God in order to listen to God. To hear God.

2. (Zechariah 7:9-10; 8:16-17) What does it look like to operate from a policy of mercy and compassion? God commands justice for the poor and oppressed in our culture. How can we be sure that the poor are treated justly in our courts? How do you treat aliens in your country, sojourners from another land? Why is speaking truthfully with others so important to God? Operating from a policy of mercy and compassion looks like doing unto others as you would do unto yourself and loving your neighbor as yourself. It's seeing yourself in others which eliminates otherness. It's taking care of people regardless of who they are and acting justly to all. This applies to all institutions in our country. Fairness and equal treatment to both citizen and sojourner. God is truth therefore we must speak the truth.

Q1. (Zechariah 7:4-6) In what ways have we Christians tended to make worship about us, rather than about God? How should we evaluate our churches and our worship patterns? What can we do to make our personal worship a matter of the heart, and not just rote readings and prayer? Many Christians want feel good sermons and music to entice them to attend a particular church. The whole performance must be entertaining and I must leave church feeling "blessed" and "good about myself." If I don't I must go somewhere else therefore creating the great church franchise wars for the Christians' business. Worship must be personal and in truth and spirit that takes place anywhere at anytime. Most importantly it must be trinity focused.

Q2. (Zechariah 7:9-10; 8:16-17) What does it look like to operate from a policy of mercy and compassion? God commands justice for the poor and oppressed in our culture. How can we be sure that the poor are treated justly in our courts? How do you treat aliens in your country, sojourners from another land? Why is speaking truthfully with others so important to God? Operating from a policy of mercy and compassion results in laws and customs that protect the widow, fatherless, the stranger, the poor in other words loving your neighbor as yourself. Lifting up your neighbor vice plotting to do evil to your neighbor. God acts in truth and justice and he commands us to do the same. Throughout American history it has always opened its arms for refugees and immigrants, but its citizens have not always treated them well. In fact some who were treated badly treated newcomers badly. America is a country governed by laws, if those laws are practiced and implemented without bias then all people will be treated fairly. As an individual, I try to "do unto others as I want to them to unto me." Regardless of who they are or where they come from. We are all sojourners on this planet and in this life.

Q1. (Zechariah 7:4-6) In what ways have we Christians tended to make worship about us, rather than about God? How should we evaluate our churches and our worship patterns? What can we do to make our personal worship a matter of the heart, and not just rote readings and prayer? In my view, there are two primary ways Christians have tended to make worship about them and they are: 1) Participating in worship by rote or going through the motions just to check the block that "I went to church and I am a good Christian" whether my heart or mind was in it or not. 2) Turning worship into a another form of entertainment through music and/or dynamic/show preachers who are good at singing, yelling, and jumping around the stage regardless of the quality of the message they are presenting. They get our attention and money. Sometimes they get our worship. We can make worship a matter of heart by making it a matter of heart regardless of music or preaching style. Worship begins in my heart at any given moment not when I enter church. I should be bringing genuine worship with me to church.

Q4. (Zechariah 4:1-10) Why do we so easily fall into the trap of trying to do God’s work with our own strength? What does it mean, “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit”? How might you apply this truth to your life? Our ego leads us into the trap of trying to do God's work in our own strength. We often don't trust or know how to trust God in enabling us to carry out our assignments.

Q3. (Zechariah 3:1-7) What do Joshua’s filthy clothes represent? How does God deal with this? What message is this prophecy intended to convey to Joshua the High Priest? How might this message apply to Christian leaders who have sinned? Joshua's filthy clothes represent his personal sin. God deals with this by providing him with fresh, clean garments. The message is that God has forgiven Joshua of his sin and removed the guilt associated with the sin. He gives him fresh garments and restores His relationship Joshua. God restores relationships and leadership positions upon repentance of sin as He sees fitting.

Q2. (Zechariah 2:13) Why, in this passage, do you think the prophet calls all mankind to be still before him? In the context of God aroused to protect his people from attack, why is silence appropriate? For the enemy of God, what does silence represent? For the believer, what does silence before God represent? The prophet calls all mankind to be still before God because His presence is localized in their midst. Silence is required because God doesn't need our input and mankind needs to focus on God, not our own ego fueled opinions. For the believer silence means being still before God to permit the Trinity to fill our being and that we may experience God in a real way. In reality we must often be still before God. We talk too much and don't say much.

Q2. (Zechariah 2:13) Why, in this passage, do you think the prophet calls all mankind to be still before him? In the context of God aroused to protect his people from attack, why is silence appropriate? For the enemy of God, what does silence represent? For the believer, what does silence before God represent? The prophet is calling for silence before God because He is getting ready to act. Oftentimes we must be still, get out of the way and let God act. For the enemy of God silence might represent unknown consequences, looming doom, or a visit from the hour horsemen. The point being is the unbeliever doesn't know what to expect in any degree regarding God because they have no relationship with Him or knowledge of Him. For the believer silence before God might represent the expectation of some kind of positive action on God's behalf for the believer(s).

1. (Zechariah 1:3) Why is a message of repentance from sin such an important part of the Gospel? What happens when we remove repentance from the core message of Jesus? Why do you think God wants you to repent of all known sin? The acknowledgment and repentance of sin before God opens the door of the soul for a relationship with the Trinity as well as the redemptive work of the Gospel in one's life. When repentance is removed there is no acknowledgment of sin, no healing, no understanding of the Gospel, and no indwelling presence of the Holy spirit. There is no transformative process going on. Repenting of known sin is acknowledging those acts and/or omissions of acts as sin before God. It brings us into agreement with God and opens our inner person for the Holy Spirit to transform us into Christ-like human beings.

Q5. (Haggai 2:20-23) In what way is Haggai’s image of Zerubbabel being God’s signet intended to encourage Zerubbabel? What is the power of a leader’s signet? How does listening to God’s Spirit make you effective as his agent? In what ways are you authorized to speak and act for Jesus? To encourage Zerubabbel, God tells him through Haggai that he is God's signet. In being God's signet Zerubbabel has the power and authority to execute God's will for Judah. Listening to God's Spirit validates purpose and direction in one's life and mission. Thus, making one an effective agent. Christians have the power and authority to represent Jesus Christ in this present world.

Q4. (Haggai 2:10-14) What kinds of things defile a disciple today? What is the danger of acting as if doing church work somehow makes us holy by association? How does a believer deal with spiritual defilement and sin? Getting too close to the things of this world defile a disciple today. For example, materialism, consumerism, celebrity worship, ****, sex outside marriage and rote Christianity. Church work does not make one spirituality clean. Thinking that it does only deepens self-deception. A believer deals with spiritual defilement and sin by going to God and asking for forgiveness and cleaning the issues up with the Trinity. Quote

Q3. (Haggai 2:1-5) Discouragement is a common experience. What command does God give Joshua the high priest? What assurance does he give? To deal with your own times of discouragement, what would God’s command and assurance be for you? How would you implement them? God commands Joshua to take courage and don't be afraid because God's spirit remains among them. So get to work. In my times of discouragement I place my trust in God. As St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) wrote: Let nothing disturb you; Let nothing frighten you; All things are passing: God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices. My life is rooted in this reality.

2. (Haggai 1:6, 9-11) God sometimes disciplines us through hardships and circumstances (Hebrews 12:7-11). Sometimes through us not having all that we need. What is such discipline intended to do in our lives? Are you experiencing hardship? What is God trying to say to you in the midst of it? \ Such discipline is intended to tighten our relationship with the Trinity. Life itself is hardship to some degree or another on a regular basis. God is saying to me as well as all of us that He is our shepherd. Read Ps. 23.

Q1. (Haggai 1:8) God wishes to “take pleasure” in the temple, but the people have stopped working on the project. When is God displeased with you? When does he “take pleasure” in you? What is keeping you from serving him deliberately and joyfully? Generally speaking and as Scripture teaches, God is pleased or displeased with me according to the way I live out my faith. Nothing keeps me from serving him deliberately and joyfully.

Q5. (Ezra 6:20-21) What do repentance and separation from the sins of our culture look like for a disciple today? How should we prepare ourselves to worship Jesus in the Lord’s Supper? How should we prepare to serve him with purity day by day? The sins of our culture that require repentance and separation from begin with a society of over inflated egos who engage in self-worship; consumerism; abortion; ****/obcession with sex; greed; materialism; celebrity worship; corrupt political system/politicians; war/machine gun culture; and entertainment wrapped in religion. We have become a shallow and material minded culture with no deep commitment to higher values reflected in the Biblical God = Trinity. Read 2 Thessalonians 5:14-23 in preparation for daily service, purity, and participation in the Lord's Supper. It is important to open our hearts and minds daily to the Trinity for the ongoing work of transformation into a Christ-like human-being.

Q4. (Ezra 6:1-12) When faced with “insurmountable odds,” why do we give up so easily? What are the characteristics of a disciple who retains a robust faith in the God of amazing breakthroughs and impossible solutions? When faced with insurmountable odds we often give up to what might seem "easily" because we are human and are subject to attitudes within us as the result of the various kinds of push back to our Christian walk and service. Those that overcome only overcome by the grace and strength of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They don't take their eyes off Christ.

Q3. (Ezra 4:1-3) Sometimes uncommitted people try to co-opt true worship for their own ends, as did the enemies of the Jews. What is the danger of letting people without a deep heart commitment and close walk with God redesign the church’s image in the community? Redesign worship? Redesign the preaching? How can we be innovative and still be faithful to God’s heart? The danger is that worship as well as preaching turns into something else or as the question states "worship for their own ends ..." Structure of worship can be innovative, that shouldn't be up to debate, as long as the worship reflects the God of the Bible.

Ezra 3) Rebuilding the temple in order to restore worship is the point of all this work. Is your personal worship what it should be? What foundations do you need to lay again in your personal restoration and revival of faith? Responding to God's call with an open heart, willingness to say yes and acting according is my biggest object of attention in my spiritual life.

1. (Ezra 1:5-6) Why did only some return to Jerusalem when given the opportunity? What are the likely characteristics of those who return vs. those who stay behind in Babylon? Why do only some answer Jesus’ call to follow him on his journey to a radically different kind of lifestyle and mission? What are the characteristics of true disciples? Those who returned were moved by the Holy Spirit to return. They were attuned to leaving Babylon and returning to Jerusalem. Those that stayed over time became comfortable in Babylon like many displaced people throughout time. They made adjustments and created a life in Babylon and stayed there. Those who had a spirit like Abraham moved back to Jerusalem. Those who follow Jesus on a radically different kind of lifestyle and mission have their hearts open to Jesus' call to go on mission wherever that leads. Pure and simple -- true disciples are open to the direction of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:5-25: In this passage Paul says that tongues is good for personal edification, prayer, and praise. Additionally, it serves as a sign for unbelievers. Whereas prophecy is for unbelievers. The Corinthians abused the gifts of tongues in that they speaking in tongues as a way to measure spiritual maturity and considered it as superior to any other gift of the Spirit. Speaking in tongues caused confusion in their church and appeared to be chaotic. It wasn't done systematically and in a way that would edify and strengthen the entire congregation. Often it was used to draw attention to themselves to promote their spiritual superiority over others. I believe this happens a lot in many of our churches today. Humbly walking with God is a difficult thing for many Christians to do. Again, most want to rule the world, few humbly follow and serve God. Too many looking for photo ops and few quietly going about serving God.

1 Corinthians 14:1-4: Paul writes in verse 4 of this passage that the person who prophesies edifies or strengthens the entire congregation vice one speaks in tongues and only strengthens or edifies their self. Paul writes in verse 3 that prophecy strengthens, encourages, and comforts others in the church.